1. How long does a blackout last?
A blackout is when the power grid stops delivering electricity to users. As we all know, blackouts are a common occurrence in areas where electricity is in short supply or in poor conditions, so you don’t need to worry about it too much. Typically, outages can last from a few minutes to a few hours if they are caused by a power spike, or tens of hours or even days if they are caused by a natural disaster.
2. What factors can lead to power outages?
2.1 Environmental factors
As power lines are usually set up high in the air, they are greatly affected by environmental factors. In some harsh environments, such as thunder, snow, hail, flash floods and typhoons, such as wires, boxes and other electrical equipment will be damaged, the transmission of electricity channel is broken naturally lead to blackouts. Take hail as an example, when the hail hit on the wire, the wire will disconnect if it is overburdened, and the blackout phenomenon will occur.
2.2 Human factors
2.2.1 because in the peak period of power consumption and stop the power supply
When in the peak period of electricity consumption, due to the work of the power equipment increased, the power system load is larger, the power system failure paralyzed the chances of rising. In order to prevent this kind of situation from happening and save manpower and financial resources, the relevant departments usually choose to shut down the power supply system in some areas to ensure the stable and efficient operation of the power system, so power outages will occur in some areas.
2.2.2 Circuit stopping power supply due to the need for maintenance
Power lines are exposed to the air for a long time, even if they are protected by insulating plastic, they will still be damaged, exposing a series of safety problems, including peeling off of insulating plastic, loosening of joints, and breakage of wires, etc. These situations pose great safety hazards and pose a threat to the safety of your life and property. Because of the maintenance of electric equipment under energized conditions, the risk and difficulty of maintenance will be greatly increased, at this time, in order to protect the safety of the relevant maintenance personnel, the relevant departments will stop the operation of the electric power system, resulting in a blackout, and the power supply will not be resumed until the completion of the maintenance work.
2.2.3 The occurrence of man-made accidents on the power equipment damage and stop the power supply
It is obvious that man-made accidents cause damage to electric equipment, which in turn leads to power outages. For example, traffic accidents in vehicles hit the power box will lead to damage to power equipment, power outages will occur. Of course, malicious human damage to power equipment can also lead to paralysis of the power system, which in turn triggers a blackout.
2.2.4 Power system failure inside the home caused by personal blackout
If the electric equipment inside the home occurs a short circuit and other circumstances, the resistance in the circuit decreases, the current in the circuit will suddenly become larger, in order to protect the entire power system inside the home, the circuit breaker installed in the home circuit will automatically trip, there are places where the fuse is used, the fuse can play a similar role, whether it is the circuit breaker automatically tripped or the fuse melted, will cut off the circuit, resulting in the current can not be smooth in the This can cause a power outage in an individual’s home.
In addition to this, another major cause of electrical system failures in homes is power surges. This occurs when too many appliances are connected to a single power line, causing the line to overheat, which can result in a burned wire or a fire that can cause a power outage. To avoid this, you can choose to install a surge protector for your electrical system or avoid running multiple devices on the same circuit at the same time.
2.2.5 Disruption of energy supply leading to power outages
Most of the power plants use energy sources such as fossil fuels, natural gas, hydro energy, solar energy etc. to generate electricity. Problems in the supply of some of these energy sources, such as a shortage of fossil fuels, may result in the power plant being unable to generate electricity properly, leading to power cuts.
2.2.6 Failure of software or control management system leading to power outage
With the development of smart grid, more and more companies will use computerized intelligent control system in power supply, but due to software bugs or lack of management personnel and other reasons, it may lead to power supply management system failure, which leads to power outage.
3. How to determine the type of outage
In order to better cope with power outages, we recommend that you first determine the type of outage to help you use different methods to cope with different special situations.
3.1 Complete power failure
A complete power failure is the most serious type of power failure, mainly due to weather or man-made damage to facilities on the power lines. Its impact may reach a certain urban area or the whole city. It is one of the most difficult types of power failure to solve because it is difficult and takes a long time to repair, and preparing a backup power supply is the best way to solve this type of power failure.
3.2 Low voltage
Generally speaking, low voltage does not lead to complete power failure, but it will affect the normal operation of some electrical appliances, such as reduced brightness of lights or air conditioning cooling and heating effect. In this case, you can call the power company directly, and generally do not need special preparation.
3.3 Faulty power failure
Faulty outages are mostly caused by broken cables, which can be easily detected by checking the voltage on the supply line. It is therefore less time-consuming and difficult to repair, and generally has an impact of only a few hours.
4. How to anticipate outages as far as possible？
Power failures, whatever the cause, can cause continuous inconvenience. Anticipating such occurrences can help us prepare for emergencies. The following points may be able to help you predict the timing and duration of power outages.
4.1 Judging by the season
Generally speaking, summer is the peak time for power outages to occur. This is mainly due to the possibility of hurricanes in the summer, which can cause damage to power supply equipment, as well as the fact that during the summer months, electricity consumption in residential areas increases and power supply equipment may be damaged due to deterioration and ageing.
4.2 Judgment according to the area
Compared with the general inland cities, coastal areas and some dry climate, prone to natural disasters such as fires and other inland areas, the possibility of power outages is greater, and according to the coastal areas in the summer hurricanes, dry areas in the fall and winter are prone to fires and other laws, can be predicted through the different regions of the season of power outages occurring often.
4.3 Judgment according to the local electric power company and the type and grade of basic equipment
Regardless of whether it is judged from the frequency of maintenance or the quality of equipment, the probability of power outages is smaller and the duration of outages is shorter in areas with larger electric power infrastructures and power companies. Areas with underground cables are less susceptible to weather and human impacts than areas with external cable lines.
5. What you can do to cope with power outages?
5.1 Use of solar-powered electricity generators
Solar-like power generators can be used to power your equipment when the electrical system is down. Take solar panels as an example, its use of solar energy, not subject to the power grid, can be in the blackout, the use of photovoltaic panels will be converted to light energy, continue to supply power to your equipment, and solar energy system has a solar battery, can save excess electricity, to protect you in the absence of the sun in the environment of the normal conduct of the activities, very convenient, so the solar power generation panels can be your response to the blackout of power! This is why solar power panels can be a great help in dealing with power outages. For example, a portable solar-powered RO unit can efficiently utilize solar energy to provide fresh water even during power disruptions. Of course, you can prepare a variety of power generation equipment, such as wind turbines and lithium batteries, to cope with various situations.
5.2 Prepare the necessary power supplies
You can prepare some candles, gas stoves, matches, drinking water and canned goods, which can protect your basic life in case of power failure. For example, candles can be used for lighting and gas stoves can be used for cooking without electricity. Since these items don’t use electricity, they can provide you with convenience and help you get through a power outage. And, of course, you can have a medical kit on hand in case of a power outage.
5.3 Actively contact your local electric utility to respond to a power outage
After preparing your home, you can contact your local power company at the start of the outage and provide information about possible explosions, sparks, or burning odors in or around your home. Sometimes the power company may not be aware of a fault at the customer’s end in time, and proactive contact can help to bridge the information gap and help maintenance staff find the fault and repair it more quickly, reducing the duration of the outage.
5.4 Unplugging large electrical appliances
Generally speaking, the voltage of large electrical appliances will be much higher than their operating voltage when they start up. In order to save power and protect the appliances from possible damage caused by power surges, it is recommended that you unplug large electrical appliances from your home during a power outage to avoid damage when the power is restored.
5.5 Check the surrounding area
Sometimes power outages within a property are not necessarily caused by damage to the power lines, but can also be caused by improper use of electricity within the property. When you experience a power outage at your property, you may want to check with your neighbors and other properties in the community to determine the extent of the outage and to determine what you should do next.
5.6 Proactive Hotel Reservations
In the event of a prolonged power outage, it may be a good idea to book a hotel room in a neighborhood with power. Prolonged power outages can not only cause a lot of trouble, but can also lead to safety issues and a host of other problems. You can also choose to stay in a hotel if you are unprepared for a short power outage.
6. FAQ About Power Outage
How can you find out the duration of an outage?
Usually, the power department will try to restore the power supply as soon as possible. If you urgently need to know the duration of the outage, the most direct way to find out is to contact the power company or other power department, who will tell you the reason for the outage and how long the outage will last.
The most direct way to find out is through the power company or other electricity related authorities who will tell you the reason for the outage and how long it will last. In addition to this, you can also speculate based on the duration of past outages in your area.
Can the food in the fridge still be consumed normally after a power cut?
This depends mainly on the type of food stored in your refrigerator, but for most fresh food, if your power outage is longer than 24h, it is recommended that you forgo consuming this food, as it is likely to have gone bad.
7. Summary
Power outages are a normal part of life and usually last for a certain period of time, depending on the circumstances, so there is no need to panic when faced with a power outage. The key is to take measures to deal with the outage, including the preparation of essential items and the normal operation of power generating equipment. By taking these steps, you can enjoy a comfortable and safe life during a power outage.
