When the electricity cuts out in your building, it’s inconvenient and stressful. Depending on the cause of the blackout, it can also be expensive to fix. Unfortunately, power outages are often out of your control. If your electricity is supplied by an energy company, you have very little control when it comes to resolving blackouts.
Although you aren’t able to fix the issue yourself, having a portable generator on site or using solar panels on your property can increase your resilience to power cuts. You can also rent a generator in times of need.
If the central supply of electricity to your property cuts out, you can switch to your other sources of energy to keep your home well-lit and your business running efficiently.
What Causes a Power Outage?
There are a number of different causes of power outages and we going to cover these below.
- Natural Disasters
In certain areas of the world, power outages are common due to a high incidence of natural disasters.
Sadly, there isn’t much that we can do to prevent hurricanes and storms both of which country cause severe damage to electricity lines and poles. Lightning strikes can also be a significant contributor to electrical blackouts in many areas of the world.
Repairing powerlines and restoring properties after natural disasters is a slow and costly process. Hurricanes, storms, and floods can leave millions of homes and businesses without electricity and can cause millions of dollars of damage.
- Human Error
It’s not just Mother Nature that is responsible for power outages. Human error can also be a common cause of blackouts.
For example, excavators can accidentally rip underground cables up from the ground during construction projects. Employees that are responsible for managing the large electrical generators that power towns and cities can make small errors that lead to outages.
Incorrect installation of electrical wiring is another human error that increases the risk of power cuts. If cables are isolated, damaged, or connected incorrectly, electricity can’t flow properly through the property.
- Power Overload or Power Surges
Most electrical circuits and electronic devices are built with safety mechanisms that prevent power surges. However, sometimes problems with the central electricity generators can cause too much electricity to be delivered to mainline sockets.
When there is a power overload or a strong power surge, it can cause electrical systems to short circuit. This leads to a power outage in one or multiple areas, depending on the location of the problem.
If the electrical short-circuit occurred in the central generator, every property that is supplied by that specific generator will be affected. If the issue is in one of the circuits on your property, it may only be your building that is impacted bye have a power surge.
