Spring showers bring May flowers, and they also bring power outages. Are you and your family prepared if your home experiences a power outage? With the storm season coming up, the team at Fusion Electric wanted to share an electrician’s insider tips for when the power goes out.

The Electrical Do’s and Don’ts

• Avoid opening your freezer and refrigerator doors as much as possible. This will keep the cold air in the appliance to help save the food. Food is typically still safe to eat if the outage is less than four hours. We do recommend throwing away any perishable items that were kept above 40 degrees for two or more hours.
• Unplug major appliances and electronics, such as televisions and computers, that are not hooked up to a surge protector. An electrical surge could cause damage when the power comes back on.

Related read: What Is a Power Surge & How to Protect Your Home from One

• Turn off your air conditioner. We recommend not turning it back on for a little while after the power comes back on. This will help prevent  the unit from burning out.
• Flip off all of the light switches in the house/building that were on when the power went off. Surging electricity can also make light bulbs burst.
• Once the power comes back on, check items such as your home’s security systems, fire alarms, and sump pump to ensure that they are back on and working properly.

Do You Need a Backup Generator?

We recommend that your family invest in a backup generator, particularly for storm seasons. Having a backup generator means you’ll be less likely to replace major appliances and electronics after a power outage. You’ll also have access to food and water in your home, as well as a way to communicate with your home phone, or a way to charge phones and laptops, to check status updates on the outage or weather.

Generators are permanent fixtures that are easy to maintain. Most generators won’t turn off, even when the power comes back on, until the power is stable. You can be certain that with a backup generator, you will be able to maintain your living comfort level during a power outage.

Related read: Everything Homeowners Need to Know about a Backup Generator

Don’t wait until a blackout happens! Be prepared and install a home backup generator today. Call Fusion Electric at (913) 563-7975 and we’ll help you choose the best generator for your home and install it for you, too.