There’s nothing more annoying than having the power suddenly go out in your home.Whether you’re watching the suspenseful finale of your favourite TV series, working on your computer to get that report ready for your boss or cooking dinner with the family – nothing can throw a spanner in the works like sudden darkness.The causes for these power outages can vary from something simple to fix to a factor well out of your hands.Below, we have listed five of the most common causes for the power going out in your home so that you can better understand what’s going on while you’re in the dark
5 Reasons Why the Power Has Gone Out in Your Home
- Overloaded Power Boards
Plugging in a number of appliances that demand high levels of power can overload your power board by exceeding it amperage.This is a common cause for tripped circuits, however if circuit breakers or fuses fail, overloaded power boards can result in fire and other damages to your home.Make sure to unplug all appliances that aren’t in use to ensure your power boards aren’t overloaded. Also, avoid plugging power boards into other power boards, as this can cause power demands to spiral out of control.
- Tripped Fuses and Circuit Breakers
As mentioned above, excess power demands will result in fuses blowing or circuit breakers tripping.Depending on which systems are in place in your home, fuses or circuit breakers, you should first try to identify the cause of the fuse blowing or circuit breaking, e.g. overloaded power boards, and remedy it before switching the power back on.
- Mother Nature
If there is a storm in your area, there’s a good chance you may experience a power outage at some point of its duration.Lightening can induce currents large enough to trip breakers or blow transformers on nearby power lines. However, more often that not, the main cause for power outages in a storm are trees or branches landing on the power lines, breaking the circuit.Do not go out and fiddle with your fuse box during a storm, as this outage is out of your control. There will be well-trained electricians working hard to fix the situation so that all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the storm.
- Animal Interference
Believe it or not, another reason for power outages in your home can be linked to inference from wildlife.Rats and other vermin can view the wires in your home or area’s electricity infrastructure as tasty snack, choosing to gnaw on them until the power goes out both in your home and in their body.Another common way animals cause power outages is when they come in contact with power lines. Bats are well known for this in the state of Queensland, as they unfortunately tend to hang upside down from one line and, after spreading their wings, fatally encounter another line causing a break in the power.
- Accidents
Animals and storms aren’t the only things that cause damage to power lines, as traffic accidents, namely people driving their cars into power poles, can also cause outages in your area.If you’re experiencing a power outage late at night and can’t identify a simple cause, feel free to call us for our after hour’s emergency service and let us get the power back on in your home as soon as possible.
Need an Emergency Electrician in Melbourne? Contact 0484 222 888
