Winter Power Outages: Be Prepared

According to Climate Central, with data collected from the nation’s major utility companies, winter weather has been the cause of 22% of power outages in the United States over the past 21 years. California is among the top states that experiences the most weather-related power outages.

The surge in these power outages can be linked to extreme weather changes, such as heat waves, ice storms, hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires, which have grown in intensity over the years due to climate change. The nation’s electrical infrastructure isn’t equipped to handle the increase in electricity demand when these events occur, often leading to power outages for hours, days, and in some cases, even weeks. industrial diesel generator for winter power outages

You don’t want to be unprepared when an outage happens. The best way to protect yourself, your business, and your employees is to plan ahead. Here are some tips from Valley Power Systems on how you can ensure that you’re ready for the next blackout.

Store a Supply of Food and Water

During an outage, you may need to stay indoors until the weather event has passed and power is restored to your facility. In case this takes a while, you should be prepared with a good supply of non-perishable food and water. It’s recommended to keep at least a week’s worth of food storage on hand, and you should ensure that you have enough to share with anyone else that might be stranded with you. Good food choices include canned goods (don’t forget the non-electric can opener), cereal, dried fruits, nuts, instant coffee, and powdered milk.

Unplug to Prevent Power Surges

When the power returns to your building, anything that is plugged into the electrical system could experience a sudden power surge. If your devices are exposed to too much electricity all at once, they can become damaged beyond repair. It’s good practice to unplug anything that is powered by electricity, such as televisions, phones, computers, security systems, industrial equipment, refrigerators, and freezers. You can also invest in industrial surge protectors to protect your devices.

Gather Flashlights, Radios, and Batteries

You’ll want to ensure that you have a light source in the dark, so you should buy plenty of flashlights to go around, as well as batteries to keep them powered up. You can also purchase battery-powered radios, which will help you stay in the know about emergency efforts while you wait. It’s also a good idea to invest in a portable charger for your cell phone so that you have an alternative battery source when the phone battery dies.

Purchase a Generator

If you don’t want to be left in the dark when a power outage happens, a standby or portable generator is the best way to prepare for an outage in your area. These can be an investment in the outset, but they will more than pay off when you can still run electricity—and your business—during a blackout. When other businesses have to close, you can remain in operation. You won’t have to worry about lost productivity impacting your bottom line as long as you purchase the right size generator to handle your full power requirements.

Generator Safety During Winter Power Outages

Using your generator responsibly during a winter power outage is essential to your safety and the safety of your employees. During generator operation, you should keep the following guidelines in mind:

Avoid exceeding generator capacity – Each generator has individual power capacities, or the total amount of power that it can safely supply. Imagine trying to run your business with a small generator. That generator would quickly overload, shut down, and possibly damage your equipment. You should ensure that your generator size is appropriate for your power needs. A professional from Valley Power Systems can assist you in finding the right generator for your business.
Keep the generator area clear – During extreme weather events, dirt, trash, dust, and other debris can stir up in the air and enter your generator vents. Exposing your system to foreign particles will restrict airflow and muck up the generator engine. This can lead to an inefficient power system that experiences increased wear and tear. Your system may fail sooner than expected, ultimately ruining your investment. It’s best to check the generator area frequently during high wind, rain, hail, and snow to keep debris at bay.
Avoid moisture exposure – Excess moisture can cause irreparable damage to the generator. You should ensure that your system is protected by a waterproof enclosure and avoid spraying water directly on the unit during cleaning.
Train employees appropriately – Only authorized personnel should be working around the generator. Your employees should be adequately trained on generator safety in case they need to deal with issues related to the generator in your absence.
Turn generator off to refuel – If you need to refuel your generator, make sure it is turned off, and give it time to completely cool down. Spilling fuel on a hot generator can result in serious burns, which is the last thing that you will want to be dealing with during a power outage.

The Importance of Generator Maintenance

Having a generator ready to go during a blackout is a great first step, but it will only be effective if the generator is well-maintained on a regular schedule. A poorly maintained system will be less reliable and could shut down when you need it most. You should keep up with regular maintenance inspections to ensure your power system is in peak condition.

At Valley Power Systems, we perform a wide range of maintenance tasks for our customers. Our experienced technicians are factory-trained and certified to work on industrial power components. For maintenance, we handle:

Oil and filter changes
Coolant and fuel inspection and refills
Coolant sampling and flush (as needed)
Battery inspection
Engine performance

If we uncover a problem during the inspection, we will inform you right away. The sooner you take care of generator issues, the better for the unit. Handling generator repairs promptly will minimize wear and tear and help to prolong the life of your system. You will be able to address smaller issues before they grow into huge, costly problems.

When you need a generator repair, you can count on our team for fast and reliable service. We’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to serve your emergency power needs. Don’t wait until a blackout occurs to realize that your generator is malfunctioning. Schedule regular maintenance with our team to keep it up and running until power is restored.

Your Local Power Provider

Valley Power Systems has been serving California businesses since 1949. We take pride in partnering with our clients to meet all of their power needs, no matter how large or small. We offer a wide range of commercial generators from top brands that you can trust, and our trained technicians can provide the installation, repairs, and maintenance services that your system will need. Our goal is to ensure that our clients are equipped with the right power solutions to stay operational during a blackout.

Want to learn more about our reliable power options? Give us a call today!