Prepare for Winter Weather Power Outages at Home and the Office
Tips to Stay Powered Up All Winter
Power Up for Winter Weather •
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Unpredictable weather is nothing new, despite the best efforts of forecasters. However, extreme weather is fast becoming the norm in many areas. It’s more important than ever to prepare in advance for the worst that winter can throw your way, with plenty of industrial batteries, flashlights, and uninterruptible power sources. Record snowfalls pile up each winter, often followed by record snowmelt and floods that can cut off power and threaten your safety and comfort. Tornadoes and other wind events are equally devastating, and earthquakes may leave homes and businesses cut off any time of year. Be ready to survive an unexpected weather event by taking a few key steps to ensure a consistent power source and cope with emergencies.
Power at Home •
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Radio broadcasts provide a lifeline during emergencies, with updates about weather events, road closures, and power repairs. Stay connected to emergency information with a battery-powered portable radio. Stock up on a good supply of rechargeable batteries in various sizes, to fit more than one radio. Don’t forget to place a flashlight in every room, so each member of the family can safely see obstacles or dangers until power returns, and have extra rechargeable batteries handy for flashlights, too. Some plug-in flashlights can be kept in a socket for continuous charging, ready for use whenever needed. Despite a storm or other local problem, don’t assume you have lost all power until you check circuit breakers. If one has been tripped, it’s a simple solution, in case the power supply is still operating.
Home Emergency Basics •
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At home, the refrigerator protects perishable food and keeps your family fed, but what if the power goes out? Avoid opening the fridge and set to the coldest temperature (be sure to raise temps again when power returns). This step can keep your refrigerator cold for about 24 hours, and longer for a full freezer. Survival in winter may depend on a source of heat. If you have a wood-burning stove or fireplace, stock an extra supply of wood, and plan to spend most of your time in that warm room—just be careful to adequately ventilate the area. A battery-operated home heater can be a small but powerful friend in case of winter power cuts. Conserve heat with a wellinsulated house and weather stripping. If you lack an uninterruptible power supply at home, be sure to unplug electronics, like computers, VCRs and TVs, and even a microwave oven. This step will protect them from possible damage if a surge occurs when power is restored.
Power at the Office
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Loss of power at the office can have long-lasting consequences if data is lost, sensitive electronics are damaged, or the safety of staff is threatened. Whether power is interrupted by storms, earthquakes, or other problems affecting area utilities, be prepared to seamlessly continue operating, or at least preserve valuable assets until power is fully restored. Avoid sudden loss of power by ensuring a smooth transition to a reliable temporary source of network-grade power as soon as an outage occurs. Keep computer equipment, phone systems, and even life-sustaining medical equipment functioning, with industrial grade replacement batteries and uninterruptible power sources, like the SMT 1500 – UPS, also known as a Smart UPS.
Emergency Office Lighting
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Power is essential to so many vital functions, lighting among them. Be sure to have suitable, alternate light sources ready in case of power loss at the office. Many emergency events, such as earthquakes, hit with little or no warning, leaving no time to run for portable, temporary lighting. Ideally, each employee, or at least each department, should be equipped with a durable flashlight, like an Energizer hard case model with shatterproof lens, that will stand up to hard knocks and a potentially unstable environment. Stock up on industrial flashlights suitable for your office setting, from cubicle to work bench. Choose an Energizer hard case flashlight with swivel to allow for hands-free lighting and swivel head to direct light to specific locations, or a hard case flashlight lantern to illuminate a large outdoor job.
Proceed with Caution
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Once you have stabilized indoor systems after a power outage, you may be tempted to check outdoor connections, whether at home or office. Use extreme caution in any environment that has been disrupted. Always assume that a loose power line—or anything resembling one—is a live, electrified line, and keep away from it. Do not touch anything connected to the line, or any standing water that it is touching. Inform and educate family members and employees to use the same degree of caution, and immediately contact local power authorities to report the dangerous loose wire.
Be Prepared with Batteries
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Be prepared for a power outage of unknown duration with enough commercial grade batteries to keep all equipment operating. If your workplace depends on battery-operated equipment, from portable lights to medical devices, you need a good supply of industrial batteries in varied sizes. Choose one designed and manufactured to perform in extremes of temperature, a likely prospect in freezing winter storms. The Duracell Procell industrial alkaline is one of several options offered at low wholesale prices on the TES website. Buying wholesale batteries provides significant savings, and Duracells have been tested to last through as much as seven years of storage.
Survive Safely at Home or Office •
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Rule number one: keep at least a gallon of drinking water per person per day on hand. In the worst circumstances, a severe winter freeze can mean frozen pipes, and no water. Use these time-tested tricks to avoid running out of water when things get tough: o Insulate indoor pipes to keep them from freezing. o Leave faucets dripping slightly to keep water moving. o If pipes freeze, open cabinet doors to allow any warm air to circulate around pipes. o If power is out as well, use a portable, batteryoperated heater directed toward pipes to help thaw frozen areas. If power is still working, use an electric hair dryer to thaw. Remember to remove any hazardous materials from the area and open all faucets first. Preparation for the inconveniences and hazards of winter weather is essential. Keep everyone safe at home or work, with everything you need to maintain uninterruptible power.
ABOUT TES Telecom Electric Supply Company, or TES, is a wholesale electrical and telecommunications supplier. Since 1985, TES has supplied industrial replacement batteries and uninterruptible power sources, Duracell flashlights, lithium batteries, and other items needed to stay safe at the office, medical facility, or home. Stock up on emergency power supplies at http://www.tes.com, or call for more information at 1-800-821-9066.