Don’t Let Power Outages or Surges Ruin Your Day
During hurricane season, storms can wreak havoc on homes throughout Florida. Very few people are prepared to deal with the power outages and surges associated with it. As technology becomes more central to our lives, it’s essential to have a plan in place to protect it during the extended storm season.
We recommend having a backup power system in your home in case of blackouts or brownouts. Brownouts, typically common during hot weather, occur when electricity dips or surges for a variety of reasons and can be just as damaging as full-blown blackouts.
In this blog, we highlight some of the reasons electricity fluctuations can be a big problem in your home and offer some handy solutions that can give your family some added peace of mind.
SEE ALSO: Are You Setting Up Your Smart Home for Failure?
How Can A Storm Outage Affect You?
With computers and smart devices, just a few seconds of downtime can result in losing valuable information. In many cases, hardware and operating systems can also be damaged if they’re not given the proper time to shut down.
Often, though, the problem isn’t when the power goes out, but when it comes back on. The inrush of current to fill the empty wires—almost like water breaking through a dam—can damage your electronics if they’re still on. When the power goes out for extended periods, you should always switch off your electronics and wait a few minutes after it comes back to prevent damage.
The effects of not having electricity can be detrimental for a variety of other reasons, too. You may need the power to keep specific lighting or alarms on for security, do basic cooking and refrigeration, and keep your air conditioning running (this can become an actual health risk in Florida). If you have any elderly family members relying on medical devices, these need to be the number one priority.
How Can a Backup Power System Help You?
Your backup power system has two primary goals: to give your devices time to shut down properly and to protect them from dangerous surges when the power comes back in. As we’ll discuss in the next section, there are some options available that can also offer some long-term relief during extended blackouts.
What Type of System Should You Use?
We recommend going with an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). This device can provide power to your home when your primary power source fails. It relies on batteries to start supplying energy as soon as power interruption occurs. A UPS is not meant to keep the power going endlessly; instead, it allows for a buffer so you can save valuable information and let your devices to turn off safely. It also serves as a surge protector, so there’s no need to buy one separately.
UPSs come in three standard options: on-line, line-interactive, and standby. On-line options in which power is always going to the battery are more expensive, but will be better prepared to protect your devices. Line-interactive and standby options will only switch power over to the battery after an issue is detected, so it may take longer for them to kick in.
If you want a long-term backup power system during extended blackouts, then it may be worthwhile to look into backup generators as well. Avoid portable generators that run for limited time and have to be started manually. A whole-house generator that starts automatically when it detects a power interruption or reduction has a much longer runtime, and will help your home to remain livable during an outage.
Since many of our clients are away from home during the worst weather—and we don’t blame them!—the automatic UPS and generator options are the best bet to protect your electronics even if you’re not there. UPS and generators should be linked to emergency circuits in the house, so they only power your most important and vulnerable devices. For both, consider how many devices you want to connect and for how long to determine which system would work best for you.
We recommend working with a professional like Stereo Types who can help you gauge your needs and make sure your system is installed correctly. It’s also important to have a professional on for regular maintenance, so you have peace of mind that your system will be ready to go when the power goes out.
Want to learn more about the benefits of a backup power system in your Naples property? Reach out to one of our experts by calling (888) 217-9488 or filling out our online contact form.
