It’s hurricane season in South Florida. And, according to the experts, we are due for a busier than normal season. You don’t have to be an electrician to prepare your home and your family. And now is the time to do it.
Hurricane season may have started last month, but we won’t hit the height of the storm season until next month, so you have plenty of time to make sure your family is prepared before a storm threatens South Florida.
BEFORE THE STORM
When the power goes out, life in the 21st century slows to a crawl. But there are things you can do to decrease the chances of a weather-related power outage. If you don’t want to be sitting in the dark until FPL’s crews can make it to your house, get your yard cleaned up.
Tree branches and overgrown vegetation are a leading cause of power outages. And, if the branches of your tree take down the power line to your house, you can expect to be waiting a long time for the lights to come back on. FPL’s repair crews usually won’t get around to downed wires affecting only an individual home until all the lines powering multiple houses or businesses have been repaired.
As FPL’s storm guide says, “Do not attempt to trim any vegetation growing on or near power lines. Please only hire qualified professionals to trim trees and other vegetation growing near power lines.”
Take it from an electrician in South Florida who has been through more than one storm, that’s good advice!
AFTER THE STORM
If you do lose power, you’ll want to unplug some of the power-hungry devices in your home, like TVs and computers. You might want to go out to your electrical panel and change the switch controlling the power to your air conditioning from the on to the off position. These steps will protect your electronics from a potential power surge. They can also protect your circuits from being overloaded when the power comes back on.
Of course, if your circuits are blown when the power comes back on, you can contact Emerald Isle Electric, with licensed electricians serving Boca Raton, Delray Beach and other communities in Palm Beach and Broward Counties.
Give us a call at (561) 303-5475.