Protect Your Appliances During a Power Outage

With Hurricane Ian bearing down on us, this is an important time to think about what to do to protect your appliances during a power outage.

Why does a power outage matter for my appliances?

While the power is out, most people think about preserving the food in their fridge and whether they have a gas stove or oven that can still be used without electricity. These are important considerations, but did you know there are a couple other things to think about during an outage?

The reason to think one more step ahead is important – when power is restored, it could send a surge into your house that damages your appliances and electronics. Power surges can knock out important electronic functions of your appliances and keep them from working.

What should I do?

The good news is that simply unplugging your appliances will protect them from harmful surges. If you find yourself without power, follow these steps:

1. Turn off all lights except one or two in the room you are in. That way, you’ll know when the power is restored, but won’t have bulbs blow out all over the house. If you can’t remember which lamps you had on, just unplug them.
2. Unplug appliances and electronics. If you can’t reach certain plugs, consider turning them off at the breaker. This includes your refrigerator, dishwasher, range, stove, or oven, microwave, ice makers, beverage coolers, washer, dryer, and small counter-top appliances like air fryers, toasters, coffee makers, etc. Also disconnect TVs, internet modem, wireless routers, computers, phone chargers, etc.
3. After power is restored, wait at least 5 minutes before plugging appliances back in to help reduce the surge in demand.

If you forget to take these precautions and find your appliances don’t work after power is restored, there are a couple of things you can do. First, try unplugging the unit and plugging it back in after a full minute. If that doesn’t work, read the owner’s manual (also usually available online if you search by model number) to see if there are other troubleshooting tips or safety features that you can utilize to get it running again. If all else fails, call an experienced appliance repair technician.

If you’re in the Midlands area, the only call you need to make is to Appliance Professional. Or, just schedule online at applianceprofessional.com/schedule.