Power Outage Preparation Tips

While you can’t prevent a power outage, you can lessen the discomfort and damage it may cause by preparing ahead. It doesn’t take long or require an investment to protect your home and family and ensure a greater degree of comfort.

• Sign up for text or email alerts when outages occur, especially if you’re away from home on a routine basis.

• Have an adequate supply of candles and matches, as well as fresh batteries for flashlights and radios.

• Invest in a phone charger for your car if you rely on a cell phone for communication. You can charge a low battery by driving or idling your car in the driveway.

• Prepare a list of emergency numbers, especially if you or family members have any health issues.

• Keep extra canned food in the pantry that’s easy to heat to avoid opening the freezer or refrigerator. Never bring a gas or charcoal barbecue into the garage or home to cook or provide heat. Both emit dangerous levels of carbon monoxide (CO).

• Have a professional inspect your fireplace annually. It can provide heat during a power outage but must be clean to prevent chimney fires or deadly CO from entering your home.

• Test your CO detectors monthly and replace any weak batteries. Smoke detector batteries should be checked at least once a year.

• Turn off your heating system at the circuit breaker when the power goes out, even for a short period. As utility workers restore the power, power surges are common that can damage your equipment. You can also add a surge protector to its circuit to automatically shut it off to prevent serious damage.If you have a heat pump, ask your HVAC contractor how to start it if there's been an extended outage. The heat pump needs to warm its lubricants before starting the heating cycle, whose length varies depending on the heat pump’s size.

The pros at Air Assurance can help you protect your home and HVAC system during a power outage. We've provided top-notch HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners for more than 30 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Vectors. 1/Shutterstock”

Have You Had Maintenance Completed on Your Generator?

A home generator can make a world of difference during a power outage. A generator, depending on its capabilities, may keep refrigerated food from spoiling and your hot water tank pumping out hot water. In other words, a it may help you from having to seek alternative living conditions during a power outage. In order to keep a generator in proper working order when you need it the most, it is imperative you establish a yearly routine generator maintenance schedule.

There are a number of factors which may keep your generator from working properly. Climate, specifically freezing temperatures, may keep an already compromised generator from starting. Fortunately the Tulsa climate dose not dip into the negative temperatures too often, but even our temperatures will affect an improperly cared-for generator. Losing power during the winter months, and without a generator to back you up, you may be put in a dire predicament. Other reasons your generators may not start include: compromised fuel supply, rust, debris, seized starter, blocked carburetor, fouled sparkplug, damaged flywheel, or severed electrical wire, just to name some of the more common ways a generator will not start.

Generators, depending on their make, model, size, and fuel supply, will require service not unlike your furnace. Routine generator maintenance includes ensuring components are in proper working order, making sure fluids are filled, and changing out air filters for starters. Waiting until a power outage to discover your generator has a loose sparkplug will cause you unnecessary heartache. Also, waiting until a power outage, or until the unit is fully broken, will ensure you pay the maximum dollar amount for your repairs. A little maintenance once or twice a year may keep you from having to shell out replacement costs on your investment.

Generators can make a difference during an emergency, but only if they are properly maintained. If you live in the Tulsa area, and have a generator that has not seen a maintenance mechanic since the assembly line, please feel free to contact us.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about generators and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Surge Protectors Help Your Home's Energy Efficiency

A surge protector protects your electronics in the event of a lightning strike, electrical system failure, or power outage. Spikes or drops in the electrical current traveling through your home’s electrical system can damage appliances, HVAC system components, computers, and home theater equipment. These fluctuations, which may be the result of lightning strikes, tripped circuit breakers or short circuits, are unavoidable, but installing a surge protector helps prevent these surges from causing damage.

These devices can provide more than just protection, though. They can also help lower energy and maintenance or repair costs. Homeowners have a few options in terms of the types of surge protectors available. These can be divided into two categories:

1. Whole house: controls the flow of electricity into your home.

2. Point of entry or use: Controls the flow of electricity from the outlet to the item plugged into it.

A whole house surge protector is wired into your home’s electrical system to protect your entire home. Point of entry devices are connected directly to the items you wish to protect and are available in a few different types. These include:

• Computer surge protectors have inlets for coaxial cable, standard plugs and Ethernet cables.

• Standard surge protection devices consist of multiple outlets on a power strip. These should not be confused with a standard power strip, which works like a multi-outlet extension cord, but does not provide surge protection.

• Home theater surge protectors have numerous outlets, as well as inputs for coaxial cable.

• Energy conservation surge protectors protect most types of electrical equipment, and help reduce the amount of energy used in your home. They consist of two outlets that are always on, and additional outlets that can be turned off when not in use.

A combination of whole house and point of entry devices typically provides the best protection and energy savings.

For more information about surge protection and its benefits in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow area please contact us at Air Assurance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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A Cold-Weather Power Outage Can Be A Real Hardship -- Are You Prepared?

The climate in Broken Arrow often means colder winter weather and the possibility of a power outage. Enduring a power outage is a hardship that most homeowners aren’t prepared to endure. In order to get ready for one, follow the steps below to make the experience as comfortable -- and safe -- as possible.One of the main concerns homeowners have during a power outage is their food supply. During longer periods without power, it’s critical to maintain a safe food supply. In order to do so:

• Purchase a few disposable coolers to store cold items.

• Have a supply of ice on hand. When the power goes out, you can fill your fridge with bags of ice to keep food cold, and use ice for items in the coolers, too.

• Keep a thermometer on hand to take check the temperature of food during long power outages to ward off food poisoning.

It’s also critical to have a sufficient amount of water on hand, particularly important during longer outages, but also necessary even for just a couple of days. If a storm is heading your way, fill the tub, several sinks, and any empty buckets you have with water. You’ll need a drinking supply, and a few buckets to flush the toilets.Putting together an emergency kit will also be helpful when enduring a period without power. Your kit should include:

• A large supply of batteries

• A flashlight

• A radio that can be powered by batteries

• First aid supplies, including Band-aids, gauze, etc.

• Seven days worth of any medications that family members may require

• Hygiene supplies

• Contact information for family members and friends

• A full gas tank for your car

• A stand-by generator, or a portable device kept on hand for emergency situations

Make sure you’re ready in the event of a power outage. If it happens, you’ll be glad you took the time to prepare. If you’d like help with getting your home ready for cooler weather, or ensuring efficiency throughout Broken Arrow’s long winter, call the home comfort and efficiency experts at Air Assurance Heating, Cooling & Air Quality today!Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!