Are You Ready for Unexpected Power Outages?

Any kind of a power outage in the winter creates a level of hardship that ranges from inconvenient to dangerous. It makes sense to prepare your home to avoid some of the discomfort associated with the lack of heat and electricity.

• Locate the circuit breaker for your heating system and turn it off. Once the utility workers restore the power, it can surge, sending powerful spikes of electricity through the lines that can harm your equipment. Once the power has been successfully restored, turn the breaker back on.

• Keep flashlights handy. Put a flashlight in each bedroom and by the front or back door. Check their batteries periodically and have replacements on hand.

• Learn how to operate your garage door manually. During a prolonged outage, you may need to leave your home if the roads are safe to do so.

• Always have extra food on hand that doesn’t require much heating unless you have a safe way to do so. Bringing in a charcoal or propane grill creates dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. A backpacking stove is a relatively safe heating option.

• When the outage is due to a winter storm, select a warm room in your home where you can gather. Body heat will help keep the temperature up and you can close the window coverings to keep heat from escaping.

• Consider installing a home generator. Whether it’s a portable unit or a whole-house system, a generator takes the edge off a power outage, even if it’s a small unit used mainly for lights.

• Have your fireplace cleaned by a professional chimney sweep annually if you use it frequently. A clean chimney and firebox increase its safety, and be sure to use a spark screen.

• Stay warmer by dressing in layers. Keeping the body’s core warm preserves heat, as will crawling into a sleeping bag.

The preparations to cope with a power outage do take time and some expense, but they increase your family’s safety and comfort. If you’d like to learn more, contact Air Assurance, providing trusted HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners.

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Surge Protectors Prevent Damage From Fierce Summer Storms

Among the biggest disadvantages to summer in Oklahoma is the severe storms that often occur. Strong winds and tornadoes, severe lightning and heavy rains can make life very unpleasant, either while the storm is going on or much longer if the storm has damaged your home. A very effective method of preventing damage to your home's appliances, electric devices and sensitive electronics is to install surge protectors that keep devastating electrical spikes from surging back down your power lines and into your home.The total cost of all the electronics and electric equipment in your home is probably in the thousands of dollars. Whenever this equipment is plugged in, there is the risk that it could be damaged or destroyed by the electricity that powers it. Electrical surges can send enough electricity back into your power lines to burn out circuits and render any electrical device unusable. Surge protectors can stop these sudden damaging power spikes and keep your expensive equipment safe from harm.Destructive power surges most often occur during strong lightning storms. Power surges can happen when large appliances or equipment with high power needs switch on. Surges can also be caused by problems with electrical wiring in your home, downed or damaged power lines and the failure of power transmission equipment somewhere along the network.Surge protectors can provide:• Service entrance protection, which protects the entire electrical system at the point where wires and cables enter your home. This includes incoming power lines, phone lines and TV cables.• Point-of-use protection, which adds more protection at the point where the equipment is plugged into the electrical outlet.No surge protector can offer complete protection, especially against strong lightning strikes. However, by applying both service entrance and point-of-use surge protectors, you will substantially decrease any possibility of power surge damage in your home.For more than 30 years, Air Assurance has been providing professional heating and air conditioning services to customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow areas. Contact us today for more information on surge protectors and how they can protect your HVAC system, household appliances and electrical devices during common summer storms.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 websiteto see our current promotionsand get started today!     

Surge Protectors: The Most Reliable Way To Guard Against Power Failures

Surge protectors are common devices in many households, and for good reason. Surge protectors are the most reliable way to protect your sensitive appliances and electronic devices against power failures and surges. A power surge is an increase in voltage in a circuit, and this can result from a number of different causes.

• Lightning strikes might be the most familiar cause of power surges, but they are actually one of the least common.

• Power surges are more often caused by using high-powered electrical devices.

• Surges are also caused by power outages. When the power is restored to your home after an outage, the returning electricity can create a powerful and potentially damaging power surge.

Surge protectors work by redirecting the excess voltage from a power surge away from your appliances. Some appliances are more sensitive than others, so it's important to know what needs to be protected and what doesn't.

• Simple appliances like lamps and fans generally don't need protection. The worst a power surge can do to a lamp is burn out the bulb.

• High-end electronics, including stereos and entertainment equipment, should be protected. Surges can shorten the lifespan of these devices.

• Computers are at the greatest risk, and they should always be connected to a surge protector. Surges not only shorten the lifespan of your computer, but may wipe out all your data.

• The most potentially costly appliance needing a surge protector may be your heating and air conditioning system. New, high efficiency models have control boards, compressors, and motors that are unprotected from surges and are not cheap to replace.

• Any appliance that contains a microprocessor should be protected.

When you look into purchasing surge protectors for your home, you have a few options, so it's important to choose the right surge protectors for your home's needs. Your options include:

• Surge protector strips

• Wall-mount surge protectors

• Battery backups

• Whole-house surge protectors.

The first three types are point-of-use surge protectors, meaning they serve as sort of an intermediary between your appliances and your wall outlets. Whole-house surge protectors are installed on your main electrical panel, and can protect your entire home from most surges.Air Assurance offers specific surge protectors to cover your heating and air conditioning systems.  They are backed with insurance coverages, that should they fail to prevent damage, in most cases the surge protector company will pay for your deductable if needed in order to cover those damages.For more information, contact Air Assurance. We've been serving the Broken Arrow area for more than 30 years.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!     

Your Computer Depends On A Surge Protector, Why Not Your Heating And Cooling Systems?

Power surges are among the top three causes of HVAC system breakdown, along with neglect and old equipment. They are unpredictable, and only last milliseconds, but they have the potential to be very destructive. Through no fault of your own, you could be left out in the cold (or heat!) without an HVAC system, and a very high repair bill. You may even have to replace your entire system. That’s why HVAC surge protectors are solid investments.Power surges are strong, sudden electrical fluctuations, generally caused by lightning, events at the utility company, or internal occurrences. Contrary to popular belief, most causes are actually internal, created by such things as motors on household appliances like dishwashers and refrigerators, pumps for a well or a pool, and other mechanical systems. Think of when you plug in a vacuum or hairdryer and the lights go slightly dim for a moment. Power surges are more common than many people realize. The average U.S. home experiences over 300 a year, each with the ability to cause damage.Many people recognize the importance of surge protectors for their computers and take appropriate measures to protect them. If there is a sudden spike of power, the surge protector shuts down their computer, protecting their investment and valuable files. An HVAC surge protector works the same way, by shutting down your system in the event of a dangerous power fluctuation. Often the same people who protect their computers and other home electronics overlook their HVAC systems.Your HVAC system is among the top three most expensive household investments to replace, along with your home and your car. You have insurance policies on the second two items. Don’t neglect the first! Surge protectors are a kind of insurance policy for HVAC systems. In fact, surge protectors increase the life spans of all your major household appliances, including the aforementioned culprits like the dishwasher and refrigerator.Call Air Assurance to learn more about how surge protectors safeguard your equipment and your home!Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here. Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas.  To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.