What Causes a Power Outage?

Although you'll never be able to fix the power grid, a generator system can help with power outages that affect you right where you live. 

Why Does My Power Go Out?

Power outages are occurring more frequently than ever and lasting longer.  Heating and cooling, lights, cooking and laundry are part of our everyday modern lifestyles.  It's frustrating when these modern conveniences are immediately gone!

Natural Occurrences - 

• Small animals can also cause power outages. These animals climb on certain pieces of equipment, such as transformers and fuses, causing the equipment to shut down. By shutting down, the equipment protects the rest of the system.
• Weather can also create problems for for power lines.  Lightning can cause outages during storms.  Lightning frequently strikes trees causing branches to fall on power lines.  Ice is another hazard.  It can build up on the lines causing them to snap and fall over.  Flooding can be another problem.  When water builds up, it create damage to underground wires and equipment.  It then needs to be shut down by the power company so it can be repaired.
• Dust is another annoyance.  If you live in an area with sand storms you are especially susceptible to power outages.

Scheduled Maintenance -

• From time to time equipment must be repaired to keep the system working properly. As components near the end of their life, they must be replaced to prevent long term outages.  Your local power company will usually notify you of such an instance.

Human Interference -

• Vehicle and construction accidents are a common cause of power outages. They can result in broken poles, causing power lines to break or touch. Accidental contact with underground or overhead power lines at construction sites can also cause power outages.
• Equipment overload, especially on hot days when air conditioning usage is high, or during extremely cold weather when electric heaters are turned up throughout the electrical system.

Most of the situations above are caused by a short circuit.

Short Circuits:
A short circuit is the most commonly used term to describe the cause of a power failure. What is a short circuit, and how can you protect your equipment from its effects?
A short circuit occurs when an electric current travels along a path that is different from the intended one in an electrical circuit. When this happens, there is an excessive electric current which can lead to circuit damage, fire, and explosion. In fact, short circuits are one of the primary causes of electrical fires throughout the world. 
Why do short circuits occur?Short circuits can occur when the insulation of the wiring used breaks down. It can also occur due to the presence of an external conducting material (such as water) that is introduced accidently into the circuit. Electrical batteries can explode if they are subjected to a large current. Short circuits can even occur when electric motors are forced to operate when the moving parts are jammed. This can result in abnormal buildup of current, ultimately leading to a short circuit.

Generator System

A generator system can assure you power in any power outage scenario.  It remains on standby until you need it.  When it senses that power from the utility source is absent, it will automatically transfer to the generator source fueled by natural gas.   CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION