What to do in the event of a power failure

We all need to be prepared because many times in our lives we face power outages. The control panel of our house will be our great ally, so you must know how to use it. Also, we need to have a contact or phone number of the electricity company on hand.

Is there a power outage for me or for everyone?

First, we need to determine the extent of the power outage: was it just your house? the whole building? to the rest of the neighborhood? Look out the window or step outside to see what’s going on.
When the eclipse is totalContact your electricity supplier, arm yourself with patience and this time look for candles and lanterns to light. In winter it never hurts Prepare a small hide-and-seek kit Matches, candles, flashlights… and don’t forget that our modern cell phones can easily lift us out of the darkness.

Telephones for contact with various electricity distribution companies.

Argentina

Buenos Aires
EDESUR
commercial attention. 0810 222 0200
Emergency. 0800 333 3787

EDENOR: 0800 666 4001/4002/4003

Cordoba
EPEC: 0800 777 0000

Rosario
EPE: 0800 777 4444

Mendoza
EDEMSA: 0800 333 3672

Uruguay

Montevideo
BE
From a landline: (+598) 0800 1930
From mobile: * 1930

Peru

Lima

Osinergmine : Telephone service for citizens
Lima: 01-2193410
Provinces: 0800-41-800 (toll free)
Switchboard Osinergmin: 01-2193400
southern glow: 6175000
He sings: T +511 561 2001 / T +511 517 1717

Where’s the switchboard?

find it ‘Cause when times like this come: think maybe you’ll have to find it in the dark! It is usually found near the front door, on the wall, but can also be found in a utility room, garage, or outside the home. Do we have it under control? Well!

If the power outage affects only you: once we are in front of the switchboard, we can try to restore power to the house. Despite attention if it is very oldUE better call a professional handle it as handling can be dangerous. Is it modern and in good condition? Alright, let’s get to work!

standard circuit board

In a standard control panel you will find main differential switch M one or more thermal switchesgenerals can turn off the lights in case of power failure. If a switch is low (off), turn it on and see if the light comes back on. If the differential jumps back, i.e. does not reset when it is wound up, there may be a problem in the electrical installation or in some devices, or we may have overloaded a specific circuit.

Discover the critical point step by step

First, the differential wants to tell us something We need to isolate the problem.

We will do it Turn off thermals Parts of each area of ​​the house, increasing the total differential and increasing the parts one by one. We’ll take a lookwhich repeats the general leap: there will be the problem.

CAUTION: If all thermals are low and the total difference does not reset, there may be a short circuit: call a professional technician as you will not be able to restore the light yourself.

However, if you identify a specific secondary thermal part as responsible for the overall failure, you can always fix it yourself. Let’s imagine it’s the partial switch in the kitchen. Well, further isolating the problem: now we have to determine What is the electrical device or point causing this shear? As? ‘Or what? Unplug all kitchen appliances and turn up the heat in the kitchen. If it still does not reset then there is a problem in the electrical circuit and you will need to call a professional to have it checked. If so, let’s continue: Turn on the devices one at a time until you see what is causing this thermal trip. If this is the case, then you know which specific device is having problems.

What could have caused the cut in a specific area?

From an overloaded circuit, bad wiring or a bad socket (with loss of insulation), a burned out lamp, moisture, a broken appliance…

The most important thing is to contain the problem until you’ve found the cause (outlet, appliance, etc.) and managed to remove it from the general electrical circuit of the house to bring power back to the rest of the house. It is very importantthen that you correctly identified the zones of the house on the electrical panel to make your life easier during emergencies such as power outages. If they don’t have the typical designations next to each secondary heat element (« kitchen », « living room », « bedroom », etc.), Tonight, take 5 minutes to go down and up each, noting which area is being knocked out. Remember, this is a « when all goes well » job and will be of great help when « all goes well ».

Article written by:

Walter Karlana

Licensed Electrician, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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