ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — As we move deeper into this year’s hurricane season, it’s common to prepare yourself, your family, and your pets.
But have you also thought about better-preparing your home’s electrical system?
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“You need to have some kind of back up or plan if we have a big hurricane and you have no power for a few days,” Evan Dimov, the owner of Mr. Electric of Orlando, said.
Channel 9 talked to a local electrician who said it’s best to do that before a named storm moves through Central Florida.
“If the power goes down, you lose your food in your refrigerator, then it’s very uncomfortable in this weather having no air conditioning,” Dimov said.
A home nestled in East Orange County is now better equipped to make sure that doesn’t happen.
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When hurricanes have swept through the area, the homeowner told us he was tired of his power being knocked out, his generator running out of gas, and gas stations not having enough fuel needed for his supply.
So this season, he took steps to prepare his electrical system before severe tropical weather approaches.
“He’s in an area that has a lot of trees,” Dimov said. “A tree falls, he will be fine.”
With the use of a standard portable generator, a specific outlet can be installed to help distribute its power.
“They pick and choose which items they want to be on,” Dimov said. “Do you want the refrigerator on, the lights.”
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Homeowners can also consider a battery backup system. It has multiple ways to charge and an outlet for a portable generator.
“If the power goes off, it turns on automatically,” Dimov said.
Local electricians are also urging homeowners to consider a surge protector. This can protect your home against what happens if lightning strikes or when the power is turned back on.
“With a surge, you can destroy some of your equipment,” Dimov said. “When you have that surge, it holds up and you don’t lose your equipment.”
A complete guide on hurricane electrical safety from the Electrical Safety Foundation can be found here.
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