April showers may bring May flowers but spring storms will cause power outages. Fortunately, with these five power outage tips, you can safely get through even the worse electrical outages without much worry.

  • Have flashlights, batteries, candles and matches on hand. These items will provide light for when the power goes out. Keeping at least four to five dozen candles will generally get you through an outage.
  • Keep enough bottle or jugged water for everyone in the household. A good rule of thumb is to have one gallon of water per day per person, and you should have at least a two-week supply stored in your home for emergencies.
  • Create a first aid kit. The kit should consist of a seven-day supply of medicine that your family regularly takes, as well as band aids, antibiotic ointment, cloth bandages, aspirin, a thermometer, tweezers, hydrocortisone ointment, scissors, antibacterial wipes, latex gloves, famine hygiene pads and any other items you find necessary. If you use anything out of the kit, make sure to replace it as soon as possible.
  • Stock up on non-perishable foods. Canned foods, dry food mixes and other non-perishable items do not require a refrigerator or freezer and generally have a long shelf life. If you have canned foods in your power-outage kit, make sure to have a can opener as well.
  • Keep coolers and ice on hand to extend the usability of perishable items in the fridge and freezer. This is important if the outage lasts for longer than a few hours. Once you have placed the items in the cooler, surround them with ice. Before removing items from the fridge, remember that an unopened refrigerator will typically keep food cold for about four hours.

Along with the items listed above, you should have a few extra blankets or battery-operated space heaters just in case the Los Angeles spring weather is a bit nippy at the time of the outage. In addition, board games or puzzles will help keep adults and children from becoming bored without power.

For more safety tips about power outages, contact the professionals at Around The Clock Air Conditioning and Heating.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about power outages and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Around the Clock Air Conditioning & Heating services Los Angeles, North Hollywood and the surrounding areas in California. Visit our website to see our current specials and get started today!