Summer’s coming, and if the last few years have been any indication, we could be looking at some serious storms heading our way. Now is a good time to go over a few tips on what to do if the power goes out! Power outages can be more than inconvenient—if you don’t know how to respond, they could get dangerous!

Never use generators, pressure washers, grills, or any other gas-powered appliances indoors—even in the basement or garage. These appliances can generate carbon monoxide, which can be deadly even in small doses.

Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed until the power goes back on. If the power is out for less than four hours, all of your food should be safe. Click here to view the USDA’s guidelines for what to do if the refrigerator is out longer than four hours.

Water treatment facilities are generally some of the first places to get power back. Even so, avoid drinking tap water until you have been assured by local authorities that it is safe to do so.

Wear loose-fitting, light clothing, keep hydrated, and do what you can to stay cool in the summer. Heat stroke can happen to anyone, especially young children and the elderly, and can cause death or permanent disability if not treated properly.

Stay far away from downed power lines, even if you don’t think they are live. If you are in your car and power lines fall on your vehicle, remain in the car and call 911.

Call the power company and let them know your power is out—even if you think all your neighbors have already called. The power company uses call data to determine which neighborhoods to prioritize when working to get the power back on.

Pepco, one of the largest energy companies in the DC area, has a detailed summary of their response to power outages in the area. In summary:

First, they collect information from homeowners and business owners to determine the extent of the power outage. Using this data, they determine which areas are down so they can pinpoint the locations where they need to send crew members.

Once they have arrived on scene, they eliminate public safety hazards like downed power lines while working to restore power to public health and safety facilities.

Next, they prioritize customers when determining how to restore power: public health facilities like hospitals, police and fire departments, and water treatment plants come first, followed by areas of high population densities. Once they restore power to these “vital” areas, they work their way down secondary distributions that serve neighborhoods, commercial areas, and subdivisions. Finally, they turn their attention to individual homes and businesses that have not yet been reconnected.

You can read more about Pepco’s response to power outages here!

Knowing how to react following a power outage can lessen the inconvenience and keep you safe. For more tips or for electrical service in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC, call Kolb Electric!

Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS): RoHS Compliant

RoHS stands for Restriction of Hazardous Substances. Certain materials used in electronics and electrical products have been deemed hazardous to people and the environment and, therefore, must be limited. For a product to be RoHS compliant, testing must be performed and documented to show limited or no use of cadmium, hexavalent chromium, lead, mercury, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers.

Warranties

Super Bright LEDs, Inc. offers a minimum 2-year warranty to protect against manufacturer defects and malfunctions. Longer warranties are available depending on the product. If you experience failure of an LED or other component not caused by negligence, abuse, unauthorized repair, or disassembly, we will replace the product within the warranty period. If the same product is no longer available, a product of equal value may be substituted.

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Lifetime Warranty

Super Bright LEDs, Inc. offers a Lifetime Warranty on a variety of products to protect against manufacturer defects and malfunctions. If you experience failure of an LED or other component not caused by negligence, abuse, unauthorized repair or disassembly, we will replace the product. If the same product is no longer available, a product of equal value may be substituted.

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CE: Meets European health, safety, and environmental standards

In order for certain products within controlled categories, such as electrical and electronic devices, to be legally sold in the European Economic Area, they must bear a CE label, which stands for Conformité Européenne (European Conformity). Products with this label meet environmental, health, and safety standards put into place by European legislation.

UL Recognized: Product component safety and environmental certification from Underwriters Laboratories (UL) LLC

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) LLC is an independent testing agency that works to verify product safety and quality. A UL-Recognized label ensures that a product component, such as a power supply or LED light strip, has been tested and verified as safe to use in a UL-Listed product. UL-Listed product samples are tested by UL and meet their Standards for Safety requirements.

DLC: Listed as a quality, energy-efficient product by the DesignLights® Consortium (DLC®)

The DesignLights Consortium® (DLC®) partners with energy-efficiency groups and utility companies to establish a set of standards for commercial LED light fixtures. The product is tested and must meet quality, energy-efficiency, and performance requirements to be added to the DLC’s Qualified Products List. For more information, click

DOT Approved: Approved by the Department of Transportation (DOT)

The Department of Transportation (DOT) sets strict guidelines in respect to external vehicle lighting that must be followed in order for a light to be street legal. Vehicle fixtures, such as headlights and tail lights, that have a DOT mark are legal, safe, and considered to provide suitable illumination for street use.

SAE International Class 1: Classified for use as emergency vehicle lighting by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

Vehicle warning lights are ranked by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) according to class. A Class 1 LED light delivers the most amount of light (in comparison to class 2 and class 3 lights) and is ideal for emergency lighting on ambulances and fire trucks as well as police and rescue vehicles.

ETL Listed: An ETL-Listed product meets national safety standards

A product that bears an ETL-Listed label has been evaluated by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and meets national product safety standards. An ETL certification is accepted in the U.S. and in Canada.

FCC: Complies with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules. Won’t cause harmful interference.

Products with a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) label meet all requirements and rules set forth by the FCC and won’t cause interference with other electronic devices. According to FCC’s website, “The Federal Communications Commission regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.” Products that generate radio frequency (RF) energy, such as RF remote controls and certain LED light bulbs, are tested to ensure that they are within the FCC’s guidelines and limits and do not cause harmful interference.

SAA: Standards Australia (SA) compliance

Standards Australia (SAA) is a company that establishes guidelines and rules known as Standards. In an effort to create a sustainable environment, these Standards are designed to ensure that products are safe and function consistently. Products with an SAA label were tested and comply with set Standards.

IP65

The weatherproof product allows zero entry of dust. It is protected against jets of water and may allow limited liquid entry.

IP66

The weatherproof product allows zero entry of dust. It is protected against strong jets of water and may allow limited liquid entry.

IP67

The waterproof product allows zero entry of dust. It is protected against the effects of immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter.

IP68

The waterproof product allows zero entry of dust. It is protected against long periods of immersion under pressure.

IP69K

The waterproof product allows zero entry of dust. It is protected against high-temperature, high-pressure water and steam.

UL 844: Meets requirements from Underwriters Laboratories (UL) LLC for use in hazardous (classified) locations

UL 844 requirements cover fixed and portable luminaires for installation and use in the following hazardous (classified) locations in accordance with the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70:

These requirements cover luminaires for use only under the following atmospheric conditions:

It is true that most of the electrical problems you have in your home will need to be taken care of by a licensed electrician. However, there are various smaller problems that you can easily and safely troubleshoot. Here are just a few:

This can be quite bothersome and yet pretty easy to troubleshoot. Begin by checking that the bulb has been screwed in correctly. It needs to be in all the way. If that is in order, check to see that the wattage is correct for the fixture in which it has been fixed. If the wattage is not right, that can be causing overheating and it can even lead to a fire. In the event that the wattage is correct, just replace the old bulb with a new one. If the light is still flickering, then it is possible that the electrical outlet or the cord has a problem.