How long does a power outage last? This common question flickers into an individual's mind whenever a power outage occurs. However, there is no straightforward answer to this question, as this depends on the reason for the blackout.
Power outages are sudden electrical failures that, if not taken care of properly, could result in infrastructure damages like the disruption of communications and, eventually, the business.
By understanding power outages, their causes, durations, and how to handle them, you can make yourself immune to their collateral damages. This article will discuss all this in detail. Further, you can also rely on BLUETTI's exceptional quality power banks to navigate through the rough water of blackouts.
What Is a Power Outage?
A power outage is a power supply cut due to a fault in power supply lines. This could either be long-term or short-term, depending on their cause.
A power outage could be of two types. First, blackouts, which are unintentional power cuts. They are sudden in nature and could be very inconvenient to handle. They can affect multiple regions and thousands of people simultaneously.
Second, brownouts are intentional power cuts to restrict the power supply of any specific area for any specific reason. Brownouts are usually not common and only manifest when any specific motive has to be materialized. For example, if a government cuts the power supply of any specific area at night to make it invisible for an air strike, this will be a brownout.
What Is the Cause of Power Outages?
In today’s era of climate change, the intensity of weather events is more than ever. The power lines are always prone to be affected by these events. Additionally, mechanical failures, maintenance faults, and accidents are leading causes of power outages.
Let’s discuss these all to get a more comprehensive idea about the causes of power outages.
Power outages due to natural catastrophe
Natural disasters that can cause power outages usually are hurricanes, typhoons, floods, and earthquakes. During such an event, power cuts are done to prevent the potential damages of these catastrophes. In other cases, power losses occur as a result of malfunctioning of power supply lines.
Power outages due to natural disasters don't have any specific time frame for when the power supply will be restored. If the supply lines are working, the power is restored as soon as the calamity is over, and the situation becomes normal. Contrarily, if there are damaged supply lines, the time frame could vary from hours to weeks, depending on the damage.
Heavy rains and lightning
Though heavy rains and lightning are not as calamitous as the above-mentioned natural disasters, they can still be a reason for power outages. This usually happens due to short circuits in the supply lines or trees damaging the wires.
However, the restoration period is generally short in case of rains and lighting, and the power is stored within hours after the rain.
Mechanical issues
In areas where overloading on transformers is a norm, mechanical issues are among the top reasons for power outages.
The mechanism of power transfer consists of 4 basic steps. The electricity is generated and transferred to a grid station, from here it goes to transformers, and lastly, from there, it is supplied to consumers.
Usually, in hot weather, the use of heavy-duty appliances like ACs and refrigerators boosts. This puts pressure on transformers, and eventually, this overloading makes them malfunction.
Additionally, failures in power generation and faulted supply lines could also add up to mechanical issues. Solving mechanical issues requires a proper inspection of machinery and takes time to resolve the issue.
Maintenance of powerhouses
Powerhouses often undergo periodic maintenance to ensure a reliable power supply. During this time, power companies cut off the power supply for safety reasons.
Such power outages are usually short, and the power supply is restored within hours. Additionally, some electric companies also serve notices to users prior to any such reservation.
Infrastructure damage
With heavy traffic on the road, there are always chances for supply lines to get entangled with them and cause power outages. This usually happens in areas where electrical infrastructure is not well laid.
Additionally, vehicle accidents with supply line poles also cause blackouts.
How Long Does a Power Outage Last?
The restoration of the electric supply after a blackout is termed a black start. How long a power outage will last is dependent on the source. EIS Council (Electric Infrastructure Security Council) terms natural disaster outages as Black Sky Hazards. Their damages could be critical and widespread, which require long periods of recovery.
On the other hand, a small issue like a broken supply line or minor maintenance fault only takes 2-3 hours to recover.
The most prolonged blackout situation is a major power plant malfunction that can lead to weeks-long power outages.
Ways to Know How Long the Power Outage Lasts
Multiple approaches can be applied to gauge the recovery period of a blackout. Some of them are discussed below.
Scheduled outages
Many areas with less electricity availability have scheduled weekly or monthly power outage routines. If this is the case, it's easy to determine how long the power outage will last.
Additionally, if you have encountered a power outage in the past due to a transformer change or supply pole issues, you will have an idea of how much time it takes. This understanding can help you assess the restoration time.
Call your power company helpline.
The most simple and effective way to know how long your power outage will last is by calling your power supply company's helpline. They will not only tell you about the exact issue and restoration time. It will also guide you about the nature of the power outage and if you need any precautions in case of calamities.
Prepare for Short or Long-Term Outages
From big metro cities to the countryside, no place is immune to power outages. They could affect your lifestyle as either winter storms or temporary maintenance glitches.
This makes it crucial to have a backup power source. BLUETTI home power banks could efficiently serve the purpose. Below discussed are three variables handpicked among top home power backups.
BLUETTI AC300 + 2*B300 | Home Battery Backup
- 3000W output capacity makes AC300 a small yet powerful home battery backup
- It has a 3072 Wh battery capacity that can be further expanded up to 12288Wh with 4 B300 batteries. This simply means by adding extra batteries, you can boost the battery timing 4 times.
- Further, in case of longer outages, to make its recharging easy, it can be recharged through 7 different charging streams, including car batteries and solar panels.
- To make this unit compatible with all your home appliances, it comes with 10 plus output ports, including 2 wireless charging points.
- You can control AC300 easily on your mobile through Bluetooth and the BLUETTI smart app.
BLUETTI AC500 + B300S | Home Battery Backup
- AC500 has an output capacity of 5000W with a surge power of 1000W, making it a good choice to run all heavy appliances.
- Its pre-built battery capacity is the same as AC300. However, this can be expanded to a whooping 18432Wh.
- 6 Way recharge makes sure you never run out of power and 16 outlet ports.
- Its LiFePO battery offers 3500 plus charge cycles, giving it a lifespan of 10 plus years.
- This home battery backup could be operated through a built-in smart touch screen, Wifi, and Bluetooth.
BLUETTI EP900 + B500 Home Battery Backup
- With a power output of 9000W and support for both 120V and 240V devices, EP900 has a gigantic output capacity to run all your home appliances simultaneously and can be used for commercial purposes, too.
- Its LiFePO4 battery comes with 9920Wh power storing capacity, much more than any of its counterparts. This can further be expanded up to 19840Wh.
- While all the competitors of EP900 come with a warranty of 4-5 years, this unit is leading the industry with 10 years of warranty coverage.
- Due to its IP65 water resistance, it is installed both outdoors and indoors.
- With its high power storage and transfer capacity, this unit will not only help you through blackouts but also cut your energy bills by relying completely on this or selling power back to the grid.
Multiple brands are available in the market, each with different offerings. BLUETTI’s products are manufactured from LiFePO4 battery, the most eco-friendly and recommended battery type. Its 4-year hassle-free warranty and 24/7 available customer support ensure a smooth experience. The next level thing is its price match guarantee, ensuring that BLUETTI is offering the lowest possible rates.
What if you don’t have a power bank? In that case, to mitigate the risk of a power outage, below are some important points that you should consider.
- Planning is everything. Outages are unwanted guests, and tacking them requires a proactive approach. This includes keeping your emergency kit ready, marking areas for evacuation, keeping all your important documents safe, tackling pets, and ensuring critical medicines' availability.
- The emergency kit should have flashlights, candles, a matchbox, a portable charger, necessary food and drinks, a blanket, warm clothes, and a first aid box.
- Stay informed by getting in touch with authorities and keep taking the updates. The car radio is a good option for news bluettin.
- When the power is restored, in some cases, its voltage is low. If your voltage-sensitive devices are on, these low voltage can damage them. Ensure their safety by turning them off.
Final Thoughts
Power outages, either short or long, could have severe implications. It’s important to pre-plan yourself by keeping our essentials easily approachable. If such an issue happens, keep your safety first and stay informed with the latest updates.
However, in the long run, it's good to make yourself energy-independent. This one-time investment will not only save you from energy bills, but you can also sell energy back to the grid. BLUETTI home battery backups are ideal choices for this.
