5 Common Causes of Power Outages

Power outages occur fairly often, but that doesn't make them any less frustrating. There are many different reasons for a power outage occurrence. Keep reading to check out the most common reasons the lights go out in your home.

1. Inclement Weather

The most likely cause of a power outage tends to be severe weather. Bad weather takes many forms depending on the climate and terrain of your region. Heavy storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, snow, and flooding are some of the more extreme examples of how nature can upend our way of life on a moment's notice.

2. Trees and Vegetation

Managing the growth of vegetation is an underrated part of maintaining energy infrastructure. Trees, vines, and other types of plant life can grow around power lines and cause power issues. High winds can also make branches fall on equipment and break them completely.

3. Equipment Failure

Electrical infrastructure, like all pieces of technology, can struggle to keep up when demand is at its highest, such as periods during the summer and the winter. Equipment can sometimes get overloaded when the number of people turning up the heat or the AC goes far past the average. To prevent outages due to this reason, the companies in charge of this equipment must maintain maintenance plans throughout the year.

4. Public Damage

Accidents caused by the public can also cause interruptions for unsuspecting customers. Car accidents, digging in unsafe areas, or acts of vandalism are examples of this issue. It's important to educate the public about how to behave around equipment in order to stay safe, and for local agencies to lessen the damage caused by accidents and criminal activity as much as possible.

5. Wildlife

The role of animals in power outages sometimes gets overlooked, but they can inadvertently cause a lot of damage. Squirrels and wildlife can climb on, in, and around important pieces of equipment, interfering with components and triggering shut down processes.

You can't protect against every single incident that could cause a power outage, but you can minimize the possibilities of wildlife-induced outages with protective gear, such as our Line Guard and Pole Guard products. With these tools, you can be confident that every precaution has been taken to keep the electrical grid running as usual.

To learn more about our products and how they can protect power in your area, contact us today!