Power Protection FEATURED ARTICLE

So, cold enough for you? Besides hearing everyone’s clichés and comments about the weather, the current polar vortex affecting most of the country also has a darker side; sudden and sometimes prolonged power outages.

With that in mind, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH), a consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and manmade disasters, has issued some guidelines for not only the current conditions, but for other “weather events” to come as well. Among them:

• Include power outages in your family disaster plan, identifying alternate means of transportation and routes to home, school or work.
• Be ready from a tech standpoint. Having a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) system, such as one from MinutemanUPS, can not only help save data you’re working on at home when the power fails but can also give you needed time to shut down devices properly.
• Keep extra cash on hand, since an extended power outage may prevent you from withdrawing money from ATMs or banks. Remember too, that many businesses rely on the Internet and power grid to handle transactions. No Net means no credit card purchases.
• Keep your car fuel tank at least half-full. Gas stations rely on electricity to power their pumps.
• Consider keeping an emergency generator on hand, especially in areas prone to blackouts. If you have one, assure that sensitive electrical equipment is connected to a UPS and surge protector to safeguard your gear and your work, in case the generator falters.
• Surges and spikes are possible when power eventually returns. FLASH recommends turning off all your lights except one, so you know when the power comes back. Doing so will also help protect electronics from such surges, and a UPS can help as well.

Power protection providers  like Minuteman can help homes and businesses protect their critical assets by delivering a wide range of products, including surge suppressors for small non-critical components, the standby EnSpire series, and product lines including Entrust (News - Alert), PRO-E, PRO-RT, and EnterprisePlus series UPSs.

Remember, it’s only early January. The weather is more than likely going to get worse before it gets better. You might as well be prepared for the worst.