Before the power goes out: Fill empty space in freezer with containers of water. Frozen water will displace air and keep food cold longer. Remember to leave space in containers for ice to expand. Have at least one phone with a handset cord in your home. Many cordless phones will not work in a power outage. If you have an automatic garage door opener, learn how to use the manual release and open your garage door manually. Try to keep your car’s gas tank at least half full. Many gas stations will not be in operation during a power outage. Fill up your tank if a major storm is predicted. Make sure you have a car or lighter plug cord for your cell phone. If you use special healthcare equipment like oxygen generators or dialysis equipment, notify your power company. After the power goes out: Unplug major appliances and electronics. When the power comes back on, there may be power spikes that can damage large appliances or delicate electronics. Do not open refrigerators or freezers any more than necessary.
An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for approximately 4 hours, an unopened freezer will keep food frozen for approximately 24 hours. Use a battery-powered radio to stay informed. Have flashlights ready in an easily accessible place and check batteries in flashlights and radios. Acquire and learn how to safely use a portable generator. Create a power outage plan and decide what you can do before, during and after a power outage to minimize the effect on your household. 12 Things for Individuals The Power of Preparedness 2016 Do 1 Thing Calendar Orders Now Being Accepted need orders by Thursday September 17thThe requested URL /peril_inside.php?id=96 was not found on this server. on October 14, 2016 at 9:20 AM, updated As electric companies work to restore power knocked out by high winds and the National Weather Service predicts a storm system wrapped up in the remains of Typhoon Songda to hit the Pacific Northwest soon, it's time to prepare for potential loss of power.
Want to track trouble spots? See Portland General Electric's power outage map for neighborhoods where TVs, coffee makers and electric garage door openers won't work. Then make sure you know how to use the manual release lever on your electric garage door opener. Freeze water-filled plastic containers to help keep food cold and if the power goes out, keep the refrigerator and freeze closed. Fill your car's gas tank before gas pumps stop working. If you use your car to re-charge devices, do not keep the car running in a garage, partially enclosed space, or close to a home, since this can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning, warns Ready.gov. Power up your phone, battery-powered devices and have a back-up plan for power dependent medical devices. While you still have a light to turn on, read these reminders from PGE and Pacific Power of what you need to do if you experience a power outage. Print out this list now in case you can't access the internet: Only use flashlights for emergency lighting, candles can cause fires.
Turn off all electrical equipment, including your water heater, electric furnace or heaters, stove, washer and dryer, stereo and TV, to help prevent overloading the system when power is restored. Major appliances can be turned off at the breaker box. Keep on a porch light and one light inside so you and crews will know when service is restored. If you see any downed utility lines, stay far back and call PGE at 503-464-7777 in Portland, 503-399-7717 in Salem or 800-544-1795 in other areas, or Pacific Power at 877-508-5088. Keep children and pets away, too. A downed line doesn't have to spark to be dangerous. A wire can be dangerous even if you're not touching it; water, metal, tree branches, concrete or other materials touching the wire can conduct electricity from a wire to you. or pacificpower.net/mobile on your smart phone to see a mobile-optimized page with quick links to get an update or summary of outages. For information on major storm outages, follow @PortlandGeneral or @PacificPower_OR on Twitter via a mobile device.
If your neighbor's power comes back on but yours does not, call your utility company again. If your lights are very dim or bright once power is restored, turn off the power at the breaker or fuse box and call the electric company. When all is back to normal, throw away any food that has been exposed to temperatures 40 degrees for two hours or more or that has an unusual odor, color or texture. If food in the freezer is colder than 40 degrees and has ice crystals on it, you can refreeze it, according to Ready.gov. Restock your three-day emergency supply kit and update your emergency communications plan so family members know how to contact each other and where to meet. A basic outage kit should have a flashlight, fresh batteries, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, a battery-powered alarm clock and a manual can opener.Charge cell phones daily and include a charger in your emergency kit. Other necessities: * Bottled water * Sanitary water containers (if you rely on electricity to pump water) * Thermos * Disposable plates and utensils * Extra blankets or sleeping bags
If you haven't already, add your cell phone number to your electricity account so your information can be quickly accessed when you call and you can receive updates. If you own a portable generator, know how to operate it safely. Visit the American Red Cross Oregon Trail chapter and Ready.gov websites for more information on preparing and staying safe should the unexpected happen. -- Homes & Gardens of the NorthwestQUESTION: My garage door opener will not work. It will not open the garage door because the unit is not turning on. The unit is over 2 years old. It is plugged into the electrical outlet. The outlet has power. No GFCI on outlet. The main circuit breaker is flipped on. Despite all this the small green light that tells you it is ON and working is not illuminated. It seems no electricity is getting to the garage door opener. What can I check to try to fix it myself? I do not want to buy a new one or hire a garage door repair company.Garage Door Opener Not Getting Power – How To TroubleshootANSWER: If your garage door opener (Craftsman, Liftmaster, Chamberlain, Genie, SOMMER, Decko) has NO power but it is plugged in, the circuit breaker is ON, and you know for SURE the electrical outlet has power, then there is something in the garage door opener that is faulty.
There is an electrical issue in the opener. You will need to check the internal components of your garage door opener with a multi-meter to find the source of the problem.NOTE: TO BE SURE POWER IS ON TO THE GARAGE DOOR OPENER ELECTRICAL OUTLET, plug in a lamp and test it. If you do not know how to use a multi-meter, here is a video that will show you how… How To Use A Multimeter? How to use a multimeter to measure voltage, current, resistance and continuity?Here is what may cause your garage door opener to not power ON: 1 – The transformer has failed due to a power surge. 2 – The glass fuse on the circuit board has blown or popped. 3 – The circuit board itself is faulty. 4 – A wire or wire harness is loose or burnt. 5 – The end of the electrical cord has become disconnected from the opener terminals. 6 – The electrical cord itself is damaged. 7 – Bad capacitor.Garage Door Opener Parts IdentificationTo begin troubleshooting your garage door opener with electrical issues: 1 – Use a sturdy and safe ladder to reach the opener.
2 – Unplug the garage door opener from the electrical outlet. 3 – Remove the outer cover over the motor and circuit board. 4 – Locate the components that we have mentioned that may be faulty. 5 – Check for any obvious signs of something burnt, melted, or broken. 6 – Begin to check the components with your multi-meter to find the faulty part.General Wiring Diagram For Garage Door OpenersTRANSFORMER: – Use your multi-meter and check to be sure 120 volts is going into the transformer. – (120 volts goes in and low voltage comes out) – If no voltage is coming out, replace the transformer.FUSE: – Find the glass fuse on the circuit board. – Check to see if it has popped or blown. – Test with meter to be sure. – If fuse is popped, replace it with the same amperage not a higher amperage.CIRCUIT BOARD: – The circuit board may be burnt, melted, blackened. – If so it is most likely bad and needs to be replaced.WIRING or WIRE HARNESSES: – Check wires and or wire harnesses to be sure they are not loose or damaged.
– If loose, re-secure. – If damaged, replace.ELECTRICAL POWER CORD: – Check that the power cord is connected to the terminals. – If not, reconnect. – If the power cord is damaged, replace.CAPACITOR: – Check capacitor with multi-meter to find if it is faulty. – If so, replace. – (Here is How to test a capacitor)RECTIFIERS: – Check the rectifiers. – 4 rectifiers will be small round black components with a wire on each end. – There may be a bridge rectifier unit that is a black rectangle with 4 wires on the circuit board. – Is low voltage DC coming out? If low voltage DC comes out then the green light will be illuminated.POWER TO GARAGE DOOR OPENER: 1 – There is 120 volts AC electricity to the opener. 2 – Power runs through fuse, wires, and on the circuit board. 3 – Transformer has 120 volts in and low AC out. 4 – 4 rectifiersIf all else fails, you may need a new garage door opener. Your opener may be old and parts are hard to find. Either way a new replacement part or new garage door opener will need to be purchased.