Several communities in Johannesburg north have been rocked by power surges recently.
These power surges happened suddenly and damaged some appliances in the process. City Power has explained what power surges are and how to handle them.
“A power surge is an unexpected increase of electricity current flowing through electrical equipment as a result of an interruption in the flow of the current and then starting again,” said City Power spokesperson Virgil James. This increase in electrical current flow is responsible for the damaging of appliances, James explained. The increase in power can go up to 6 000 volts whereas normally the voltage for average household usage should be between 220 and 230 volts. The duration of these surges can last 50 microseconds. It is therefore difficult for residents to know exactly when a power surge is in progress due to how fast it happens.
“The common causes for these surges are a tree limb or branch touching an overhead line, a small animal entering a transformer, a lightning striking electrical equipment, and cable theft,” James added. Recently in Ward 98, areas such as Randpark Ridge, Cresta, Windsor East, Windsor West, Windsor Glen and Randpark have experienced these surges.
If residents believe that their appliances have been damaged by a power surge they can submit claims to either City Power or their insurance companies.
A case of negligence will have to be proven against City Power to be successful. Based on the merits of the case and a technical report relating to the power surge, a determination is then made as to whether a claim is successful or not. Claim forms can be obtainable from the City Power website. Completed claim forms are to be submitted to legalclaims@citypower.co.za
READ: Power surge leads to exploding appliances in Randpark
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