Practical measures during load shedding

As load shedding increases on a daily basis it has become important to safeguard property and take pre-emptive measures to protect your property and home.

Household appliances

Many household appliances contain an internal microprocessor similar to the one found inside computers. When you switch a computer off it goes through a shutting down procedure and tells you so on the screen.
In the same way, modern household appliances are also designed to go through a similar shutting down procedure and a sudden loss of power, such as that experienced during load shedding, can damage your equipment.

You basically have two options here:

1. Shut down manually – inconvenient but effective.

2. Electronic protection devices – such as surge protectors on your distribution board or Uninterruptible Power Supplies (again on your main board or on individual pieces of equipment).
It is highly recommended that you talk to a qualified electrician to find out more about these and other measures you can take to protect your equipment.

How load shedding affects household insurance

You might assume that you are covered by your household insurance for damage to your electrical equipment but that may not be the case. Policies tend to cover such eventualities as lightning strikes but not the deliberate switching off and on of supply and the resultant power spikes. Check with your broker and arrange additional insurance if necessary.

Household alarm system

Load shedding can greatly reduce the life span of the battery that backs up your alarm system. If your battery is more than a year old, you should contact your security provider to have it tested and replaced if necessary. Remember to check with your broker if you are insured for burglaries during a blackout.

Load shedding affects on your appliances

Computers and laptops are extremely sensitive to power surges, cuts and power dips. Its important you take the necessary steps to protect them.
Steps to take:
1. Back Up regularly – Regular data backups is important, not only because of load shedding, but they can help if your hard drive crashes.

2. Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) for your PCs as well as any network hubs or switches – a UPS will give you time to exit any applications you are working on and then to safely shut down your PC.

3. Switch off and unplug PCs when the lights go out – Switch off your PC’s and unplug, there are power surges when the electricity is restored which could damage your hardware.

4. Consider investing in a power bank – these are portable chargers USB-powered that allows you to charge your mobile devices.

Alternatives to the Eskom Supply

The final option you have is to find an alternative to the Eskom supply altogether.

The alternatives for you to consider:
• Generators – a generator can supply power during a blackout and can be switched on manually or be installed to kick in when the power goes off. They come in all shapes and sizes depending on your requirements. Never run a generator indoors as it gives off poisonous fumes (carbon monoxide).

• Invertors – technically, an inverter is designed to convert direct current into alternating current. Practically, you can convert the current from a battery (DC) to run appliances such as TV’s, kitchen appliances, computers, lights, power tools and more (AC).

• Wind & Solar power.