Winter Power Outage in Sudbury, Ontario? Here's How To Prepare Your Home!

Power outages in Northern Ontario are not unusual. They can occur in every season and typically do so at the most inopportune times.

Winter power outages are just one example!

If you’ve experienced a winter power outage in Sudbury, Ontario, then you know exactly what we’re talking about.

Winter blizzards with high winds and heavy snowfall are the perfect recipe for a blackout. And while we may see it coming, nobody knows precisely when or if the lights will go out.

That’s why it’s crucial to prepare yourself, your family and your home BEFORE an outage.

Does your home rely on the power grid? If so, you’re vulnerable to a power outage's unpredictable and lasting effects. Whether it’s 2 hours or 5 days, power is at the mercy of your local grid team.

That’s why it’s also important to know what you should do DURING an outage! You never know when power might return.

There are many ways to reserve your home’s heat, protect your electronics and ensure your family’s safety while your power is out and AFTER!

This article shares all the winter power outage tips you need to protect your home - before, during and after!

Why Is It Important To Prepare For a Power Outage in Sudbury, Ontario?

As mentioned, power outages are a pretty common occurrence in Ontario. In 2017 alone, there were 177 reported outages in Ontario!

We receive frequent alerts for severe wind, snow and rain storms. And many of those forecast warnings also come with a potential outage advisory.

In fact, many Canadians experienced a severe winter storm right before Christmas. This particular storm left 78,000 households without power!

Many homeowners had to celebrate the season with candlelight and wood-burning fireplaces.

And while many families happily embraced the change of plans, others struggled to learn how to keep their homes warm in such low temperatures.

Dangerous Effects of Power Outages For Homes:

• No heat (if your system relies on electrical power)
• No water
• No lights
• No refrigeration
• Electrical damage to devices, appliances and systems.
• Disconnected at-home medical equipment.

Without power, we must learn how to function as safely and proactively as we can.

How To Prepare Your Home For A Power Outage BEFORE It Occurs

You can never be too prepared when it comes to power outages. Follow these steps below to ensure you’re ready for whatever mother nature throws at you!

Pack An Emergency Kit

The first step in preparing for a power outage is packing an emergency kit. This kit should sustain you and your family for at least 72 hours (three days).

Here are some items to include in your kit:

• Water
• Non-perishable food
• Sleeping bags
• Toilet paper
• First aid kit

Check out the City of Greater Sudbury Emergency Kit for a complete list.

Winterize Your Home

Next, prepare your home for the winter season. We call this winterizing!

• Schedule a furnace maintenance appointment or Sudbury furnace repair.
• Get rid of unvented space heaters.
• Change your air filter.
• Insulate your plumbing pipes.
• Insulate your attic.
• Seal your windows and doors.
• Stock up on firewood (if you use a wood-burning stove, fireplace or furnace)
• Clean your chimney and fireplace.
• Change the batteries in your carbon monoxide detectors.

Each of these steps helps ensure and conserve safe home heating!

Install a Gas Fireplace or Other Non-Electric Heating Unit

If you rely solely on electric heating, your home becomes increasingly vulnerable during a power outage. Essentially, without electricity, you have no heat!

No heat can cause the following damages to your home:

• Frozen pipes
• Mould growth
• Damaged belongings (guitars, pianos, books etc.)
• Damaged materials (wood flooring, furniture, wallpaper etc.)
• Cracked boilers or radiators
• Damaged refrigerant-running appliances

One way to ensure your home has a dependable heat source is by installing a gas fireplace or other non-electric heating units.

Examples include a propane fireplace, a wood-burning furnace or a gas space heater.

Install a Backup Generator

Another way to ensure your home is not left without heat is to invest in a reliable backup generator. Backup generators can power large home appliances - including your home heating system!

Our Campeau Heating team supplies our local homeowners with Kohler generators!

Designed for harsh winters, Kohler generators are the perfect solution for a winter power outage in Sudbury, Ontario.

The cool thing about a whole-home backup generator is its automatic transfer switch (ATS). It allows the generator to automatically turn on during a power failure or brownout.

This means you’re only left in the dark for 10 seconds at most!

Below are some appliances that a whole-home backup generator can power:

• Furnace Blower
• Well Pump
• Sump Pump
• Refrigerator
• Freezer
• Lights
• 1000 Watt Microwave

Note: Your generator’s capacity may differ according to the electrical requirements of your home appliances.

Turn Up The Heat If You Expect a Power Outage

If you do not have a backup generator, make sure you turn the heat up at the first sign of trouble!

We recommend turning up the heat if you know a winter storm is coming. This can help keep your home warmer for longer!

What To Do DURING a Power Outage

A winter power outage in Sudbury, Ontario, means your home could lose heat very quickly. As mentioned, this puts your family, plumbing, home, and appliances at risk!

You also don’t know how long the power will remain out! This means you have to protect your home from an unpredictable power surge as well. 

Conserve As Much Heat As You Can

The first thing to do when the power goes out is to conserve as much heat as possible.

If you don’t have a backup generator or non-electric heat source, your best bet is to prevent heat from escaping.

Here are some tips for conserving heat:

• Keep external windows and doors closed
• Close all interior doors.
• Block drafts from windows and doorways.
• Let sunshine heat your home.

Turn Off Your Thermostat and Unplug All Electronics

Once power returns, the initial surge rushing to your home can damage electronics.

A power surge can also cause equal damage to your heating system if the thermostat is on!

To prevent this, we recommend unplugging and/or turning off all electrical devices - including your thermostat!

What To Do AFTER Power Returns

Once power returns, you’ll want to carefully reconnect it to your home. Keep in mind that you should unplug ALL your devices BEFORE power returns.

Don’t Rush To Plug Everything Back In

As mentioned before, once power returns, it can happen very quickly. This puts your electronics in the direct path of a power surge!

This sudden influx of energy can damage or even destroy your electronic devices.

Wait till the power surge has a chance to stabilize before plugging everything back in - about 10-15 minutes.

Reset and Re-Power Your Electronic Devices

Once it’s safe, reset and re-power your electronic devices. This includes your heating system, refrigerator, freezer, oven etc.

Don’t forget to reset and reprogram your thermostat as well!

Inspect Your Heating System

The last step is to inspect your heating system. Ensure it functions well and wasn’t damaged during the outage.

Please note that this step may require a professional! 

Contact our Campeau Heating team for Sudbury furnace repair or maintenance. You can reach us at 705-560-2441 or schedule an appointment online.

For more safety information regarding a power outage in Sudbury, visit the Sudbury Hydro Outage Safety Guide.

With a Kohler Backup Generator, You Can Restore Your Home's Power In Just 10 Seconds!

Spring comes with many weather-related twists and turns. From thunderstorms to torrential downpours and gusty winds, there’s always something in the air (literally). But this intense season brings more than just flying debris, fallen trees, lightning strikes, and water damage. 

Did you know that these spring weather conditions can also wreak havoc on your home electrical system? 

Spring weather conditions can cause: 

1. Damage to power lines. 
2. Power outages.
3. Power surges. 
4. Electrical overload and more!

To help protect your home, your family and your investments, we recommend installing an automatic backup generator. This automatic power supply restores your power instantly and protects your entire electrical system 24/7!

At Campeau Heating, we’re all about keeping our local homeowners and business owners informed, prepared and protected. That’s why we supply automatic generators by Kohler Power!

What Is a Backup Generator? How Does It Work? 

A backup generator (also known as a standby or automatic generator) is a guaranteed power source. It can keep your entire home running, even during a power outage! 

Here’s How Your Automatic Standby Generator Works: 

Step 1. Your backup generator detects a utility power outage. 

As its name implies, a standby generator is always on the ready - 24/7/365! It’s also connected directly to your home electrical system. So when utility power to your home electrical system is lost, your standby generator is the first to know! 

Step 2. The generator automatically redirects power. 

When power is restored, there is usually a sudden surge of high voltage, called a power surge, that heads straight to your devices. A power surge is why our team advises you to unplug your electronics during a power outage. If not protected by a surge protector, this voltage will essentially fry your devices with an electrical overload.

Thankfully, your automatic generator can also act as a surge protector. Once it realizes the outage, it will automatically reroute the power!

Step 3. Your generator powers your home for as long as you need.

Once your generator has begun powering your home electrical, it will continue to do so until utility power is restored. This could take hours, weeks or even months! But regardless of how long your utility power is out, your backup generator will stay on.

This unending power supply is possible through the commercial-grade engine built into your Kohler generator. This engine is designed to handle extreme workloads for as long as you need it to! 

Step 4: Your generator automatically powers off when it’s no longer needed.

Once utility power is restored, your backup generator will automatically power down - ready and waiting for the next power emergency! 

The Difference a Kohler Generator Can Make

At Campeau Heating we work with Kohler Power to provide you with the very best backup generator solutions in Sudbury. 

The 4 Most Innovative Components On Your Kohler Backup Generator And How They Work:

1. The Automatic Transfer Switch

Your Kohler generator is equipped with an automatic transfer switch (ATS). This switch monitors your electricity input from the utility source at all times - day and night! 

2. The Power Indicator 

The power indicator identifies where your power is coming from. Normally, this would tell you that your home’s power is coming from the utility power source. But, if you’ve recently lost power, this will tell you that your power is now sourced from your generator. 

3. The Weekly Self-Test 

Your Kohler generator has a built-in weekly self-test. These automatic diagnostic tests run for about 20 minutes each week and ensure peak performance. 

4. The OnCue System 

Your Kohler Generator operates automatically, whether you’re home or not. But did you know that with the OnCue Kohler Generator Management System, you can monitor your generator externally? This system communicates directly with the device of your choosing so that you can receive real-time updates wherever you are!

Restore Power To Your Home In 10 Seconds Flat With A Kohler Generator! 

One of the reasons we choose to work with Kohler Power generators is their power restoration turnaround time. A Kohler generator can redirect and restore power in only 10 seconds!

A Kohler generator can also generator power to your entire home, including your: 

• Kitchen appliances
• Electronics (TV, computer etc.)
• Heating 
• Air conditioning 
• Lighting 
• Hot water heater 
• Sump pump 
• Heat pump
• Plumbing (showers, washing machine, toilets etc.)
• And more! 

Whether you want to back up your entire home, or only essential utilities, your backup generator has the power you need!

Speak with your Campeau Heating technician today to select the best generator size and load capacity for your power needs.

Why Choose a Natural Gas Backup Generator?

A backup generator fuelled by natural gas or LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) is quickly becoming the cleaner and safer generator solution. If you’re looking for a way to provide a reliable power backup to your home without harming the environment or breaking the bank, this is it! 

Benefits of a Natural Gas Backup Generator:

• Reduced emissions. 
• Safe operation. 
• Low maintenance.
• Zero refuelling.
• Cost-effective. 
• Minimal environmental risks.
• Reduced operation costs. 

Never Be Without Power Again! Learn More About The Kohler Generator From Your Campeau Heating Technicians.

This spring, be prepared for anything! 

You can rely on your automatic backup generator to keep things running - day or night.

Looking for a reliable backup power supply for your home, business or cottage? Contact our Campeau Heating Technicians in Sudbury, Ontario, today! 

You can reach our office at (705) 560-2441 or Fill In This Form For a FREE QUOTE!