Power outages as a result of summer storms are unpleasant in the mid south region of Memphis Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana, and Mississippi – but not an uncommon experience–in fact, nearly half of Americans are worried about losing power due to weather events in the summer of 2023. The good news is that preparation–like ensuring that you have basic supplies to make your life safer and easier in the event of an outage–can go a long way towards making the unexpected easier to deal with. The Tub Pros, serving clients in the Memphis Metro area, are great believers in preparation and prevention. Their countertop and tub resurfacing prevents further deterioration and prepares your kitchen and bathroom for further use in years to come.
But when the power comes back on, there are some tasks you need to do to make sure that your home gets back up and running, and to ensure the safety of everyone in your home. Here, we’ll break down some of the biggest steps you can take after a power outage, and let you know how we at The Tub Pros can help get your home looking and functioning at its very best this summer.
Don’t Plug Everything In At Once
When your power comes back on, it might be tempting to turn on all your appliances right away, and to plug everything that you’ve unplugged or been turned off, back in. But this can actually cause more trouble–when the power comes back on, there can sometimes be a sudden jump in the electric current, called a power surge, which can damage appliances that are plugged in and not attached to a surge protector. Make sure your essential appliances are up and running, and then wait a few minutes before turning on the others.
Make Sure Your Appliances Are Functioning Properly
When your power returns, you might find that some of your appliances aren’t working the same way they did before. Sometimes, systems need to be reset–HVAC systems, for instance, sometimes need to be restarted after a storm. While manufacturer instructions will differ depending on the system or appliance that’s been impacted, it’s a good idea to check your circuit breakers to see if a blown fuse could be the cause of something not operating as it should.
Ice makers can often encounter a different problem. When the temperature in your ice maker rises during an outage, ice can start to melt, and then will refreeze into a large lump after power is restored. This large chunk of ice can stop the ice maker from working properly, but can typically be repaired by a service technician, which should get your appliance working again.
For appliances that automatically come back on after power has been restored, make sure to reset any timers, clocks, or automatic features, which typically won’t reset themselves to the current date, time, or Wi-Fi address after an outage.
Restock Your Emergency Supplies
During an outage, it’s likely that you used some of the supplies in your emergency preparedness kit. Make sure to go through your supplies and replace anything that’s been used, including water, candles, shelf-stable food, medications, and pet food. It’s also a good time to check on expiration dates of anything in your kit like bottled water, basic medicines in a first aid kit, and batteries that all have expiration dates.
If there’s anything you realized that you needed during an outage that wasn’t included in your kit, now is a good time to add it to your grocery list, so you’ll have it on hand in the future; and then you won’t have to go without or look for it next time the power goes out.
Throw Out Spoiled Food
If you lost power for more than 8 hours, and the foods in your refrigerator were stored below 40 degrees for more than two hours, it’s probably time for many of them to be thrown out. While this might seem like a waste, and can be hard on your wallet, it’s much better than an accidental bout of food poisoning. To read more about food safety after a power outage, check out our blog post.
Run Well Water Through the Pipes
If your home uses well water, you will most likely also lose water during a power outage–that’s because the pump that gets water from the well to your home needs electricity to work. When the water is restored, the pump and main system may need to be restarted, though this will depend on your system and outage situation.
It’s also a good idea to let your taps run for several minutes before using water from your well. That’s because the pump system treats the water to make sure it’s safe to drink–you want to ensure that any untreated water doesn’t get used. The pipes may make odd noises at first, though this usually stops quickly when water pressure is restored to your home’s system.
How can The Tub Pros help me?
The Tub Pros team is proud to be the leading refinishing service in the greater Mid-south region. As a local company and member of the Better Business Bureau and Angie’s List, we know the stress that extreme weather can bring to our area, and know the importance of a home that looks and works efficiently for your family. Whether you’re having friends and family over for a cookout or making do while the power is out after a storm, you want a home that works for you.
A kitchen or bathroom that has signs of damage or overuse, or that looks generally worn, dated, or tired can drag down your mood, and leave you with concerns about long-term damage to your fixtures. And for those concerned with bathroom safety tips for seniors and those with limited mobility, a lack of accessibility features can pose a risk. That’s where we can help–our services, which range from bathtub chip repair and application of faux granite or faux marble countertops to porcelain sink repairs, accessibility feature installation, tub reglazing, and more, can give your home a new-look while giving you peace of mind.
So if you’ve been wondering how to revitalize corian countertops, tile and grout color change and repair, damage to a tub or sink, or wondering “where can i find bathtub repair companies near me” in the Greater Memphis area, just turn to the professional refinishers at The Tub Pros. Our professionals refresh your kitchen and bathroom in a fraction of the time and expense of a remodel, and provide a written warranty. Give us a call today at (901) 871-8827, or use our online contact to get an estimate and start on your project today. Additional free value added information can be found in our website article library.
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