How To Protect Yourself From Loadshedding

Buco 08 Jul 2022

South Africa is currently experiencing load shedding. While load shedding can be a major inconvenience, there are ways to protect your appliances, your property, and yourself. Read our blog for more tips on how to minimize the effects of load shedding on your life. Stay safe and stay informed!

Appliances such as TVs, microwaves, computers, printers, routers, gate motors, and electric garages often fall victim to the surges that occur during load shedding. You can do your best to plan around the national load-shedding schedule, but as we all know (too well) that changes in a heartbeat.

The cost of replacing these sensitive pieces of equipment can run into the thousands, and quite often technicalities in your insurance policy may lead to a non-payment from your broker.

We`re here not only to supply you with great quality load shedding appliances and must-haves to keep you safe (and sane) during loadshedding, but we also aim to keep you informed on how best to stay safe at home.

Which appliances are affected by load-shedding?

The most common electric appliances that are affected when the lights go off include;

Electric geyser
Gas systems that require electricity to ignite the flame
Electric appliances
Electric lights
TV’s & Hi-fi’s
Pool pumps
Electrically motorised security gates
Electric fences
Air conditioning
Electric alarm clocks
Electric water pumps

Which appliances are not affected by load-shedding?

These appliances do not rely on the national electricity grid to operate;

Security systems with backup batteries
Electronic devices connected to a UPS
Telephones that don’t require electricity to function
Cell phones, tablets & laptops
Battery-operated toys & appliances

What to do before the power goes off?

There is nothing worse than being caught off-guard by load shedding. It can be an issue for your plans, your comfort, and your safety. There are some steps you can take to ensure that you get the best load shedding protection possible;

Alternative power

Consider installing or investing in a reserve power source. Reserve batteries can keep you running for up to 8 hours and can serve your most essential appliances from your security system to gate motors and lights.
Invest in an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) or inverter which can keep your essential electronics, like your computer, internet router and alarm on the go during load shedding. It also protects these appliances from sudden surges so you can shut them down safely without losing work or damaging your system.
Consider investing in a load shedding generator if you have a large power need for example if you run a business from home. Generators for load shedding work very efficiently and there are many different brands and sizes to choose from.

Conserve energy

Install or retrofit your home and office with energy-efficient fittings and globes. Eco-friendly lighting has the added benefit of being both green energy and a money saver.
If you have an in-home air conditioning system, consider adjusting it to 23 degrees Celsius and lower. Higher temperatures run the risk of also running up the power output on the grid. Replace outdoor lights with solar-powered motion sensor lights. This ensures both an alert system for when there’s movement outside plus saves you on running lights constantly.

Check the essentials

Put torches at entry points or central points in your home, so you can easily find them when the lights go out.
Test your alarm system regularly. The battery pack that supports the alarm system can wear out over time. A lot of insurance companies require you to do these checks in order to comply in the event of a claim.
Be sure of your insurance claim details. Read the fine print and know all the ins and outs of your policy. Should you need anything covered that is not currently covered, speak to your insurance broker about alternative or added options. Know what you are covered for.
Be prepared. Charge all your battery-operated appliances fully before the load shedding starts. Create a charging schedule so you can stay switched on when the time comes.
Ensure that you have emergency cash, contact details, or any other essentials handy. Write down essential numbers in case your phone battery dies.

Concerning food

Keep your frozen foods colder by keeping a bottle of water in the freezer next to them. The bottle will freeze up and keep your food from spoiling during extended periods without power.
Ensure that you have a serviced extinguisher close to your kitchen and braai areas, just in case.

What to do when the power goes off?

If you are well prepared your household won’t have to be at the mercy of the load-shedding schedule. You can lengthen your period of power and save your appliances by resorting to some of these simple measures:

Unplug

Unplug all your sensitive electrical equipment such as TVs, media players & fridges. This way they won’t receive a surge when the power comes back on.
Not at home for a while? Switch off and unplug all non-essential household appliances, so they don’t get damaged by load shedding or power surges while you are away.

Candles

Ensure that you always use a sturdy candle holder and that you keep candles away from flammable materials such as couches, curtains, and carpets. Always extinguish the candle as soon as the power comes back on. Candles are one of the main causes of serious house fires every year, alongside faulty outlets.

Security

For your safety, learn how to operate your electronic gate manually so that you can safely enter your premises and lock the gate behind you with a padlocked chain.
Some electronic gates can malfunction and open automatically when the power goes out. Be aware of this and always check your gate.

Food

Keeping your fridge and freezer doors closed for as long as possible prevents any coldness from escaping. Try and retrieve items from the fridge as quickly as possible, especially if you’re planning for a long time without power.

What to do when the power comes back on?

The challenge does not end when the national grid is switched back on – in fact, this is when most occurrences of shortages and fires start, and when most expensive electronic items are damaged by power surges.

Keep one light on so you can see when the power comes back on.
To help the grid, try and put off switching on your lights and appliances for a while until after the peak periods.

BUCO keeps you switched on during load-shedding. Luckily, when it comes to expert advice and a full house of all the essentials you need to keep you on the go during load shedding, we are there for you.

About Power Surges

When the power comes back on after load-shedding, plugged-in appliances get a surge of current from the national grid. Sensitive equipment is most affected by this microsecond of surge that occurs when the electricity is switched on at the power station. If they are not protected against the extra load of surge coming in through your outlets, appliances can shut down, get damaged, or even combust.

You can buy surge protection devices for DB boards. All Distribution Boards should have a standard surge protector device installed, to be compliant with all national home electrical standards. Class 1 surge protection devices are recommended, as they can also protect against lightning strikes.
Invest in surge-protected plugs for all your sensitive devices. These plugs can divert the extra energy from the surge and protect your items, but they also need to be replaced over time.

General Safety Tips:

Conserve Energy

Set your pool pump to run for a maximum of 4 hours a day. Make sure it is set to not run during the peak times of 5 - 9 PM.
Do not run your pool pump and geyser at the same time. This can cause extreme amounts of power consumption at once and contribute to many problems from a short on your own system to a shutdown of the local power station.
Switch off what you don’t need. This not only saves your appliances it also saves you money in power consumption.

Fire prevention

Never place a generator in an enclosed space without ventilation. The emissions could cause severe breathing problems and the heat from the generator could spark a faulty connection and possibly cause a house fire. In a case such as this, most insurance companies will not pay out and chalk it up to "negligence".
Always switch the stove off at the wall, to ensure there is no charge coming through the outlet when the power surges back on.
Always keep your gas-powered appliances and gas cylinders away from flammable materials and electrical outlets.