A power failure, also known as a power cut, power outage or blackout, is a short or long term loss of electric power to an area. It can affect a single house, a building or an entire city, depending on the degree of the damage or cause of the failure. They often occur with little to no warning, making it very important that you are prepared.
Although electricity is not something we often think about (and hardly ever worry about!), many of our daily activities rely on it. Our work, leisure, healthcare, economy and livelihood all depend on electrical power.
A power failure can cause significant disruption and if you’re a business owner, or in charge of assuring your business stays operational at all times, you should have a backup plan.In today’s world, most businesses require electricity to operate and without it, the business can be severely hurt or come to a complete standstill.
When a power failure occurs, the loss of electricity to a computer or other electronic devices results in any data in temporary storage, for example, the computer's memory, to be instantly lost and unrecoverable.
When it comes to protection, knowing which power problems are most prevalent, their magnitude and frequency, will affect the choice of power solution selected.
Types of Power Failures:
There are various different types of power outages, sorted into three main occurrences, relating to the length and effect of the outage.
Transient Fault– Lasting only a few milliseconds, this loss of power is typically caused by a temporary fault on a power line. Power is automatically restored once the fault is cleared.
Brownout– Long term reductions in the mains power supply voltage which can last up to several days. It is characterised by the lowering of light levels within office and other environments.
Blackout-A complete loss of power lasting from milliseconds to several hours or more. This is the most severe form of power outage that can occur and is particularly difficult to recover from.
How it Can Affect Your Business
Our cities live on electricity and without the expected supply from the power grid, there would be absolute chaos. A loss of power can result in lost data, missed deadlines, a decrease in productivity, or a loss in revenue.
Most companies are unprepared for business disturbances caused by power failures and are often unaware of the actual costs and impact that they can have on their operations.
With an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) installed, if the power goes out, your critical electrical equipment would be kept up and running and help ensure minimal disruption to your business, the difficult decision is choosing in advance how long you need this period of runtime to be and will depend on various factors. We highly recommend that all critical electrical equipment is connected to a UPS – not having a UPS or disregarding the UPS battery warnings really isn’t worth the risk.
It’s essential to know about the possible causes of power failure in order to better protect ourselves and our businesses from its destructive consequences.
If you’re caught off guard by a power cut, you can call the national phone number 105, recently launched by network operators for customers to call should they need to report or get information about a power failure in their area.
FAQs
A power failure, also known as a power cut, power outage or blackout, is a short or long term loss of electric power to an area. It can affect a single house, a building or an entire city, depending on the degree of the damage or cause of the failure.
What is total power failure? ›
Blackouts. Blackouts refer to a complete loss of a power to a geographic area and is the most severe form of power outage that occurs.
What is the checklist for power failure? ›
❏ Keep food in a dry, cool spot and keep it covered at all times. ❏ Turn off and unplug all unnecessary electrical equipment, including sensitive electronics. ❏ Turn off or disconnect any appliances (like stoves), equipment or electronics you were using when the power went out.
What is the main cause of power supply failure? ›
One of the most common power supply problems is overheating. PSUs can get hot, especially if they're under a heavy load, and if they get too hot, they can shut down or even fail completely. Overheating can be caused by a variety of factors, including poor ventilation, dust buildup, or a faulty fan.
What is a common cause of power system failures? ›
Power Outages
These can occur due to equipment malfunctions, human error, a surge in the system, or storms. They happen most frequently during storms but can occur when an area with a high population overwhelms the system.
What is power system failure? ›
Nov 1, 2023•Knowledge
AC Power Failure is a trouble condition that may affect your system's ability to function correctly. This trouble condition will appear when electrical power to the system has been interrupted. Your backup battery will provide power to your system while this condition exists.
What does system power failure mean? ›
Power fail is a signal which indicates that the input power has failed. This signal gives the powered system a chance to store information or switch over to backup power before the system goes down. The power fail signal is generated when loss of power is detected within the power supply.
How do you troubleshoot power failure? ›
Troubleshooting a Power Outage
- Check Your Circuit Breakers.
- Check Weather Conditions.
- Contact Utility Provider.
- Check if Neighbors are Also Experiencing a Power Outage.
A checklist of things to do when power goes out
- Confirm your power is out. ...
- If your power is out, call your local utility. ...
- Turn off or unplug your appliances. ...
- Keep your refrigerator and freezer closed. ...
- Using flashlights for lighting. ...
- Keep your family members safe and comfortable. ...
- Practice generator safety.
You plan may include backup batteries, a generator, and even asking local authorities (such as a hospital, fire station, and energy provider) for assistance. It's best to reach out to these sources in advance of a power outage to ask how and if they can help.
HOW TO TEST A PSU (POWER SUPPLY UNIT)
- Shut off your PSU.
- Unplug all cables from the PSU except for the main AC cable and the 24-pin cable.
- Locate pin 16 and pin 17 on your 24-pin cable. ...
- Bend your paper clip so the ends can be inserted into pin 16 and pin 17. ...
- Turn on the PSU.
- See if the PSU fan turns.
There are a number of signs that indicate that a power supply is dying, such as strange noises, an increase in temperature, or an inability to provide the necessary power to the device it's powering.
What happens if the power supply is damaged? ›
A faulty power supply unit (PSU) can cause a variety of hardware problems, such as random shutdowns, blue screens, or no power at all. If you suspect that your PSU is the culprit, you need to test and replace it as soon as possible to avoid further damage to your system.
What is the most common fault in the power system? ›
Among the given faults, line-to-ground fault (LG) is the most common fault that occurs in the power system. 3 phase fault is the most dangerous fault while the LG fault is the least dangerous fault.
What are the four major causes of system unit power failure? ›
Electric Interference: Lightning, power spikes, etc. Voltage fluctuation. Dirt/Foreign Substance: Cigarette smoke, house dust, etc. Overheating and/or Ventilation Failures: The most common reasons of an SMPS failure is overheating.
What is the most likely cause of the power issue? ›
Common causes of blackouts/power outages: Utility company failure. Accidental AC line disconnection. Tripped circuit breakers.
Is power failure the same as outage? ›
A power outage (also called a powercut, a power out, a power failure, a power blackout, a power loss, or a blackout) is the loss of the electrical power network supply to an end user.
What is the meaning of total power? ›
The total power delivered by the source is the apparent power. Part of this apparent power, called true power, is dissipated by the circuit resistance in the form of heat. The rest of the apparent power is returned to the source by the circuit inductance and capacitance.
What is the difference between power failure and power surge? ›
In simplest terms, a power outage is a loss of power while a power surge increases the voltage. A power surge may cause electronics or appliances to temporarily turn on and off. A power outage may cause appliances and electronics to turn off as well but probably for an extended period.
How long do most power outages last? ›
Outages typically last 1-2 hours.
