Storm season and Brisbane summer go hand in hand. Powerful winds, heavy rainfall, and lightning can all wreak havoc on your home’s electrical system.
Sometimes the problems are obvious – a clap of thunder and a bolt of lightning followed by a power outage, for example. Others may only start to appear after the storm has passed – tripping safety switches, certain rooms losing power, lights and appliances not working.
If you notice anything different in your electrics after a storm, don’t assume it will sort itself out. Voltora’s Brisbane electricians will come out, check it out, make sure you’re not at risk, and propose an electrical repair to get everything back to normal.
How Can a Storm Affect Your Home’s Electrical System?
There are a few ways severe weather can cause electrical problems:
- Lightning is the most obvious electrical hazard. A strike releases a huge surge of electrical current that travels through conductive paths, creates immense heat and causes massive voltage spikes.
- Heavy rain can cause both extensive and localised flooding. Water gets into places it’s not meant to, from power points to switchboards.
- Strong winds and falling branches can also damage overhead powerlines or property electrical connections
- Outages can happen on the wider electricity network or within property.
What Is a Power Surge?
A power surge is a sudden spike in voltage that’s well above the normal flow of electricity. It’s a brief burst, often exceeding the standard voltage (which is usually 230-240 volts in Australia) by over 150 volts.
As you can imagine, that causes big problems with appliances connected to the circuit experiencing the surge. TVs and computers, air conditioners and household appliances all have sensitive components that can be affected.
Sometimes the appliances get fried outright. They could also stop working after a few days, or start behaving strangely.
Why Is My Safety Switch Tripping After Rain?
A safety switch disconnects power when it detects an electrical fault that could put someone at risk of electric shock. If it keeps tripping, it’s doing its job and keeping you safe.
If there has been heavy rain and your safety switch won’t stop tripping, it’s likely due to moisture affecting your electrical system somewhere. It may have entered damaged fittings, conduits or wiring around outdoor lights, exterior power points, pumps and other equipment exposed to the weather. It could ahve leaked into circuitry through the roof.
Don’t simply keep resetting the safety switch – that’s not fixing the underlying problem. Arrange for an electrician to come and investigate.
What If Water Has Reached Electrical Equipment?
Water and electrical equipment don’t mix well. If water reaches appliances, switchboards, or circuits, there’s a risk of electric shock, fires, and damage to electrical systems.
Always remember that water conducts electricity, so you should avoid touching wet electrical equipment at all costs. If you can see water has reached electrical equipment, we recommend turning off the main power supply to your property and calling an electrician.
Storm Power Outages
A power outage after severe weather could be more widespread than just your property. The electricity network could be damaged by lightning, strong winds or falling trees. Energex is good at supplying outage information, but also check in with other houses on your street to see if they have power or not.
If you’re the only one on your street without electricity, or certain parts of your property don’t have electricity, then it’s most likely a specific issue with your property.
If you see a fallen or damaged powerline, stay well away and ensure other bystanders stay back too. Ring the Energex emergency line on 13 19 62 to report it – that’s exactly what the line is there for. If there is a life-threatening emergency, call triple 0 (000) immediately.
What Should You Do When the Power Comes Back On?
If you’ve lost power during a storm, we recommend turning off power points and unplugging electrical equipment.
When supply returns, be cautious about how you go about turning everything back on.
If everything appears normal and there are no signs of electrical damage, you can return to normal use.
But if circuits begin tripping, equipment isn’t working, you notice unusual smells or sounds, or part of the property remains without power, get the problem checked. If anything electrical is wet or damaged, avoid using it.
Don’t just reset switches and hope the fault disappears. Get it checked out by a licensed professional.
Can Surge Protection Help During Storm Season?
Surge protection can reduce the risk of voltage surges damaging electrical equipment.
Different levels of protection are available. Plug-in surge-protected power boards can protect individual connected devices, while a licensed electrician can also install surge protection devices at the main switchboard.
No single device makes a property immune to every possible lightning or electrical event, but surge protection does provide a level of risk reduction.
Signs of Electrical Problems After a Storm
It’s safest to sit out a storm before you assess if there are any electrical problems at your property. Once it’s passed, have a look for these common warning signs:
Common warning signs can include:
- A safety switch that keeps tripping
- Circuit breakers that won’t stay on
- Lights flickering or no longer working
- Power points that have stopped working
- Loss of power to one part of the property
- Outdoor lights or power points no longer working
- Appliances behaving differently or failing to turn on
- Buzzing or crackling from electrical equipment
- A burning smell or visible heat damage
- Water around electrical fittings, wiring or the switchboard
If any of the above are present, get in touch with a residential electrician to come and have a look. Please don’t attempt any DIY electrical work yourself – don’t remove covers or open up any electrical equipment. It’s too risky.
Contact Voltora Industries For Your Storm Electrical Repairs
Our number one priority is the electrical safety at your property. If you feel this has been compromised by a Brisbane storm, get in touch and we’ll get a licensed electrician there ASAP.
They’ll investigate any problems that have turned up since the storm, whether it’s tripping circuits, partial power loss, affected outdoor electrical equipment or any other faults around your property.
Once they’ve identified the problem, they’ll explain what’s causing it and recommend a fix. Your home electrics become fully operational and safe again, and you get the peace of mind knowing that a Gold Master electrician has done the repair work and given it the tick of approval.
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