14 ways every homeowner should prepare for a power outage

Don’t get caught offguard – here are some tips to help you survive an electrical outage.

When the power grid goes down, your water supply might also be affected. So fill up buckets and bottles with water. Fill the bathtub, too.

Learn how to check for power outages with a coin.

A power inverter, which turns DC current from your car into AC current for electric gadgets, is the next best thing to a generator when it comes to surviving a blackout. Small units can recharge your computer or phone. Larger ones can power a fridge or power tools.

LED torches and lanterns have a huge advantage over incandescent models: They allow batteries to last much longer (typically about six to 10 times as long).

“During a three-day outage, I fed dozens of friends and neighbours by grilling everything in my fridge and freezer,” says Arthur Barfield, The Family Handyman field editor. “Without the power to keep food cold, it all would have gone bad anyway.”

A couple of days without power can cost you a few hundred bucks as food spoils in fridges and freezers. Fill locking freezer bags with water and keep them in the freezer. During a blackout, they’ll help the freezer stay cold longer. Or you can transfer them to the fridge or a cooler. When they thaw, you’ve got drinking water.

When the power grid sputters back to life, it will probably create power surges which can destroy sensitive electronics in TVs, computers and appliances. So unplug anything that may contain electronic components. Leave one light switched on to let you know when the power is restored. And if you have a generator, check the manual. Most inexpensive models churn out “dirty” power that can harm electronics.

Here are 19 things your electrician wishes you knew.

Your car is a critical part of your survival kit. It’s your emergency transport and your charging system for cell phones. So keep your tank full before storms. If you have petrol cans, fill them, too. When the power is out, petrol stations can’t pump petrol from their tanks into yours.

Even if a power outage stops the city water supply, you can still flush the toilet. Dump a couple of litres into the bowl or fill the toilet tank. This works just as well as the usual flush, but won’t refill the bowl.

Here are 14 problems with your toilet you’ll regret ignoring.

The less you open fridge and freezer doors, the longer your food will stay cold.

Here are some essential refrigerator maintenance and repair tips.