Imagine you were ironing your clothes while watching one of your favourite Korean dramas on your TV set. Without warning, your television screen went blank, and the noise from your air-conditioning stops abruptly, all the lights in the house went to sleep, and even the iron you were using is not left out as the light indicator dimmed. You squeezed your face angrily, knowing there was a power trip!
That is what most people experiencing—power tripping or power failure in Singapore is a major headache at one point or the other in their lives. This problem can cause someone to get angry considering the fact that most Singaporeans don’t know how to resolve the problem, especially when power trips happen in HDB flats. It is critical to understand that every house has a rigid but interrelated electrical wiring system which lays secure behind the walls. This means it will not be easy to find a solution to the electric power trips.
With Singapore’s population mostly working in air-conditioned offices, businesses depend on the electric power supply for productivity. Not only does it provide the electricity to make areas more conducive, but it also powers computers. If the power supply ever gets interrupted such as when a power trip occurs, then it can adversely affect both the employees and the company as a whole.
Other than offices, there are other places that can be greatly affected by a frequent power failure. These places are hospitals, schools, shopping malls, and more. Hence, it is really important that you educate yourself about basic electrical knowledge in order to prevent an electric power trip such as the ones shown below:
Proper Electric Wiring
Make sure that the overall electrical wiring is properly installed in order to prevent a power trip in HDB flats, or even in commercial buildings like an office or hospital. Most HDB electrical power trips occur due to poor wiring, which is why you should ensure that only professional and expert electricians work on such electrical systems. At Daylight Electrician Singapore, we have a dedicated team of experienced electricians who have the necessary skills to conduct any electrical installations.
Avoid Overloading Your Electric Mains
Make sure that its power ratings match the ones on your electrical outlets before using any electrical appliances. Avoid installing power sockets with a limited power capacity if you are doing a house renovation. Overloading is most likely to occur when you keep plugging in several appliances at the same time. This kind of overloading on the mains will lead to a power trip. Hence, it is important that you plan your entire electrical system properly before starting any kind of electrical installation.
Get Some Backup Power Sources
A significant damage to the electric transmission or the faults at the power stations happening in a specific area can cause a power trip. Such incidents are usually not within your control and hence will eventually result in a complete blackout. To overcome this problem, make sure that your building has some kind of backup power source like an electric generator to keep electrical appliances working. Having a standby electric generator will ensure that daily activities are not interrupted as it automatically turns on by itself when a power trip happens.
Use Electric Power Properly
It is important to remember that improper use of electric power can definitely lead to a power trip. There are various risk practices that you are supposed to avoid such short circuits and poor handling of the electric appliances to avoid a power failure.
What NOT To Do During A Power Failure
Your trusted air conditioner, water heater, and even your refrigerator will stop working once a power failure occurs. Undoubtedly, an electric power trip will most likely create various inconveniences that will prevent you from carrying out your daily tasks comfortably.
However, it is important that you know what to do and what to avoid in such an occurrence. Let’s guide you through the important things that you should NOT do during a power failure:
Do Not Forget To Unplug
Unplug your electrical devices immediately once a power failure happens. Forgetting to do so can damage your electrical appliances because of the surges and spikes that eventually occur once the electricity comes back. This is known to be a very effective preventive measure to save electrical appliances from possible damage. However, you can leave one light fixture on so you’ll know when the power comes back on.
Do Not Touch a Downed Wire
You are never supposed to touch a downed wire when the power goes out. The seemingly “dead” dangling power line is never really out of power, rather, it can mostly be potentially “live.” Hence, these wires are dangerous and pose great threat resulting in severely injuring a person who touches it. Most people make this mistake by unknowingly touching such downed wires.
Remember, that you should also maintain a minimum of 30 feet distance from the downed wire during a power failure. If the ground is wet, then ensure that you maintain a distance of 60 feet. On the other hand, if you happen to be in a car when a wire is downed, stay in the car and avoid touching the vehicle and the ground at the same time as you might get electrocuted.
Do Not Use Candles
Avoid using candles when there is a power failure in Singapore. This is because unattended candles can lead to fires. There are a variety of battery-powered flashlights and LED lights that you can use during such occasions. are very safe to use. You should resort to these options during a power failure rather than using candles. If you don’t have any choice, make sure that you blow out the candles before going to bed.
Do Not Open The Fridge or Freezer
Frequently opening the freezer might spoil your food faster as they won’t stay cold for long. Remember to keep the doors closed unless you want to add ice in the fridge. A full freezer can stay cold for about two days, while a half-freezer can stay cold for at least 24 hours. With this, you can store bottles of water in the freezer to keep them cold. On the other hand, if there is food in the freezer that you want to save, put that food in the cooler with ice. Perishable like eggs, seafood, and chicken should be discarded as it can cause the other food in your fridge to spoil faster.
Causes of Power Trips and Power Failures in Singapore
An electrical power trip doesn’t just happen for no reason. There are several causes of power failures. However, it is important for one must narrow down the root or primary causes of the problem; why the tripping even occurs in the first place.
Here are some reasons why power trips and power failures commonly occur:
1. Overloaded circuit
This is usually the primary cause of the power trip and power failure. You have to understand that circuit breakers trip whenever there is a problem such as overloading. In this case, the circuit is carrying a much heavier electrical load that it can hold, and the only way to get itself off the excess load is to trip off the entire lighting in the house. Circuit breakers come with different ratings, which is what determines how much current that is allowed to pass through the circuit. Oftentimes, circuit breakers trip in order to protect your electric circuit from excessive heat.
2. Short circuit
This one is even more serious compared to the Circuit overload causing an electric power trip as mentioned above. When a heated wire comes in contact or touches another heated wire or the neutral, a short circuit would then occur. A bleak in one or two wires in a circuit can also lead to a short circuit. It is very difficult to diagnose this problem because the issue could have come from a wiring problem in your house or from the wire of a device that you have plugged on the electrical grid.
How to resolve power tripping problem in Singapore
It is clear that the reason why a circuit will always break is that too many items are plugged into just one or very few outlets linked to only one circuit. Therefore, if you have more than one power outlet in your house, try to move high current consuming items like driers, iron box, or heaters, to other circuits that are not much or heavily in use.
You can also shut down any device that is not in use, and check on the various outlet wires to see if there is any loose one. Tighten anyone that is loose.
2. Resolve short-circuit power tripping problem
There is not much difference here from the one mentioned above, except in this case; you will have to check out all outlet wiring insulation and see if any of them are cracked or broken, thereby coming into contact with the black or white wires.
Remember to check for possible damages by switching off the power outlets and looking out for any signs of burning or melting. Also, remember to look out for any form of discolouration on those plugs. This way, you can resolve the power failure or electric power trip on your own.
Effects of Power Failure in Singapore
In a “Smart Nation” like Singapore, power failures tend to result in a variety of adverse consequences as online business transactions often come to a halt. People may try to cope by troubleshooting minor cases of power failures such as those in HDB flats, but a large-scale power trip in Singapore commercial buildings need to be attended to by a reliable electrical company as soon as possible.
Importance of emergency electrician Singapore for common households
When a power failure occurs due to a technical fault in electrical wirings in a certain building, the occupants immediately need to contact a trusted electrician to fix the issue. While you’re at it, check if there are any electrical wires hanging from unusual places or if there are any malfunctioning electrical power sockets as these can cause accidents.
Emergency electricians in Singapore are highly trained and experienced in power failure emergency procedures that can solve the electrical problem at hand in no time – this is unless there is already a major critical fault in the electrical lines. Ensure electrical safety in your household by only hiring the services of a licensed electrician like Daylight Electrician Singapore.
Aside from choosing a reliable electrician, it is also important to take the necessary measures during a power failure such as the following:
The use of generators is the most appropriate solution when faced with prolonged power trips in Singapore that may even last for days. Many commercial and industrial buildings install high power generators to ensure smooth and unhindered business transactions.
Battery-operated emergency lights and power failure night lights will also be useful in instances where there is no generator available, or worse if its fuel runs out due to prolonged usage. House owners should also have a good stock of batteries readily available. These can be used on flashlights during blackouts caused by power trips on light fixtures.
Functions of the power failure alarms at homes
Sudden disruptions of electricity may hinder daily activities in both residential and commercial areas. As such, a power failure alarm exists when a potential power trip occurs. The power failure alarm is fitted on the main point of the power supply or on different electrical appliances. This type of alarm notifies the house owners about power failures through sirens. With this, homeowners can then immediately adopt necessary measures such as unplugging electrical appliances. This alarm is often installed on refrigerators, electric pumps, electrical ovens, and computers, for saving massive losses caused due to power cuts, mainly if no one is present at home.
If after you have tried all the tricks mentioned above, and you still cannot identify the problem, then you will have to call in an emergency electrician from Daylight Electrician Singapore to conduct the electrical repair and resolve the power tripping once and for all.
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Daylight Electrician Singapore provides complete electrical services including emergency electrician service in Singapore. Our network of electrical workers and EMA licensed electricians are specially trained to execute all kinds of electrical repairs and works including electrical installation such as light installation, ceiling fan installation, power failure recovery as well as electrical wiring and rewiring, power socket, electrical switches, light switches, and DB Box replacement. We have over 10 years of electrician experience and have done thousands of electrical works for both residential (Landed, condo, and HDB electricians) and commercial electricians. We are the highly recommended electrician in Singapore with many happy customers and positive reviews. WhatsApp us at +65 8241 0032 for transparent quotation and honest pricing for all your electrical needs. We offer a fast and efficient service to serve any of your electrical needs!