Power outages
Keeping the furnace, fridge and sump pump running when the grid goes down, and connecting backup power safely.
What a power outage leads to
Backup power for your home
Four ways to keep the furnace, fridge and sump pump running through an outage, and which of them need an electrician.
Frozen pipes
Keeping water pipes above freezing in a cold snap or an outage, and what to do when one freezes.
Flooded basement and sewer backup
Keeping groundwater and sewer water out of the basement, and the pumps, alarms and valves that do it.
Emergency kit
What to have ready so your household can look after itself for at least 72 hours without power or tap water.
The plan
Check it isn’t just you
Look at your breaker panel, with dry hands and not standing on a damp floor. If the neighbours are dark too, report the outage to your utility.
Protect what you have
Unplug tools, appliances and electronics and turn the thermostat down, so a surge can’t damage them when power returns. Leave one light switched on so you know when it is back, and keep the fridge and freezer shut.
Bring it back in steps
Turn the heating thermostats up first, then plug in the fridge and freezer, and wait 10 to 15 minutes before reconnecting everything else (Get Prepared).
Safety: Never idle a car in the garage to charge phones or warm up (Get Prepared).
Guides
How-to
How to keep pipes from freezing in a power outage
Keep the heat in, heat only in safe ways, and drain the plumbing if a winter outage will last, following official Canadian advice.
Best-of
The best generators for a power outage in Canada
Five portable generators with CO shut-off for winter outages, ranked for Canadian homes: size, safe hookup, fuel and the Canadian mark.
Buying guide
What size generator do I need? A load worksheet
A fill-in load worksheet for sizing a generator from your own nameplates: running vs starting watts, 240 V, furnaces, and portable vs standby vs battery.
Questions about power outages
How far from the house should a generator run?
Health Canada says at least 6 m (20 ft) from any building, and never in a garage or shed, even with the door open. The US CPSC also says 20 ft, with the exhaust pointed away from doors and windows. Fit CO alarms on every level.
How long will food stay safe in the fridge and freezer?
Health Canada says about 4 hours in an unopened fridge, about 48 hours in a full freezer and about 24 in a half-full one. Food with ice crystals, or that still feels fridge-cold, can be refrozen.
Why do my neighbours have power when I don’t?
Check your breakers, then your utility’s outage map. After a long outage, utilities may bring addresses back gradually, so a neighbour getting power first doesn’t mean yours is faulty.
