Haven, KS Power Outage Suggestions

Haven has recently experienced several power outages due to overloading with the hot weather.  We have some circuits that are running at 150% of their designed load during peak air conditioning usage.  The City has devised a plan to relieve the worst overloading by switching a group of homes in the southeast part of town to a circuit that is not heavily loaded.  We are currently awaiting approval of a utility easement to do this work

The City will occasionally experience electrical power outages due to weather, demand overload and other

reasons.  While a basic power outage is typically short in duration and it won’t cause damage to your appliances or other electrical equipment, it can, especially if it is a “brownout” rather than a full power outage.  If your lights go dim, rather than going completely out, you may be experiencing a low voltage power outage or “brownout”.  During a brownout some electricity continues to be supplied but not enough to fully operate an electrical device.  This condition can cause damage to your appliances and electrical equipment.  Whether a complete power outage or a brownout occurs, please consider taking the following steps:

FIRST

• Turn off your thermostat to prevent your furnace or air conditioner from trying to start.
• Unplug or turn off your refrigerator, freezer, and other motorized appliances.
• Unplug electronic devices.
• Turn off fluorescent lights or CFLs – compact fluorescent lights. (Incandescent lamps, such as an oven light, are not damaged by low voltage.)
• If more convenient, you may turn off your main breaker or individual breakers instead of unplugging appliances.

SECOND

After you have safeguarded your appliances by turning them off at the breaker box, unplugging them, etc., please call the city and report your power outage.

• Business hours – call the City Office at 620-465-3618 or Public Works at 620-465-3619
• After 5 PM and on weekends – call 620-899-7129, if the line is busy, please leave a message including your address

THIRD

See to your own personal safety and health.  A power outage due to a natural disaster such as a windstorm or ice storm can be extensive and may require considerable time to restore power.  Weather conditions or personal health issues might require you to seek shelter with a friend or neighbor who has power or to go to an emergency shelter.  The City will provide emergency shelter at the Senior Citizens Center, 106 S. Kansas Ave. or the Community Building, 213 S. Reno Ave. in case of an outage projected to last over six hours.

FINALLY

You may check to see if power has been restored by periodically turning on a light, watching for street lights to come on, or watching for neighbor’s lights, A/C or furnace to come on.  If your neighbor to the right or left (not across the street or alley) has power restored and you still do not have electricity, please call in again and report this to the City.

Note that a qualified electrician can permanently install protection equipment on your appliances and equipment to automatically shut them down in case of dangerously low voltage.