Rachel Delia Benaim
Power outages bring with them a slew of questions: How can I charge my phone? Can I save the food in my refrigerator? weather.com has some answers.
If the power goes out, turn off and unplug all unnecessary electrical equipment, including sensitive electronics and turn off and disconnect any appliances (like stoves), equipment or electronics you were using. When power comes back on, surges or spikes can damage equipment. But leave at least one light turned on so you’ll know when the power comes back on.
How can I charge my phone?
Often during power outages, folks rely on their phones for information (and entertainment). This requires battery power. Here’s how to conserve phone battery and charge your phone when there’s no electricity and it’s unclear when it will return:
First and foremost, preserve energy. There are a few ways to do this without hindering your access to essential apps and information on your phone.
-Turn off applications automatically running in the background of your smartphone like Wifi (it’s not going to work if there’s no electricity), Bluetooth and Wifi assist, for starters.
-Disable location services. Location services use a large percentage of battery power and is an easy way to save energy.
-Turn down the brightness on your phone.
-Use your phone’s standard messenger app instead of other messaging applications.
When your power starts running low, you have a few options to charge your phone:
-Use your laptop or computer as a power source. Use your USB charger and plug it into your desktop computer or laptop. It will charge slightly slower than through a wall charge but it gets the job done.
-Use your car as a power source. The interiors of newer cars usually have phone charging ports, while older vehicles often have a cigarette lighter that electronics can plug into. Much like you would charge your phone while driving, you can turn on your car and charge your phone during a power outage. Make sure you open your garage and move your car outdoors while you’re doing this, as the carbon monoxide exhaust from your car in an enclosed space could be fatal.
-You could also try at-home hacks based on YouTube videos (which we will write out so you don’t have to use extra power to play the videos):
Use two silver coins, a slip of paper, a USB charger and a paper clip to charge your phone without electricity:
-Insert part of the paperclip into the USB section of the wider side charger. Then slip the paper between the paperclip and the USB. Put one silver coin on one side of the paperclip, ensuring it touches the paperclip. Then put the other coin on the other side. The phone will begin charging. Keep the coins in place to ensure efficient charging. [Tutorial video here]
Use tape, a pen spring and a car charger to charge your phone without electricity:
-Take the spring from a pen and take it against a car charger. Make sure the spring is sitting against one of the metal bars on the side of the charge, and that the end of the spring runs parallel to the part of the charger that would be inserted into the car. Then plug the USB cord into the charger. Take the 9v battery and line it up with the spring and the charger, the spring fitting comfortably into the negative side of the battery and the car charger sitting against the positive side of the battery. Then plug in your phone. Ensure the battery stays in place as long as needed. [Tutorial video here]
Can I save the perishable food in my fridge and freezer?
First, make sure to note at what time your power went out so you can keep track of the potential impact it’ll have on your refrigerated food.
Do not open the fridge or freezer – or if you must, make it quick and infrequent. This way, the cool air will be stored inside for as long as possible – maybe even until the power comes back on. The Food Safety Council of Australia has a detailed explanation of food safety in these types of situations. Many foods last longer than you might think, too. Food like poultry, meat, seafood and ready-to-eat perishable food, will last for up to two hours in the fridge. After this, they should be placed in alternative refrigeration (in your freezer if there is room) or consumed immediately. If you keep your fridge sealed and it has a thermometer, there may be other possible calculations to save your food.
As far as frozen food goes, you might be in luck. If you have a functional freezer that operates at 2 degrees or colder, your food will be safe in the (closed) freezer for between one and two days.
How can I keep my home cool?
-Close all drapes and blinds on the sunny side of your home.
-Closing off the warmest rooms to ensure the hot air to seep into the rest of the house.
-Hanging moist sheets and towels throughout the house, as the ancient Egyptians did, will cool things down as the water evaporates.
-Heat rises, so sleep downstairs or put your mattress on the floor if the air feels cooler down there.
-Let the night air in. Crack windows before you go to bed.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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