Be prepared when checking a power outage

[rp_photo]

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas ... 590363.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There have been several incidents such as this where BG's cut the power and wait for the homeowner to investigate.

[RPB]

good tip/reminder, thanks

[speedsix]

...for several reasons...and, if your AC compressor has a box by it with a breaker/fuse that can be pulled, you also need to lock that box...when they steal the AC compressor, they use tree branch loppers to cut the freon lines and the electrical lines in about 4 seconds...after turning off the electric...

...if you follow the rule to ALWAYS carry outside your home, and ALWAYS have a light with you if it's dark, so that you can identify a threat...you'll be ahead of the game...
...same trick has been done with the phone/computer lines...any such interruption should put us on high alert as we respond...good reminder...

[Crossfire]

Our power goes out everytime the wind blows. Honestly, it happens so often that we don't even bother to check on it anymore.

So, the bad guys would be waiting a very lonnnnnng time for me to come out and check on the box.

[puma guy]

If your electrical box is outside, you should put a lock on it.

My thoughts exactly.

[tacticool]

Our power goes out everytime the wind blows. Honestly, it happens so often that we don't even bother to check on it anymore.

So, the bad guys would be waiting a very lonnnnnng time for me to come out and check on the box.

[Dave2]

Our power goes out everytime the wind blows. Honestly, it happens so often that we don't even bother to check on it anymore.

So, the bad guys would be waiting a very lonnnnnng time for me to come out and check on the box.

I'm not sure I would ever check the electrical box outside... I can't turn off anything upstream of the main breaker box in the garage, so I'd call the power company for anything past that.

[speedsix]

...a lot of breaker boxes, even in newer houses, are on the outside of the house...that's what they're talking about...

[Dave2]

...a lot of breaker boxes, even in newer houses, are on the outside of the house...that's what they're talking about...

What... How... But... Why in the world would anyone put a breaker box on the outside?!?

[speedsix]

...been askin' that question for 40 years...nobody has an answer...

[Diesel42]

FWIW, in my former life I appraised residential property. Sometime in the 70's new construction started putting the braker box next to the meter on the outside of the house. Why? Well, as far as I can tell, it was to simplify things. I saw homes that were built in the 40's, with additions made in the 50's and 60's. Those houses had more than one fuse box inside the house. Life was made simplier by having all the circuits at a single braker box next to the meter.

Of course, nobody worried about BG's messing with the power. And, most folks felt secure in their backyards. Y'all stay alert and safe.
Happy Trails! N

[Dave2]

Interesting... Where I live the service panel is accessible from the alley, not the backyard, and the breaker box is inside the garage (though oddly enough, not directly opposite the service panel). The service panel at my parent's house in CA is accessible from the street; I don't remember where their breaker box is.

I guess I've got one more thing to add to my requirements list when I finally pull the trigger and go house hunting. I don't think I mind the service panel being "public", but the breaker box needs to be secured and dry... I don't want to play with 200-400A of AC mains (or anything else, come to think of it) in the rain...

[knotquiteawake]

Our breaker box and main box are both on the side of the house, outside. I was completely unsurprised because thats how my parents house was growing up. My Father in Law was shocked they left it outside instead of in the garage (which is on the other side of the house, this might be the reason).

Not sure how much good a padlock is going to do for you if the bad guy already has tree loppers that thing would make short work of most cheap padlocks. I guess if I really want it secure I have to buy the super heavy duty bolt-cutter proof locks and hope I don't lose the keys to it or that my wife can find the keys if I'm not home.