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While Alfalfa Electric Cooperative is dedicated
to providing the highest quality, most dependable power
available, outages do occur and it is important that
you know how to help keep your family safe and your
cooperative informed.
General Tips
REPORT DOWNED LINES IMMEDIATELY!
Never touch a downed wire regardless of how harmless
it looks! Stay away from it and keep others away, too.
Report it immediately to Alfalfa Electric Cooperative.
If you cannot contact us, call the local police or fire
department. During a severe storm with many areas affected,
it could take some time for us to make repairs. In this
case, police or firemen may guard the downed line.
Safety
- Don't operate lanterns, heaters or fuel-fired cook
stoves without adequate ventilation.
- Do not burn charcoal indoors because it releases
carbon monoxide.
- Always refuel outside away from flames or sparks.
- Don't store fuel inside your home.
- Wipe up fuel spills immediately.
- Don't allow children to carry candles or oil lamps
around the house. A fall could spell disaster!
Freezer
Do not open the freezer during a power outage. Opening
the door or lid shortens the time that food will stay
frozen. A well-filled freezer will maintain frozen food
for 24 to 72 hours, depending on room temperature and
loading. (A full freezer will stay colder longer than
one that is half full.) To be prepared in advance for
a possible power outage, freeze water in slightly under
filled plastic jugs and use them to fill empty spaces.
You may safely refreeze foods that have thawed if they
still contain ice crystals or if they are still cold
- about 40o F - and have been held at this temperature
no longer than one or two days after thawing. Food warmed
to 40o F or higher should not be refrozen.
Examine each package of food before you decide what
to do with it. If the color or odor of the thawed foods
is poor or questionable, get rid of the food. It may
be dangerous!
Do not refreeze foods that are highly susceptible to
food spoilage such as poultry, seafood, ice cream or
cream sauce mixtures. You can cook some of these foods
for immediate use or refreeze cooked foods as a dish
like a casserole.
Refrigerator
In warm weather the refrigerator will become warm quickly
despite your efforts to avoid opening the door. So,
use perishable foods as soon as possible.
In winter, outdoor temperatures will provide good refrigeration.
Or, freeze a bucket of water overnight and put it in
the refrigerator to help keep foods cool.
Disconnect major appliances
Turn off electrical appliances which were operating
at the time the power went off, including your heating
system. Leave on one light so you'll know when service
has been restored. Don't turn on everything at once.
This will permit the power to be put back on line without
being knocked off again by the automatic limiting devices
that protect our system from overloads.
Turning off surface units, the oven, or any part of
the range that was "on" when the power went
off could eliminate a possible fire hazard if the power
comes on while no one is home.
If you drain your electric water heater to prevent
damage from freezing, it's an absolute necessity to
turn off the appropriate circuit breaker or remove the
necessary fuse to disconnect the water heater. Otherwise,
you could burn out the heating elements should the power
come on while the water heater is empty.
Water Supply
If an outage is prolonged, the lack of water becomes
a real problem. You should try to store several gallons
of drinking water for such emergencies.
Use clean glass or plastic containers. Avoid metal
ones. They will oxidize and give the water an unpleasant
taste. Plastic containers are preferable since they
will not break.
Boil water before storing when you cannot sterilize
the container. Water in tightly sealed containers will
stay fresh indefinitely. And for an extra measure of
safety, boil the water before use.
Electrically-powered life support equipment
If someone in your household relies on electrically-powered
life support equipment, contact Alfalfa Electric Cooperative
at the phone number shown on your electric service bill.
We cannot guarantee uninterruptible service, but we
need this information so that special attention can
be given to restoring electric service in case of an
outage. You may also want to consider temporary precautionary
measures such as moving the patient to a hospital or
contacting local police or fire departments for emergency
equipment.
Emergency generators
The decision to invest in emergency generating equipment
is a personal judgment based on one's own need for uninterrupted
service.
Owning your own generator is ideal, but installing
it is not a do-it-yourself project. We strongly recommend
that you have a qualified electrician install an emergency
generator according to the National Electrical Code
and local ordinances.
If you use an emergency generator, make sure it has
a manual or automatic switch that disconnects it from
main power lines. This is a legal requirement. If for
some reason you have not met this requirement, use the
main switch on your service panel to cut power.
A generator that remains connected to main power lines
can backfeed power into them, shocking unsuspecting
utility workers. A direct-connected generator also may
result in a short circuit that can damage the electrical
system or create a fire hazard. The generator itself
may be damaged or destroyed.
Automatic garage door openers
Consult the manufacturer's instructions on how to open
the door during a power outage. If you don't have a
manual, check with your home builder or automatic garage
door service dealer in your area.
Please follow these procedures
when reporting outages:
- Before you call or submit the form below, check
your main breaker or fuse disconnect at the house
or on the meter pole. Also, check to see if your neighbors
have power.
- Call 580-596-3333 or 888-736-3837 to report your
outage or use the online form below.
You will need to provide the following information:
- The name under which the electric service is billed.
- Your telephone number. If you have an unlisted number,
or the phone number on your account has changed, please
let us know so we can update your information. This
will help us handle your outage call more efficiently.
- Account number (if known).
- Time the power went off (if known).
- Any additional information you have, such as wires
being down, trees on line, or similar trouble.
If you have access to the Internet from another location,
you may report power outages using the following form:
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