Have you ever noticed your lights blink? Maybe once or even several times in a short period? This “blink” is when the electric distribution system is subject to a momentary loss of power. It can be annoying, and the City of Milford takes all possible measures to minimize their impact on our customers, but the blinks may have just saved you from sitting in the dark.
A majority of system faults tend to be temporary – a tree limb hitting the lines before falling to the ground, momentary contact by an animal, or even an errant balloon from a neighbor’s party. In order to protect the public and our equipment, a device known as a recloser will quickly de-energize the line to allow the fault to clear then close back in restoring power. It may go through this operation several times to “test” if the fault has cleared. If successful, your lights will remain on and you can go about resetting the clock on your microwave or oven. If the fault is permanent, the line will remain de-energized until repairs are made.
Customers can lessen the effect and inconvenience of “blinks” when they occur by investing in surge-protectors and uninterruptable power supplies (UPS).
If you are experiencing a prolonged outage, please contact us immediately. Your report helps our crews locate the problem and to make repairs as quickly as possible. Any additional information is also helpful, such as if you heard a loud bang or flash of light, are the neighbor is out or just you, did a tree or large limb fall and is in contact with the wires, etc. In any case, keep your distance and do not go actively looking for anything abnormal.
Remember: When lights blink, it is an indication that the City’s equipment is operating properly and potentially saving you from a prolonged outage.
To report an outage, please call us at (302) 422-6616.