May 16, 2019

Life Saving Equipment in Your Home or Business (including smoke and carbon monoxide alarms) May Have Been Damaged

It has come to our attention that on Thursday May 16, 2019 more than the normal amount of electricity may have run through the powerlines. This has the potential to damage electrical systems and equipment inside buildings.

What is life saving equipment?

• Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) are circuit breakers located in your electrical panel or power outlets on walls. They protect you from getting an electrical shock in wet places like kitchens, bathrooms, whirlpool tubs, or outside.
• Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs) are circuit breakers located in your electrical panel or power outlets on walls. They can sense problems in the wiring of your home. If they sense a problem, the breaker or outlet stops electricity from flowing to help avoid a fire.
• Smoke Alarms sense smoke and make a loud noise to warn you there may be a fire so you can get out of the building safely.  Smoke alarms that are connected to your home’s electrical system may have been damaged; and
• Carbon Monoxide Alarms can sense this poisonous gas and make a loud noise to warn you so you can get out of the building safely. Carbon monoxide can kill you if you breathe in too much.  Carbon monoxide alarms that are connected to your home’s electrical system may have been damaged.

What’s the risk?

If any life saving equipment items were damaged they may not work properly as designed to protect and warn you.

What should you do?

Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority advises that you do the following as soon as possible:

• Follow the manufacturers’ instructions to test equipment.  If you suspect damage to equipment and don’t have these instructions or you don’t feel comfortable testing them yourself, contact a Licensed Electrical Contractor. You can find a searchable list of all Licensed Electrical Contractors in Ontario at esasafe.com.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Halton Hills Hydro at 519-853-3701.