# My power's out. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 28, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-powers-out/758643 "2016-06-28T19:26:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-powers-out/758643/1 "2016-06-28T19:26:25Z")
Fun on a bun. It went out about 20 minutes ago. 100° temperatures, no A/C. And yes, I paid my bill. The power company website says the cause is downed wires, 239 customers affected. A crew has been dispatched, no estimated time to repair. In case you’re wondering how I’m posting with no power, I’m on my smartphone. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-powers-out/758643/2 "2016-06-28T19:32:05Z")
But smartphones use power too. So what type of witchcraft are you actually using. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-powers-out/758643/3 "2016-06-28T19:37:13Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > But smartphones use power too. So what type of witchcraft are you actually using. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-powers-out/758643/4 "2016-06-28T19:37:50Z")
Can you go down into the basement? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-powers-out/758643/5 "2016-06-28T19:38:40Z")
Mine went out a few weeks ago. It was a nice sunny day too. But for some reason, the transformer crapped out and they had to replace it. Since the transformer is right by my home I was able to witness the whole process of them changing it out. I have to say, I was very impressed with the efficiency of it all. The whole process took about four hours. My son and I made a night of it. I filled the cooler up full of beers, threw some sodas in for my kiddo, and we sat in the back of my truck listening to tunes while we watched the utility workers do their thing. Best case of making lemonade out of lemons that I can recall. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-powers-out/758643/6 "2016-06-28T19:50:33Z")
You didn’t offer the entertainment people a beverage? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-powers-out/758643/7 "2016-06-28T19:55:51Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Can you go down into the basement? I could if I had a basement. I’m not about to go digging one in this heat. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-powers-out/758643/8 "2016-06-28T20:08:16Z")
I missed the entire second half of the 2010 World Cup Final because the power went off at halftime. Sunny, 85-degree day, no storms or high winds. Angry does not even begin to describe it. My hatred of Pepco was cemented forever. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-powers-out/758643/9 "2016-06-28T20:11:13Z")
Yup. Sunny, calm day here, too. At least it’s daytime. I can see my way around without a flashlight. Better than losing power at night and being in the dark. ---
**Author:** ![Silophant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Silophant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silophant)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-powers-out/758643/10 "2016-06-28T20:41:47Z")
Poletop transformer failures are generally overheating issues. They aren’t 100% efficient, so they more power is being drawn from them, the more they heat up. Hot sunny days where everyone has their A/C on are the worst time for them. Edit: In the OPs case, where they specifically said ‘downed line’, I would guess someone drove a car into a utility pole. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-powers-out/758643/11 "2016-06-28T20:56:23Z")
We lost power for about 10 seconds earlier. Thunderstorm. Grrrr. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-powers-out/758643/12 "2016-06-28T20:59:17Z")
I’d start up the generator if I were you. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-powers-out/758643/13 "2016-06-28T21:07:29Z")
Yay, the power’s back on, the A/C’s running. Now comes the fun part, resetting all of my electronic clocks. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-powers-out/758643/14 "2016-06-28T21:14:36Z")
> [@Silophant](#): > > Poletop transformer failures are generally overheating issues. They aren’t 100% efficient, so they more power is being drawn from them, the more they heat up. Hot sunny days where everyone has their A/C on are the worst time for them. > > Edit: In the OPs case, where they specifically said ‘downed line’, I would guess someone drove a car into a utility pole. Yeah, they specifically said, “downed pole/wires,” so that’s my guess. It’s been clear with no wind, so I guess somebody hit a pole. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-powers-out/758643/15 "2016-06-29T00:03:59Z")
Car chargers can charge your phone. Make sure your car has gas & your BBQ has propane. Don’t open your fridge or freezer doors, but do get 2 bags of ice and fill a cooler so you can have cold drinks. Read while there is light & set an alarm on your phone so you wake up for work on time? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-powers-out/758643/16 "2016-06-29T03:36:10Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > Car chargers can charge your phone. Make sure your car has gas & your BBQ has propane. > Don’t open your fridge or freezer doors, but do get 2 bags of ice and fill a cooler so you can have cold drinks. > > Read while there is light & set an alarm on your phone so you wake up for work on time? As I noted a couple of posts above yours, the power did come back on. I have a few portable batteries that can keep my phone charged. I don’t have a BBQ. My automatic icemaker’s full, I’m not going to ruin anything in the freezer by reaching in and grabbing a few cubes. So my Hungry Man dinners get a little thawed? The power was out for only two hours. Around here that kind of thing’s a minor inconvenience since it was only localized to a couple of hundred houses.