Name:   MAJ USA RET - Subject:   WARNING SEVERE HEAT Date:   7/6/2022 2:28:06 PM (updated 7/6/2022 2:30:05 PM)

When you get a severe heat (index) warning, is there anything you can do to help? YES…

1 - Turn the temperature setting on your air conditioning to the highest you can stand it.

2 – Turn on a ceiling fan OR small floor fan and point it along the wall in your living area.

3 – Don’t cook or wash & dry during the afternoon.

4 – Turn off every electrical appliance and light that you don’t need.

IF THE POWER GOES OFF

5 – TURN OFF YOUR AIR CONDITIONER!

6 – Turn on one light. That way you’ll know when the power is back on.

FACT: An electric motor is a dead short at the instant you turn it on. If a power outage occurs, all the electric motors on the grid are (of course) turned off. They become dead shorts.

When the power comes back on, EVERY electric motor on the grid is a dead short. The entire electrical grid sags with the current draw – until ALL those electric motors get spun up. Sometimes, the grid can’t handle it and it trips back off.

After your one light comes on - by the time you mosey over to the air conditioner – the system usually has been able to handle the initial surge demand.

Be a good sport. Help the power company restore power.

PS: I am part of an Alabama Power program where they can remotely shut off my air conditioner. When the days get really hot, they can reduce demand by rotating off and on tens of thousands of air conditioners on their grid - thereby diminishing the possibility of brown-outs or outages. I have yet to notice them exercising this permission.

Want to test this situation? During the heat of late afternoon - If you have a multimeter, set it on 220V AC (or higher – my setting is 750V AC) and test any convenient wall socket. Is that the voltage you were expecting?