Was that a blink?
Have you ever noticed your lights flicker during a thunderstorm? Or maybe you’ve had to reset the clocks in your house after a brief power interruption. This is known as a “blink” and, as inconvenient as it might be, it demonstrates that YEC’s electrical equipment is working properly, protecting against further damage and preventing longer outages.
Yes, that was a blink and it’s perfectly normal. Continue reading to learn more about power blinks.
York Electric Cooperative works year-round to prevent outages by aggressively trimming rights-of-way, conducting system improvements and inspections, moving overhead power lines underground and performing constant system maintenance. However, we know we cannot predict or prevent all service interruptions. So, our electrical system is designed to minimize the effects of outages to members when they do occur. A power blink is proof that our system is working properly.
What is a power blink?
Power blinks are short service interruptions that are caused by a fault on the line. A fault occurs when something contacts an energized line, disrupting the flow of electricity. This could be a squirrel, tree limb, lightning, a car accident or something similar. For example, when a tree limb falls onto a line, and then to the ground, the power blinks, but it does not stay off for long. In this instance, while the flow of electricity is momentarily interrupted, the smart devices on our system detect whether or not it is safe to resume normal power distribution.
What causes an outage after a blink?
It is common for the device to attempt to clear the line of a fault more than once. If the line is not cleared or the smart device detects other problems, the line will de-energize to protect against further equipment damages and ensure safety. Simultaneously during an outage situation, additional equipment communicates with YEC’s outage management system to help isolate the problem, pinpoint the outage and predict the outage cause so that crews can respond as quickly as possible.
Regardless of the cause, YEC crews will be dispatched to inspect any damage and make repairs after a power outage.
Have you experienced repeated disruptions to your electric service? Please let us know by emailing our member services team or use our website’s chat feature at the bottom right of each web page.