POLOKWANE – Last week residents in Ladanna were bombarded with power failures after cables that feed the Ladanna area, including GaRena, were accidently damaged during construction.

Read more:
[UPDATE] Municipality still working on damaged cables in Ladanna

According to one resident, Mary van der Merwe, residents were without electricity from 11:00 on 10 May up to 17:00 on 11 May.

Review spoke to Phillip Donovan from Phillip Donovan’s Electrical who explained why electrical appliances break due to electrical problems.

“There are two types of electricity: Open circuit and closed circuit. The volt that runs through the cables are 204, which household appliances can handle. However, if the electricity was off and comes back on, the volt that runs through the cables is higher and this is when appliances will blow as electrical appliances cannot handle over voltage,” Donovan explains.

With motors of refrigerators and microwaves, it is a bit different.

Donovan says if a substantial portion or even the whole city’s electricity is off and suddenly the supply is back, there is a high request for voltage as everyone wants to have their appliances on. “There is then under voltage supply which the motors of these appliances cannot handle.  It is then that your household appliances break down.”

On Friday evening (12 May), another resident, Melany Swart, phoned the Review complaining that the electricity switched on and off and that she did not know how to keep her meat fresh in the fridge.

Armand van Rooyen from Fire Fly Meat explains that there isn’t much you can do but to keep your fridge closed and not to open it.

“Meat can stay frozen for quite some time if the fridge is closed. You can also put the meat in cooler boxes with ice or even put dry ice on it to keep it frozen,” he concluded.

Tell us, what are your go to tips when it comes to power outages?

maretha@nmgroup.co.za