Contents What Is Electricity? Fuses and Circuit Breakers Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters Electrical Cords, Plugs, Outlets     and Extension Cords Generators Surge Protection Space Heaters Life Support Equipment Yardwork Tampering With Electrical Equipment Downed Power Lines Lightning Signs on Power Poles Go Fly A Kite Watch For Our Crews Be Sure Your Electric Service Equipment      Is In Good Shape Please Provide Safe Access Trees Call Before You Dig Substations/Transmission Lines Ladders, Pipes, Antennas, etc. Fiber Optics Contractors, Builders, etc. (Know the Law, Avoid Unsafe Shortcuts, Use Personal Safety Equipment, Remember the Ten Foot Rule) Miscellaneous (Fluctuating Power, Holiday Lighting, Water Hazards, Halogen Floor Lamps, Cleaning Appliances, Emergency Lighting, Electrical Fires)

What Is Electricity?

It's a form of energy that's caused by the movement of electrons from atom to atom in a conductor.

Electricity always travels in a circuit, and when you switch on an appliance, you complete a circuit for electricity to travel. It travels along power lines to your home, through the wiring to the outlet, through the power cord to the appliance, then back through the cord, the outlet, the household wiring, and back to the power lines.

During all these travels, electricity seeks the path of least resistance. If wiring and power cords are properly insulated, the path of least resistance is the copper conductor in the wiring. If that insulation is cracked or frayed, the electricity may find an easier path to ground.

Water is an excellent conductor of electricity, forming a path with very little resistance. That's why water and electricity can be a dangerous combination, and why it's important to keep them apart.

It's also good to remember that human beings are composed of about 70% water. So keep your electrical appliances and wiring in safe operating condition.

Overloaded equipment and overheated circuits cause most electrical fires. Electrical fires can also be caused when accumulated oil and dirt overheat a motor, or when a spark ignites scraps, dirt, dust, or flammable liquids.

Fuses and Circuit Breakers

You should know where your circuit breakers or fuses are located. They're usually in a metal box on an interior wall near where the meter is located. (You can use the main switch at the service panel to cut off all power when doing an electrical project, or in the case of fire or emergency. If you do not have a main switch, you can turn off all the circuit breakers.)

When too much electrical current flows into a circuit, fuses or circuit breakers will "open" or interrupt the flow of electricity. This helps prevent damage to appliances, damage to household wiring, and electrical fires.

When a circuit breaker trips, or a fuse is blown, it's a warning that something is wrong. Either you have too many appliances operating on that circuit, or one of the appliances is malfunctioning. Disconnect the appliances on that circuit before resetting the breaker or replacing the fuse. If the circuit breaks again while you're reconnecting those appliances, you'll know which one is causing the problem. (NOTE: Be sure to replace any blown fuse with one of the right amperage. Using the wrong size can cause fires.)

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters

A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) is a fast-acting circuit breaker that senses when a plugged-in appliance is losing current to ground, and shuts off the power. If that current leaking to ground in passing through a person, the GFCI can be a real life-saver. (A slight shock may still be felt in the split second before the GFCI trips.)

GFCI's are used primarily where water may come in contact with electricity, such as in bathrooms, kitchens, garages and outdoors. GFCI outlets have "test" and "reset" buttons, and it's a good idea to test them regularly.

If something doesn't work properly in this three-step test, have the GFCI checked or replaced.

Electrical Cords, Plugs, Outlets and Extension Cords

Do not use damaged or brittle electrical cords. They can cause shorts, shocks, or fires and should be replaced. Don't overload circuits with too many appliances.

To avoid damage, remove cords from outlets by pulling the plug, not the cord itself. Never attach a cord to any surface with nails or staples, which can break the insulation. Also, twisting, kinking, bending, or walking on cords can harm them.

Never remove the third prong from a three-pronged plug. The third prong is there to safely ground your electrical appliance. Most power tools and major appliances have three-pronged plugs for safety. If you don't have three-hole outlets, adapters are available at most hardware and department stores.

Teach children to never put fingers or objects into electric appliances. If you have small children, put plastic safety caps in all unused wall outlets to prevent them from pushing objects into the outlet openings.

Use extension cords that are sufficiently rated for the application. Most extension cords should use 16-gauge or thicker wire. (The smaller the gauge number, the thicker the wire.) Don't run cords under carpeting or furniture, or in high-traffic areas.

Extension cords with Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) are available, too, and should be use in potentially wet situations.

Generators

Back-up generators are a common way to provide emergency electrical service. If you use one, please let us know.

Most customers just run an extension cord from the generator to whichever individual appliance they wish to run. This works well if you don't need to run a lot of things at the same time. Just make sure that you use a heavy-duty, grounded extension cord.

During a power outage, you can use a generator to power your freezer for a few hours, two or three times a day. This will usually keep the food frozen if you don't open the freezer much. For the rest of the time, the generator can be used to power lights, to run a space heater, to do some cooking, or whatever else you choose.

With a larger generator, you can power things in your home directly through your household distribution panel (breaker box). You then control which items are actually powered by simply turning the breakers off or on.

But this can be dangerous. Electricity can be sent back out through the meter base and into the neighborhood distribution lines. That can be extremely dangerous if we have crews working on those lines.

It's very important that the power produced by your generator be isolated from the neighborhood distribution system. The best way to accomplish this is with what's called a "Double Pole, Double Throw" transfer switch. This means simply that when your generator is powering your home, that circuit is physically separated from the outside power lines. When the switch is thrown to connect with the outside power lines, it disconnects from the generator.

It's important that safety be built into the system at the beginning. Decide what your real electrical requirements are, and select the appropriate generator. If you're going to run your generator through your home's wiring system, an electrical permit is required, and you should get a licensed electrician to help.

And don't run your generator in an enclosed space. The exhaust fumes can be toxic. You should have a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector if using a generator near any living areas.

Surge Protection

Today's sensitive electronic equipment is very susceptible to even minor fluctuations in power supply. These fluctuations can be called a variety of things (spikes, surges, etc.).

Power fluctuations can be caused by things outside your home like lightning, tree branches hitting power lines during high winds, vehicles hitting power poles, etc.

But fully 70% of all power fluctuations are caused by things inside your home. Things like the routine cycling of refrigerator motors, and the use of vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, mixers and hand tools.

Whatever you call them, and whatever causes them, these fluctuations can cause sometimes irreparable damage to sensitive electronic equipment like home computers, VCRs, CD players, digital clocks and microwave ovens.

The best way to protect these types of equipment from damage is to install power protection equipment.

Power protection equipment comes in a variety of sizes and shapes for a variety of different applications. It's important to get the proper type of protection for the appliances you want to protect.

For instance, it wouldn't make sense to protect a $20 coffee pot with a $70 surge protector. By the same token, you'd probably want something more than a $3 surge protector for your $5,000 home computer system.

And remember that surge protectors don't last forever. They're designed to take the electrical hit, instead of your appliance, and quite often they die in the process. Better ones will take more hits, but it's always a good idea to get one with a diagnostic light that tells you it's working properly.

If you decide to purchase power protection equipment, here are the things you should look for:

If the surge protection equipment you purchase comes with a guarantee, make sure you keep all the necessary paperwork.

Space Heaters
Space heaters are meant to provide supplemental heat, and should not be used as a main heating source. Keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from any combustible material such as bedding, clothing, draperies, furniture and rugs. Don't use them in rooms where children are unsupervised, and remember to turn them off and unplug them when they're not in use. It's always a good idea to have a smoke detector installed if you're using a space heater.

Life Support Equipment

If you or someone in your home requires electrically-operated life support equipment, please let us know.

What we can do:

• Notify you when we're having a planned outage, so you can make arrangements if necessary.
  
  
• If possible, give you an estimate of how long the power may be out in an unplanned outage, so that you can make arrangements if necessary.
  
  
• Move you up on our priority list, when possible, if we have several outages to repair.
  

What we can't do:

• We can't guarantee that you'll have power all the time. Power outages occur for a variety of reasons, including storms, accidents and equipment failure. We do our best to get power restored quickly in those situations.
  
  
• We can't guarantee that we'll never shut off your power for non-payment of outstanding bills. We'll be happy to set up a payment schedule if you're having trouble paying your electric bill on time.
  

What we recommend:

• We recommend that you have some sort of emergency back-up system in place if the power ever does go out.
  
  
• We also recommend that you have a plan to deal with any extended outages. It's not unusual for a serious storm to cause outages lasting for several days. You may want to think about alternate places to stay if such a situation occurs.
  

Yardwork

Only use extension cords that are rated for outdoor use (such as GFCI-equipped cords), and rated for the power needs of the equipment.

Electric-powered mowers and other tools should not be used in the rain, on wet grass, or in wet conditions. Inspect power tools and electric lawn mowers before each use for frayed power cords, broken plugs, and cracked or broken housings. If damaged, stop using the item immediately, and repair or replace it.

Remember to unplug all portable power tools when not in use.

Tampering With Electrical Equipment

Theft of electricity or tampering with utility equipment is dangerous, as well as being a serious crime. Installing illegal connections creates unsafe conditions for building occupants and neighbors.

A $150 fee will be charged when tampering is confirmed. The offender will also be responsible for any service illegally used, and the cost of any necessary repairs to utility equipment.

If utility equipment has been tampered with, or if electricity service is considered unsafe, that service may be disconnected without notice.

Downed Power Lines

Downed power lines are extremely dangerous. Do no touch, or even go near, any power line! Always assume it is "hot" and report it to your local PUD office immediately. Serious injuries or death can result from touching a "hot" wire or an object in contact with it. Be especially careful, too, of fences that may be electrified. Remember that the earth around a downed line can be energized, so stay away and remember to keep children away!

If a person comes in contact with a power line, don't touch the person or the line! Call 911 immediately. (It is possible to separate the power line from the person, with a long, dry, non-conducting object such as a wood broom handle, but this is extremely dangerous. It should only be done by a person who is experienced with electricity, and only if emergency assistance is not immediately available.)

If a power line falls on your car while you're driving, stay in the car! If you can drive the car out from under the wire, do so at once. If you must leave the vehicle for safety reasons, jump clear. Do not touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Keep both feet together, and hop until you're clear of the energized area.

Don't attempt to cut any trees or branches that have fallen on power lines, unless a Central Lincoln PUD service person tells you it is safe to do so.

Lightning

During an electrical storm, don't use appliances like hairdryers, toasters, washing machines, or others that require a lot of physical contact. Use telephones only in an emergency. Don't take a bath or shower when there's lightning. Use surge protection devices to prevent damage to your electrical appliances.

Signs on Power Poles

Please don't put signs on power poles. It's a major safety issue for our crews who have to work on those poles. Signs are not allowed on our power poles without specific written permission.

It isn't unusual to find dozens of nails, staples, screws, and other fasteners stuck into our power poles at about eye level. Those fasteners often protrude, and they can be very hazardous if our employees need to climb the pole.

In addition, all those punctures in the pole allow moisture, bugs, and rot to affect the integrity of the poles. Those punctures can significantly reduce the expected lifespan of the pole.

So please, if you find you need to place a sign for some event, find a safer alternative than our power poles.

Go Fly A Kite

If you plan to go kiteflying, please keep these tips in mind:

• Fly kites in wide open spaces, away from overhead power lines.
  
  
• Avoid flying kites when the weather is wet or stormy.
  
  
• Use only dry kite string.
  
  
• Never use wire or metal anywhere on your kites.
  
  
• If your kite gets tangled in overhead power lines, call the PUD right away for help. Never try to free a kite by yourself.
  

We'd also like to remind you about foil balloons. Never release a foil balloon into the air, whether you're near overhead power lines or not. Balloons can drift for miles, then come in contact with power lines causing outages or damage to electrical equipment, often resulting in fires.

If you do lose a foil balloon in overhead power lines, treat it exactly the way you'd treat a tangled kite: Don't try to free it yourself! Call the PUD immediately for help.

Watch For Our Crews

When our crews are working alongside the road, they usually display yellow flashing lights, often in conjunction with warning signs, traffic cones, and/or flaggers. Because of the size of some of vehicles we use and the nature of the work, these vehicles must sometimes be partly in the roadway itself. (Also be aware of any extended booms or opened excavations.)

That means that motorists may sometimes need to cross into the other lane of traffic to safely pass the worksite. And that's why it's very, very important that motorists slow down and proceed with caution when they see the flashing lights of the PUD trucks, or any other emergency vehicles. Thanks in advance for your cooperation!

NOTE: Most of our vehicles are equipped with radio communications devices, and some have Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) that can be used in emergency situations. The vehicles that have this equipment will have "Radio Help" or "AED" markings.

Be Sure Your Electric Service Equipment Is In Good Shape

It's important to periodically check the condition of your outdoor electric equipment. It could cause serious problems for you if it's in shaky condition.

This equipment can wear out over time, become damaged by tree limbs, ladders, etc., or corrode due to our coastal climate.

The equipment you should check includes the meter base, the service mast and the weatherhead. (Customers whose homes are served by underground lines will not have a weatherhead or service mast, but will have the meter base.)

In the diagram at right, the shaded area shows you which equipment belongs to you, not the PUD, and is yours to maintain.

Checking your electrical service equipment is very easy. Just walk over to your electric meter and look for the following:

While this equipment is built for the outdoors, repair and replacement are sometimes necessary. Maintenance of your outdoor electrical equipment is important, so take the time to look it over carefully.

If you notice any of these signs, or if you think there may be a problem with the equipment, contact your local PUD office for information, or a licensed electrician for assistance.

Please Provide Safe Access

Many people have come up with clever ways to camouflage or screen electrical equipment that may be on their properties. Unfortunately, some of those ways of screening meters, padmount transformers, and other equipment can cause some problems.

Our meter readers and servicemen need to get to that equipment from time to time, either to take a reading, to repair, to upgrade, to remove, or to replace defective equipment.

So when you're landscaping your property, please remember that our people need ready access to our electrical equipment that's on your property. That includes meters, transformers, poles, etc.

Trees

Any trees planted in the utility right-of-way, or service area from that right-of-way to your home, must be very low-growing so they won't interfere with power lines. If your tree encroaches into the PUD right-of-way, it is your responsibility to keep it trimmed away from power lines. In some cases, the PUD may be forced to remove a tree that presents a danger to electric reliability.

Call Before You Dig

Please remember that electric utility cables may be buried beneath your property. Also keep in mind that previous owners of your property may have buried electrical lines to supply electricity for shops, hot tubs, outdoor lighting or other outbuildings. Underground electrical cables are live and dangerous, so it's obviously a good idea to know if there are cables in the area where you plan to plow, trench, dig or blast.

In addition to electrical cables, there are many other types of utility equipment that are routinely buried underground. Telephone lines, cable television lines, gas lines and water distribution pipes are among the most common.

Most utilities in our area belong to a toll-free one-call service that can tell you if anything is buried in your area. The number is 1-800-332-2344, and you should call at least 48 hours before you plan to start work. (NOTE: A few local water districts do not belong to this service, so you may need to give them a call, too.) Please remember that this service is usually limited to rights-of-way and roadways, and does not include any utilities buried on the homeowners property.

If you do uncover an underground electrical cable, don't try to move it or work around it! Please call your local Central Lincoln PUD office immediately for assistance.

Substations/Transmission Lines

Don't climb power poles or transmission structures. Overhead wires carry high voltage and can kill on contact.

Children should be taught the same rules as adults about avoiding power lines, transformers (either pole-mounted or pad-mounted), substations, and other electrical equipment. Learning to recognize "Warning: High Voltage" signs will keep them away from potential trouble.

Ladders, Pipes, Antennas, etc.

When carrying or working with ladders, pipes, antennas, or any other long, awkward equipment, stay at least ten feet away from power lines.

Fiber Optics

Fiber Optic cables are becoming a lot more common in our area. They're used by phone companies, cable companies, and others (including Central Lincoln PUD) for communications purposes. Like power lines, these cables can be broken or knocked down by storms or accidents. And just like power lines, they can be dangerous. They carry laser-like light beams that can cause severe eye damage if someone looks into the end of the cable. And the cable strands are made of extremely fine threads of glass, which can easily cut through clothing and skin.

Fiber optic cables are usually from 1/4 to 3/4 inch in diameter, with black insulation, and have multi-colored plastic buffer tubes inside, lined with glass threads. The outside insulation often has orange identifying bands or markings. If you see a fiber optic cable broken or on the ground, don't touch it!

Contractors, Builders, etc.

• Know The Law. Be sure to follow federal and/or state safe work practices when working on or using electrical tools or equipment.
  
  
• Avoid Unsafe Shortcuts. It may take a bit longer to inspect power cords for wear and tear, or to keep your work area clean and dry, but it's worth a few moments to prevent shock or fire. Before using unfamiliar equipment, study instructions and get questions answered.
  
  
• Use Personal Protective Equipment. If you work around electricity, your protective gear helps protect you against shock and electrical burns. Keep boots, gloves, and other gear in good condition, as even a pinhole can let electricity pass through. Use insulated tools and handling equipment, such as nonconductive ropes and protective shields.
  
  
• Remember The Ten-Foot Rule. This rule requires that before anyone begins work that may bring people, equipment, or other objects within 10 feet of overhead power lines, they must notify Central Lincoln PUD. Arrangements must be made in advance to protect you against the danger of accidental contact with wires or electrical equipment. For your safety, avoid overhead wires when placing or moving ladders or other metal objects. In addition, do not erect antennas near power lines.
  
  

Miscellaneous

• Fluctuating Power – Fluctuating power may cause damage to appliances. Televisions, VCRs and computers are particularly vulnerable to this problem. If you're experiencing power fluctuations (flickering lights, some lights bright and others dim, etc.), you may want to unplug your appliances, disconnect the circuit breakers that serve them, and notify the PUD as soon as possible.
  
  
• Holiday Lighting – Always turn off holiday lights before you leave home. Keep trees, packages, wrapping paper, etc., away from heat sources.
  
  
• Water Hazards – Always use Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter-equipped cords or outlets. Don't leave plugged-in appliances where they might come into contact with water. If a plugged-in appliance falls into water, NEVER reach in to pull it out, even if it's turned off. First turn off the power supply to that appliance at the breaker box, and then unplug the appliance.
  
  
• Halogen Floor Lamps – Halogen floor lamps operate at much higher temperatures than standard incandescent light bulbs. Never place a halogen floor lamp where it could come in contact with draperies, clothing or any other combustible materials. Be sure to turn the lamp off whenever you leave the room for an extended period of time, and never use halogen torchiere lamps in children's bedrooms or playrooms.
  
  
• Cleaning Appliances – Always unplug an appliance before cleaning it. Even if it's turned off, it can still shock you. Never insert metal into a toaster if it's plugged in. If you're trying to remove burnt toast, unplug the toaster first. Use outlets with GFCIs for appliances near sinks.
  
  
• Emergency Lighting – Keep a flashlight, with fresh batteries, where you can easily find it in the dark. Use candles and oil lamps with care; they can be a fire hazard!
  
  
• Electrical Fires – Never use water on an electrical fire, as it can cause a shock hazard or make the fire spread. Use a multipurpose fire extinguisher instead. However, you should only try to extinguish a fire yourself if you are trained and the fire is small (less than 3 feet by 3 feet) or nonthreatening. When in doubt, get out and take others with you. Also, you should not continue to fight an interior fire once the first fire extinguisher is expended.