Report an Outage

Utility worker wearing a hard hat working on power lines from a bucket truck, with a clear blue sky in the background
Utility truck with a bucket lift parked in a grassy field under a vibrant rainbow, surrounded by trees and rural landscape
Smiling toddler sitting in a miniature toy truck customized with a C & L Electric Cooperative logo and a Terex bucket lift attachment
Page Menu
Why do my lights blink?

What Are Blinks?

Blinks are momentary power outages that happen when something disrupts the electric line. While these brief interruptions might seem like a weakness, they’re actually a strength of our system. Blinks help prevent longer, sustained power outages and protect the grid.

How Do Blinks Work?

When a disturbance occurs—like a lightning strike, a car hitting a pole, a tree limb, or even a squirrel on the line—a breaker-type device on the line stops the flow of electricity momentarily.

Here’s what happens:

  1. The breaker opens to stop electricity flow, much like a breaker in your home.
  2. It quickly resets to check if the problem has cleared.

If the disruption continues, the breaker may trip up to three times, giving the issue a chance to resolve itself. For example:

  • If a tree limb briefly touches the line, the breaker stops electricity, allowing the limb to fall away.
  • Once clear, the breaker restores power automatically—no truck roll needed.

If the fault isn’t resolved, the breaker stays open to prevent damage to the system until repairs can be made.

Why Do Blinks Happen in Sets of 3?

The breaker tries up to three times to resolve the problem before shutting off entirely. This automatic process saves time and prevents prolonged outages by fixing minor issues without requiring on-site intervention.

Reducing Blinks

C&L Electric works to reduce the frequency of blinks by:

  • Maintaining power line right-of-ways to minimize tree interference.
  • Installing lightning arrestors to manage storm-related surges.
  • Using animal guards to keep squirrels and birds away from equipment.

How to Minimize Blink Impacts at Home

Blinks may cause electronic devices to lose their memory, requiring you to reset clocks or displays. Here are some tips to lessen the inconvenience:

  • Avoid placing bird or squirrel feeders near power lines or poles.
  • Use a meter-base surge protector to protect major appliances.
  • Invest in surge-protector power strips with a built-in uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to safeguard electronics like computers.

Remember: Blinks Show the System Is Working

When your lights blink, it’s a sign that the system is protecting itself and your equipment, ensuring fewer members experience a total outage. While blinks can be inconvenient, they play a vital role in maintaining reliable electric service.

What’s a power surge?

A power surge is not the same as a blink. Surges are brief spikes in voltage that can damage, degrade, or destroy your electronic devices and appliances.

How Do Power Surges Happen?

Most electronics are built to handle small fluctuations in voltage. However, power surges can spike to tens of thousands of volts, causing significant damage.

Surges can come from:

  • Internal sources: Appliances like HVAC systems with variable frequency drives.
  • External sources: Lightning strikes, damaged power lines, or transformer issues.

Protect Your Electronics

C&L Electric strongly encourages members to use surge protective devices to safeguard sensitive equipment:

  • Surge protector power strips for electronics like computers and TVs.
  • Meter-based surge protectors to protect major household appliances.

Experiencing Frequent Surges?

If you notice frequent power surges and suspect the issue is within your home or business, contact a qualified electrician to inspect your electrical system.

Power surges can be destructive, but with the right precautions, you can protect your valuable electronics and maintain peace of mind.