While winters may be relatively mellow in Australia compared to some other parts of the world, storms and nasty weather can still materialise. If you're unlucky, these events could compromise your home's electrical system, so you need to be prepared for any eventuality. What should you be thinking about, in order to get ready?

Proactive Not Reactive

Many people will spring into action when they see or hear a news bulletin warning about an impending electrical storm. This may be too late, however, and it's far better for you to be proactive instead.

Giving Everything the Once over

Call in an electrician to have a good look at the state of your home electrical system by all means, but you should also do your own check first. Have a good look outdoors as well, to make sure that all external power points are protected from the elements. If there are any exposed wires anywhere, they need to be waterproofed and repaired. In particular, have a look in and around the eaves or close to the basement, because some pesky critters could have chewed through the protection.

Let There Be Light

In the event of a power outage, you want to be able to continue unimpeded as much as possible. To do this, you may have to install an uninterrupted power supply, which will give you a certain amount of continuation and access to your computer data, if it wasn't saved.

If you suspect that longer outages may be caused by bigger storms, perhaps it's time to invest in a generator. Even the smallest of these options can keep your critical infrastructure moving and give you heat and light until normal service is resumed.

Safety Switches

When Mother Nature throws her worst at you, it's amazing where water can infiltrate. You need to ensure the safety of your family during the tempest and should get some residual current devices fitted at strategic points around the house. These are also known as safety switches and will automatically shut off power, should the circuit come into contact with water.

Flooding Risks

If flooding does materialise and impacts the outside of your home, stay well away from the area in case it's affected the electrical supply. Get the all clear from the experts first.

Best Rule of Thumb

To make sure that you are as protected as possible don't try and do any electrical work yourself, but call in qualified contractors to make sure that everything is safe.