The Truth Behind a Power Blink

You just got home from work, put your bags down, and try to preheat the oven to start dinner. That’s when you see it—the blinking “12:00” on the digital clock. While you begrudgingly reset all of the digital clocks in your house before you start dinner, you likely wonder, “Did the power even go out today?”

The state of the blinking clock is usually caused by a blink in the electrical system. While blinks can be frustrating, they show that an electrical system is working properly.

Blinks happen when something comes in contact with a power line, like a tree limb or squirrel. To minimize the possibility of damage to the electrical distribution system or your home, a circuit breaker interrupts the flow of electricity for less than a second. If the obstruction remains on the line, the breaker opens and then tries to re-close and restore power. If the obstruction is still on the line after the third try, the breaker opens and does not re-close automatically. This will result in a power outage. A Tri-County EMC lineman will then be dispatched to manually remove the obstruction and reset the breaker to restore power.

Power blinks have always been part of electric service. They just weren’t as noticeable until more sensitive electronics entered the marketplace. So, while blinks can be aggravating, they are actually protecting our electrical system and preventing a power outage. Reporting these blinks as an outage to Tri-County EMC is unnecessary.

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