Storm Season Asks Two Questions of Your Electrical System
Kansas City’s spring storm season tests a home’s electrical system in two different ways at once. Outages test whether you can keep essential equipment running when the grid goes down. Surges – from strikes on the wider grid and from power snapping back on after an outage – test whether your appliances survive the disruption. Preparing for one without the other leaves half the risk on the table.
For homeowners from Lee’s Summit and Blue Springs out to Grain Valley, Oak Grove, and the Johnson County communities along US-50, the checklist below covers both sides before the season peaks.
Before the Season: A Practical Checklist
- Test GFCI outlets. Press the test and reset buttons on outlets in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and outdoors. A GFCI that will not trip or will not reset needs replacement – these devices protect exactly the wet conditions storms create.
- Walk the exterior. Look at the service mast, the meter base, and any overhead line attachment points. Pulling, rust, or a loose mast is worth reporting before wind finds it.
- Check sump pump power. The sump pump should be on a properly grounded circuit – not an extension cord – and worth testing before the first heavy rain, since it is the appliance whose failure costs the most in a storm.
- Know your panel. Label circuits now, while the lights are on. In an outage or emergency, knowing which breaker controls what saves real time.
- Verify surge protection status. If you have a panel-mounted surge device, check its indicator light. If you do not have one, storm season is the argument for it.
Generators: The Difference Between Having One and Being Ready
Plenty of area homes have a portable generator in the garage that has not started since last summer. Readiness means the generator starts, the fuel is fresh, and – critically – there is a safe way to connect it. Running extension cords through a window works for a refrigerator; it does not keep a furnace blower, sump pump, or well pump running, because those are hardwired.
The safe connection for hardwired loads is a transfer switch or interlock installed at the panel by a licensed electrician. It physically prevents the generator from backfeeding the utility line – a genuine hazard for line workers – and lets you choose which circuits stay live. For households that lose power more than occasionally, a standby generator that starts automatically takes the entire scramble out of the equation. Our backup generator installation team sizes and installs both configurations across the metro.
During and After an Outage
- When the power drops, switch off sensitive loads. Turning off computers, entertainment equipment, and HVAC at the thermostat protects them from the surge that often rides in when power is restored.
- Never run a portable generator indoors or in a garage – carbon monoxide risk is immediate and serious. Outdoors only, well away from windows and intakes.
- After restoration, bring loads back gradually. Give the system a few minutes before restarting large appliances.
- If anything smells hot or breakers behave oddly after a storm, stop and have it inspected – post-storm symptoms are the system reporting damage.
Storm Damage Is Easier to Prevent Than Repair
Every spring we take calls that started as small, known issues – a breaker that tripped occasionally, an outlet that had stopped working – which a storm then converted into urgent failures. If your system has been sending signals, our residential service team can resolve them on your schedule instead of the storm’s.
Get Ready Before the First Siren
Schroeder Electric is a family-owned electrical contractor based in Lee’s Summit, serving the eastern Kansas City metro and the Johnson County corridor. For generator connections, surge protection, or a pre-season electrical check, request a free estimate or call 816-456-0103.