When getting power turned back on what happens if you don't put main power switch off?

Question

my girlfriend had power shut off and suppose to turn on today but she at work and i have meeting between 12 and 4 so cant make it there to do it..what will happen if they turn power on with switch still on?

Answer 1

If you had some new wiring done on house then I would say trip the main breakers in box and wait till someone is there before turning power to the house.

If there were no new wiring jobs done on the house then it will not hurt anything.

It just depends on why was the power turned off!

If nothing new was installed to house then just let them turn it on no problem!

Answer 2

The biggest reason the local power company tells us to turn off the main breaker before the meter is set is to prevent arcing when they insert the meter. Most experienced service men will pop the fuse out at the transformer and then set the meter if there is no external disconnect switch. There should be no danger of a "surge" unless you count all the things in your place coming back on at the same time, which for a second or two will increase the load passing through your service panel-and shouldn't cause any problems.  

Answer 3

Other answers are ok but having been in the property management/maintenance business 30+ years the biggest reason for having your main breaker inside shut off is LIABILITY. Think about it ,power meter base is outside,when utility company reconnects power and they see any movements in the small gauges or digital read-out they have no way of knowing the cause. Could be an iron on or stove on. If you live in an apartment community the reconnect will be made but the main breaker in the meter room will be left off.Poor old maintenance guy will have to come out and turn your main back on. If she is in a private residence she will most likely have to re-schedule.  

Answer 4

There will be a power surge. It's not good if you don't have a circuit breaker which is a device that automatically interrupts the flow of an electrical current in a circuit when it has become excessive like when there is a power surge. It might damage your equipment hence the need for a surge suppressor as protection from a surge in electricity.

Answer 5

Make sure if you have an electric range or other heating appliance is turned off, otherwise nothing to worry about.  The power company test their interrupters by turning the power off and back on, so it happens a lot.

Answer 6

There may be a power surge that could damage or distroy any apliance that is not pluged into a surge protector.

Answer 7

It isn't any different than if you turn the main switch on after having it off.  Electricity does not build up pressure when it is shut off, creating a surge when it's turned back on again.

The stopped flow of electricity to the rest of the house will simply start again.  The only thing wrong with nobody being there is that there may be a few lights, fans or appliances that were not turned off before running when she gets home.

Answer 8

There is a strong chance that a power surge could pass through to your electronic devices - some could be damaged by this. It would not last long, only an instance until the Grid stabalizes your connection. However, time has nothing to do with the damage that could occur - if specific conditions exist then damage is the result based on the tollerances of the devices, obviously.

Answer 9

All of your electrical items will power up at the same time. All of your electronics will need to be reprogrammed, The lights will come on if the switches are in the on position.  Some surge protectors may trip, but I doubt it. There should be no damage to anything in the home.  Good luck.

Answer 10

The reality (most likely) is nothing.  When the power company "turns on" the power, they actually just jamb the meter into place which makes the connections