Zen Internet Support Forum

Hello,

We had x2 brief power outages last night and it got me thinking:-

QUESTION, Does anyone know for sure, or can tell me from their experience if land line telephones still carry on working if the mains electricity supply fails or goes down?  Just interested as I don't know.

**Excluding mobile phones & mobile networks (i.e. just landlines).

Thanks Ivan 

 

Yes they do. Exchanges have backup power supplies.

 

THANKS for that Ta!!

Ivan

Further similar question,

QTN:- do you know if its possible to find out more information about the local power grid outages we had last night here in Leeds (headingley area)?? My power supplier is Eon, have looked on their website but couldn't find anything relating to this.

**I know the power supply used to be controlled by Yorkshire Electricity some time ago but its all changed and now I havent a clue, how does one get more information on this kind of thing? is it even possible for the public to find out??

Ivan

I don't precisely know the answer to your question, but there's a distinction between the hardware maintainer and the customer supplier. Presumably the former is the one who has the real information. That being said, when we had a 12-hour power cut recently, I wasn't able to find out any hard information about it.

 

Hi roseway,

Yes! thanks for your comments which do make lots of sense, I think your correct about the split between infrastructure maintinence and service supplier.

**OMG!! 12hours thats an exceptional type of outage in this day and age.

**may be I'm just extremely lucky where I live (Headingly in Leeds) last nights x2 brief spike outages were exeptionally rare for this area. We've never had a major outage ever in all the time I've lived here which is since 1988.

Ivan

Power cuts are very unusual here too (near Ashford, Kent) and this 12-hour cut was completely unexpected in good weather conditions. The information available on the electricity company's customer information line was minimal to the point of being useless.

 

YES! I'd definitely like to see power companies giving more information about maintinence & power supply outages on their (on a website) customer websites. Just in the same way as ISP's do but I guess this is probably too much to expect?

Ivan

We get a few power cuts they normally last 12 hours they supply a generator and hook it up so we are not without power for very long.

Our supply comes under a river and then overhead to house.

The actual supply over the river is from another county : ) Strange hey, all the locals are lit when we are not but we are when they are not.

First thing I do when I have a power cut is look over the river to see if the street lights are on in the other county.

Hi,

Thats sounds very like something from back in the 1950's? where do you live then?

Ivan 

Yeah, although I am not sure when the cable was laid over the river I would guess it was in the 40's 50's, there is a sign in the river no anchoring as the wire is below the sign.

Bet if some idiot did and cut the cable we would have to be connected to my county electrical grid.

 

Thats sounds very like something from back in the 1950's? where do you live then?

 If I told you where it was you would know where I live as that cable only serves a small number of properties.

a small island some where off the North West Coast of Scotland? (egg or rum or some such food :-)

Ivan

IMPORTANT most dect phones or any phone that uses a mains power pack WILL fail thats why at least one phone should be a "normal" phone that plugs only into the phone socket because if there is a fire  the mains may trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I only just picked up on thius thread!
I agree with the above: I have an old plugin phone (normally on a shelf with its cable wrapped round it ... ) for this kind of situation! I've never had the phone line dead during a power cut.

On the general theme of the thread: In the regional telephone directory ("businesses and services" section) there is a 1/2-page entry "EDF ENERGY" (pointed to under "Electricity") which gives the number (0800 xxx xxx, so free) for reporting faults.

When there have been power cuts I have called this number. The initial interaction is automated, and in the course of this you get a recorded message on the lines of "We are aware of a fault in the X-Y-Z area. Our engineers are working to fix the fault and we expect the power to be restored by XXpm". The time is rarely more than an hour or two out!

By the way -- I too am on the end of a power line which arrives overhead across the adjacent river, then plunges underground in the farmer's field at the back of the houses. The cable once got ploughed up! Big bang, but nobody hurt. Out for over 24 hours.

Best wishes to all!