What is a blink?

Simply put, a "blink" is a brief power interruption in the electrical grid caused by a fault that activates protection devices in attempts to prevent an outage. Blinks are usually caused by something contacting the power line that affects the flow of electricity (fault), lasting only a few seconds to a minute. In result, you may experience a temporary interference of electric service such as your lights turning off and then right back on automatically.

What happens when a blink occurs?

Blinks are evidence that something interfered with the normal flow of power and your electric grid is actively working to allow that interference to clear itself out to prevent a potential outage. You may have even experienced several blinks within a short timeframe. Rest assured that your electric grid is working properly! When an interruption of power occurs on the power line, an electrical protection device called an “oil circuit recloser” (OCR) responds to the fault. This device is designed to enhance system reliability by temporarily disconnecting a faulted section of the grid and then attempting to restore service without the need for manual troubleshooting. Think of an OCR like the electrical breaker in your home, except it resets itself automatically. So how do the OCRs trigger a blink?

  1. Fault Detection: The OCR detects an irregular flow of electricity, indicating a fault. These faults can be caused by various sources encountering power lines such as storms, animals, trees or even planned maintenance.

  2. Circuit Opening: Once the fault is detected, the OCR opens automatically, interrupting the flow of electricity to isolate the faulted section.

  3. Reclosing Attempts: After a brief delay, the OCR attempts to close and restore power automatically. This may happen multiple times based on the cause and pre-configured settings set by your cooperative.

  4. Fault Clearance: If the fault is cleared, the OCR successfully restores the power.

  5. Failure to Clear: If the fault remains, the OCR will continue to isolate the faulted section and stop trying to reclose after a few attempts. At this point, this has turned into an outage situation and your cooperative will dispatch a maintenance crew to manually repair the fault.

5 common causes of blinks:

  1. Birds and Small Animals – It is not uncommon for critters to fly or climb onto power lines. Unfortunately, if these creatures become grounded when touching the power line, it can shock them and create a fault on the electric grid causing a blink.

  2. Tree Branches contacting Power lines – When tree branches contact the power lines due to high winds it can trigger a fault. This is why cooperatives often prioritize right-of-way clearing to help mitigate tree branches or vegetation from interfering with power lines to enhance grid reliability.

  3. Weather – Heavy snow and ice weighing down the power lines or strong winds swaying and throwing debris onto the power lines can trigger a fault on the grid resulting in blinks.

  4. Lightning Strike – Have you ever heard the crack of thunder and simultaneously experienced your power shut off then turn right back on? Lightning can hit power lines or equipment, causing a blink.

  5. Planned Maintenance – Your cooperative may intentionally open or close switches to conduct routine maintenance. This is often a planned procedure necessary for grid reliability. During this process blinks may occur, although these are typically brief and scheduled in advance with members who will be affected.

Debunking misconceptions about blinks

Blinks are not outages - Though blinks can still be an inconvenience, it is a sign that the protective equipment on the electric grid is actively working to prevent an outage when a fault occurs! A blink is a brief power interruption that typically lasts only a few seconds to a minute and restores itself automatically. It's usually caused by protective systems responding to a minor fault. Outages are a prolonged disruption of electricity when faults are not stopped and become grounded, lasting several minutes to hours. Outages require manual troubleshooting due to larger issues.

Blinks do not damage home appliances - When you experience your power turn off and back on abruptly you may think to yourself, “will this damage my appliances?” There is a misconception that surges, or voltage spikes are caused by blinks. This is simply not true. A blink itself won’t damage home appliances.  However, surges (voltage spikes) could occur if the fault is not stopped which can potentially harm sensitive electronics. To protect against this, it’s recommended to use surge protectors for devices like computers, TVs and other valuable electronics.

How should I respond to a blink?

 

  1. Wait to see if you’re experiencing a blink or an actual outage - Blinks are typically very short, often lasting just a few seconds to a minute. Try waiting a minute to see if the power restores automatically.

  2. If you experience frequent blinks, contact your local electric cooperative to report the ongoing issue. Your cooperative has technology to investigate areas that experience increased blink counts.  Letting them know when you experience frequent blinks could help your cooperative determine the areas affected by an ongoing fault.

  3. Stay informed with your local electric cooperative – Check with your local electric cooperative by calling them or searching your co-op’s social media pages or website.