Is any one else experiencing frequent power outages?

There was another one this morning at 7:28am

I went to the PG&E customer service center a couple of weeks ago in downtown Marysville and was told that there wasn't much that could be done about them.

 

The power goes out for two to three seconds and then comes back on. I have lived here eight years and have not experienced so many temporary outages over the last few months.

 

My neighbor is experiencing them too, so it is not just my home.

 

Can anyone shed some light on this (pun intended)?

Having the same problem here too. We have called and complained but still nothing has been resolved.

Oh good we are not the only ones! It is driving me nuts. I have called too and was told the same thing.

Thanks for posting this! We're having the same problem as well as our neighbors. We've called PG&E several times. We've had a PG&E technician call back and here's what he says is the problem...Turkeys...yes, they claim that they are roosting in one particular area and clipping the power wires which is causing the outage. The second time, after we questioned his reason, he said they are in the process of replacing a relay and that should take care of the problem.

We're keeping a log, and calling each time. I believe we all need to keep the pressure on them. The more people calling each time it happens the better.

I looked into how to file some sort of more official report, but could not find anything online. It's a pain to go through all the telephone menus to finally get someone live on the phone.

Anyhow, encourage your neighbors to call as well, and hopefully we can end this.

PG&E's 24-Hour Outage Service Line at 1-800-PGE-5002 or 1-800-743-5002

I too have experienced frequent short outages and am now keeping a log. This morning the outage lasted 1.5 hours. They (PG&E) tried to say it was a problem at my house and I told them it wasn't over & over. They finally figured the problem was on Loma Rica rd. They told me to call them snytime the power goes out. No problem!

I was just going to post on here about it as we are having the same issues over here as well. IT IS DRIVING US CRAZY having to reset everything almost EVERYDAY. AUGHGHGHGH!!!!

We are also having the same problem and have called them several times only to have them call back to tell us our power has been restored.  DUH!!!!!!!   To bad we are getting such lousy service only to have them get rate increases.

I have a business service on my property as well, so I called PG&E's commercial accounts department to file a complaint there too. They opened a "electrical service reliability case". I gave them my logged outages, so far 6 times in Jan. They said that they would need a "couple weeks" to look into it and would get back to me.

It's important to make sure you speak with an actual PG&E person when you report the outage. I'm not sure what sequence of buttons you need to hit to get a real person, but I think it was "0" that got me to a live rep.

I made it clear that it's not just a couple people that are having the problem, so hopefully they start to take this seriously.

We are in the Oregon House area and have been dealing with these outages since they installed our "smart meter" in 2010.

They are not quite as frequent now as they were when the darned thing was first installed but it is still a real aggravation. Having to reset our clocks, timers, etc., etc. Not only that but if we have a computer running at the time of the "blinks" I have to rush to unplug them because the surge when the power comes back on can cause great damage to the computers.

Also, the oncoming surge can also destroy the compressors in your freezers. How do I know? It happened to us.

Actually, there is a pattern to the flash outages as I call them. They are every other day and either between 7 - 7:30am or 5 - 5:30pm. Some days there two outages a day at those times. I called PG&E yesterday and was told someone would be out to check wiring since I had calendared proof there was a pattern to the flash outages. I was told they would be out in the morning and would call first since I had a locked gate. I stayed home all day and they of course didn't show up. So later in the afternoon I got a call wanting me to rate my experience with customer service that morning - of course I gave it all "1s" which were the worst you could give. Perhaps if everyone starts calling and complaining when it happens and then rates them bad, they might get their own picture of a pattern developing. If we all just keep bombarding them with calls each time it happens perhaps they will do something about it.

We have also been experiencing the outtages. We call every time it happens. We are getting the response it is a relay in the field. They had told us last week the part had been ordered and the problem should be fixed by Jan 21st. We'll see what happens now.

We are having the problem up and down the road also, so it looks like a wide spread area is involved, and I know there must be several line services (I can see 3 from my house) for this road alone.  After one incident last week, I noticed lights on the actual wires (one on each wire) next to a transformer by the Loma Rica Store blinking.  The power used to be pretty stable, but lately, it is averaging once a day, like people said, morning, or 4:45 to 5:30.

 

It is getting pretty annoying, and seems to be getting more frequent. 

 

Another thing I have noticed, is the lights dimming quite a bit, and for no real reason.  This will really damage electrical equipment if it runs on low power for even short periods of time.

Just another quick post, how many of us now have these "smart meters"? They are remotely controlled to set up black out areas.

I have a smart meter.
I have called PG&E numerous times the last 2 months. I've learned not to use their automated system because it sent me to a clueless operator so now I press 0 until I get a live clueless operator. Yesterday I got an automated call saying "your power has been restored" at 8 a.m. when it was still out. Duh! Hiring minimum wagers has not helped PG&E's CS ratings in my book.

Im relieved to know it is not just us.  As brief as the outages usually are here (less than a minute most times) I thought maybe I had a short in the line to the house or something.  This sounds like it is a PGE problem.  Thanks to all who have been keeping a log and calling.  I'll do my part now.  

You folks should put what road you live on as it might help in some way

dodgerambo said:
You folks should put what road you live on as it might help in some way

Good point....Kimberly Road

Stonehedge Dr., Loma Rica

Loma Rica Rd just down from Pizza Round Up

All of you, especially those that have documented this issue should contact the Public Utilities Commission. It will be interesting to hear what the PUC has to say about a message stating power is restored when it isn't. There also has to be some PG&E folks on here that can get someone's attention within their system.

Marysville Rd. And yes, I bet we all have the smart meters (that's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one). Let's just keep track till the end of the month and reconvene and make a call.

We just experienced another one at 5:21pm. This one was the shortest yet (around2 seconds), but it was long enough to cut off my long distance phone call. We live on Fruitland Rd. and we do not have smart meters. They tried and tried to get us to convert; however, we stood firm, told them we didn't want them, and so far, we've managed to elude the smart meter.

We also just had a quick flash of lights going out, nothing else. Glad they didn't interrupt the 49ers game - that would have necessitated a phone call to PG&E for sure as it takes DirecTv about 6 mins to reboot.

Our electricity went off at the same time as your short outage this evening - only ours was for about an hour and a half. This is happening every other day at about the same time. I missed the second half of the 49ers game!!! Last week I missed the second half of a different playoff game.

 

They have supposedly addressed the "turkey issue," but the electricity continues to go off every couple of days. In the evening it is for an extended period of time, in the morning it is for a minute or two. So tonight, I held on the line until I got a live person. She opened a case number for reliability of service so that it will be investigated more thoroughly. You can get a live person by calling the 800-743-5002 PG&E number in the phone book, but instead of choosing 1 (for hazardous events) or 2, choose 0 (even though they don't tell you that is one of the options. The wait can be long, but eventually a live person comes on the phone,.

 

Please continue to post your outages on this topic forum. I was able to give PG&E information about the widespread nature of this problem and how frequently it is happening because of all your posts. I will continue to give them information based on what you all are able to document here.

We did not have a flash today but have had a number of them over the last several weeks. We purchased a battery back up for the directv and tv. It keeps them going,

everyone is having this issue but the power here at our place power has not went off in months(knock on wood it might now) I know we all get our power on different lines i must be one of the lucky ones on the good line. I know our supply line is not the same as say TT or OR/H store and they are about a mile from me. and as for the game it was GREAT Sorry Whiners it;s a GIANT'S Day!!!!!!!!!

minirancher said:

Our electricity went off at the same time as your short outage this evening - only ours was for about an hour and a half. This is happening every other day at about the same time. I missed the second half of the 49ers game!!! Last week I missed the second half of a different playoff game.

 

They have supposedly addressed the "turkey issue," but the electricity continues to go off every couple of days. In the evening it is for an extended period of time, in the morning it is for a minute or two. So tonight, I held on the line until I got a live person. She opened a case number for reliability of service so that it will be investigated more thoroughly. You can get a live person by calling the 800-743-5002 PG&E number in the phone book, but instead of choosing 1 (for hazardous events) or 2, choose 0 (even though they don't tell you that is one of the options. The wait can be long, but eventually a live person comes on the phone,.

 

Please continue to post your outages on this topic forum. I was able to give PG&E information about the widespread nature of this problem and how frequently it is happening because of all your posts. I will continue to give them information based on what you all are able to document here.

 

Thanks for staying on them!
Thank you everybody!

I received a call back from the PG&E Marysville office today. They left a message stating that there was a "faulty piece of equipment" and it was replaced on Friday. They said we should not have any more of these outages. Let's see what happens....

POTS Plain old telephone service. If you lose phone service when the electrical power goes, you probably have a cordless phone. in elctrical power outages, the base phone no longer has electric power to transmit the wireless signal to the handset.

I recommend a POTS. POTS uses ring tone power from the phone company. POTS works as long as the phone lines are up. POTS does not depend on "house power".

If there is an emergency situation, fire, flood, earth quake, IRS agent, the reverse 9-1-1 may call to let you know. If electical power is out and you don't have a POTS, your phone that depends on electric power will not ring. You will be unaware that an emergency is in process, unless you have a portable radio, TV or listen to a car radio, of a neighbor comes by.

This may be part of the problem.....???

Solar Storm Now Hitting Earth, Called Strongest Since 2005, Could Affect Astronauts

WASHINGTON -- The sun is bombarding Earth with radiation from the biggest solar storm in more than six years with more to come from the fast-moving eruption.

The solar flare occurred at about 11 p.m. EST Sunday and will hit Earth with three different effects at three different times.

The biggest issue is radiation, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center in Colorado.

The radiation is mostly a concern for satellite disruptions and astronauts in space. It can cause communication problems for polar-traveling airplanes, said space weather center physicist Doug Biesecker.

Radiation from Sunday's flare arrived at Earth an hour later and will likely continue through Wednesday. Levels are considered strong but other storms have been more severe. There are two higher levels of radiation on NOAA's storm scale – severe and extreme – Biesecker said. Still, this storm is the strongest for radiation since May 2005.

The radiation – in the form of protons – came flying out of the sun at 93 million miles per hour.

"The whole volume of space between here and Jupiter is just filled with protons and you just don't get rid of them like that," Biesecker said. That's why the effects will stick around for a couple days.

NASA's flight surgeons and solar experts examined the solar flare's expected effects and decided that the six astronauts on the International Space Station do not have to do anything to protect themselves from the radiation, spokesman Rob Navias said.

A solar eruption is followed by a one-two-three punch, said Antti Pulkkinen, a physicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland and Catholic University.

First comes electromagnetic radiation, followed by radiation in the form of protons.

Then, finally the coronal mass ejection – that's the plasma from the sun itself – hits. Usually that travels at about 1 or 2 million miles per hour, but this storm is particularly speedy and is shooting out at 4 million miles per hour, Biesecker said.

It's the plasma that causes much of the noticeable problems on Earth, such as electrical grid outages.

In 1989, a solar storm caused a massive blackout in Quebec. It can also pull the northern lights further south.

But this coronal mass ejection seems likely to be only moderate, with a chance for becoming strong, Biesecker said. The worst of the storm is likely to go north of Earth.

And unlike last October, when a freak solar storm caused auroras to be seen as far south as Alabama, the northern lights aren't likely to dip too far south this time, Biesecker said. Parts of New England, upstate New York, northern Michigan, Montana and the Pacific Northwest could see an aurora but not until Tuesday evening, he said.

For the past several years the sun had been quiet, almost too quiet. Part of that was the normal calm part of the sun's 11-year cycle of activity. Last year, scientists started to speculate that the sun was going into an unusually quiet cycle that seems to happen maybe once a century or so.

Now that super-quiet cycle doesn't seem as likely, Biesecker said.

Scientists watching the sun with a new NASA satellite launched in 2010 – during the sun's quiet period – are excited.

"We haven't had anything like this for a number of years," Pulkkinen said. "It's kind of special."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/23/strongest-solar-storm-sin_0_n_1223841.html?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-sb-bb%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D12979

Yes, we have had 8 outages in Jan. alone and numerous blinks.We call PG&E every time and it takes them about an hour and a half to fix the problem. its always the same pole and resetting the same relay. Turkeys is the excuse along with the lines being to close together so when the turkeys go to roost at nignt or fly down in the morning, they hit the lines.  I've had two reliablilty case numbers, been to the office in Marysville twice, and talked to supervisors three times.  They tell me since there are only six people on our line, we are down in priority. So, their solution is to move the lines farther apart or I can pay to change my service to the street.

Do the turkeys die? If so, where are the carcasses? Seems to me some smart attorney is going to pick up on this design deficiency and sue PG&E for negligence.

Or a PG&E supervisor is going to find a better excuse. Like "we don't know. And we don't care. Just try to find another service provider."

Maybe they spaced the lines for red tailed hawks?

Just have to live with it .