There are many hazards that can affect power lines and cause outages. Some are obvious, such as lightning and broken tree branches, but there is another menace that may surprise you.
Mylar balloons, while often shiny and bright, can wreak havoc on the electric grid. Party Decoration
These floating foil balloons have a metallic coated shell and when they contact an electric power line can cause significant damage, leading to power outages. Each year, thousands of Pepco customers experienced an outage due to a mylar balloon contacting our electric infrastructure.
So what can be done to stop this mylar monster? Here are a few tips:
If you do see a balloon tangled in a power line, do not attempt to retrieve it. Always assume lines are energized and keep yourself, your belongings and anything you are carrying at least 10 feet away at all times. For assistance, call our emergency line at 1-877-737-2662.
For more electric safety tips, visit pepco.com/Safety.
Helium Number Balloons Pepco is a unit of Exelon (Nasdaq: EXC), a Fortune 250 company and the nation’s largest utility company, serving more than 10 million customers. Pepco provides safe and reliable energy service to approximately 919,000 customers in the District of Columbia and Maryland.