Whats the difference between a power outage and a momentary interruption?
There is a fundamental difference between a prolonged outage and a brief, momentary interruption in service. ‘Momentaries’ are split-second interruptions in service. They are a normal, unavoidable part of power delivery systems that serve an important purpose. For example, when a tree limb falls on a wire, automatic sensing equipment detects a potentially dangerous condition and temporarily breaks the circuit for a split second. This break in the flow of electricity protects essential parts of the electric delivery system from major damage and actually helps prevent outages. Nevertheless, power may be out just long enough to be detected by sensitive electronics like computers, microwaves, and VCRs. That’s why you sometimes find clocks blinking when you return after being away from home.
