Winter electrical checklist, printable

Winter electrical checklist, printable · STM-Électrique · 438 542-7304

Before the cold

The time to check is before the first deep freeze, when nothing is urgent: a dusty baseboard heater or a damaged extension cord is easier to deal with in October than in the middle of an outage.

• Test your smoke alarms and their batteries with the test button: at least twice a year.
• At least one smoke alarm per storey, basement included, replaced 10 years after the date on the device.
• Have a carbon monoxide alarm if you use a space heater: Hydro-Québec calls it essential.
• Keep 15 cm clear in front of wall heaters: curtains, drapes and furniture at a distance.
• Dust your baseboard heaters with the power switched off at the breaker.
• Keep the electrical panel cover in place; if the panel gives off unusual heat, call an electrician.
• Replace any extension cord that is damaged or gets warm, and unroll it before use.

The generator

A fuel-burning generator produces carbon monoxide: distance and location matter as much as wattage. For wattage, see our generator size calculator.

• Outdoors only, at least 6 m (20 ft) from any building, never in the garage or a shed.
• Away from doors, windows and the air exchanger.
• Have it installed by a specialist, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
• To power circuits in the house: a transfer switch with a mechanical interlock (Hydro-Québec Conditions of Service, s. 15.2.5).
• Turn it off for 1 hour every 8 hours, as Québec.ca recommends.

Space heaters

Québec.ca’s guidelines for space heating, electric or fuel-burning.

• Plugged directly into an outlet, never into an extension cord.
• At least 1 m clear around the heater.
• A model that shuts off by itself if it tips over.
• Not continuously: permanent heating is installed by a qualified person.
• Never use a fuel-burning appliance indoors: heater, barbecue, camp stove.

If the outage drags on

When the outage drags on in cold weather, the house cools down and so do the pipes: Québec.ca sets out what to do.

• In cold weather, check with your municipality about the services it offers.
• Switch off the appliances that were running when the power went out: range, kettle, dryer, washer.
• A freezer in good condition and filled to capacity keeps food for up to 48 hours.
• Shut off the water supply and drain the pipes.
• When the power comes back, make sure the water heater is full before restoring it.

Hydro-Québec peak periods

Peak periods are the hours when Hydro-Québec can call peak events: from December 1 to March 31, up to 30 per winter, mostly on the coldest days.

• From December 1 to March 31, 6 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 8 p.m.
• Up to 30 peak events per winter, mostly on the coldest days.
• In very cold weather, heating can account for up to 80% of consumption, according to Hydro-Québec.