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Love might be in the air today, but so are potentially damaging metallic balloons. Power companies say with the shiny balloons also come Valentine's Day power outages, property damage and even injury. If you accidentally, or purposely, set a balloon free to drift above it can hit power lines and cause widespread outages.
A press release from FirstEnergy power company says, “While these balloons have increased in popularity as decorations, they continue to cause power outages each year when released outdoors because their metallic coating conducts electricity and poses a risk to the electric system.”
Customers have been given these tips to help prevent outages:
- Don’t bring metallic balloons near overhead electric lines.
- Do tie helium-filled metallic balloons to a weight that is heavy enough to prevent them from floating away. Do not remove the weight until the balloons are deflated.
- Puncture and deflate metallic balloons when you’re done using them because they can stay inflated for several weeks. Never release them into the sky.
- Never attempt to retrieve any balloon, kite or toy that becomes caught in a power line. Leave it alone and immediately call FirstEnergy at 888-544-4877 to report the problem.
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