What to shut off first when your power flickers so you don’t fry appliances

When your lights start to flicker, the real threat is not the brief darkness but the surge that can follow. The wrong move in those first seconds can leave you with a dead refrigerator, a ruined air conditioner, or a fried modem that takes your home office offline. The safest approach is to shut down the biggest and most sensitive loads in a deliberate order so your appliances are not sitting exposed when the power snaps back.

The goal is simple: get high‑draw systems and delicate electronics out of harm’s way before the grid stabilizes. That means knowing what to turn off first, what can wait a minute, and when it is worth flipping the main breaker to isolate your entire home.

Start with the biggest power hogs: HVAC, water heater, and cooking appliances

Your first priority is to quiet the heavy hitters that pull the most current when they start up. Central heating and cooling, electric water heaters, and large cooking appliances like electric ranges and ovens all create big inrush loads that can clash with unstable voltage. Guidance on power failures stresses that as soon as you realize the outage is not just a tripped breaker, you should walk to your thermostat and shut the system off so your furnace or air conditioner does not try to restart into dirty power. HVAC specialists explain that during Power Outages your air conditioner experiences a Complete Shutdown, and if the power flickers back and forth, those repeated stops and starts can strain compressors and control boards.

Air conditioning companies are blunt that the answer to Can a Power Outage Hurt Your Air Conditioner is Yes, especially when the unit is running and the power cuts out and then quickly returns. That is why outage checklists urge you to turn your HVAC system off at the thermostat as soon as the power becomes unstable, and some guides on How to Safely Shut Down Your HVAC System During a Power Outage recommend switching the system off for both heating and cooling as soon as the lights flicker. If you have an electric water heater or a large electric range, turning those off at their controls or dedicated breakers right after the HVAC gives your panel more breathing room when the grid comes back.

Protect sensitive electronics next: computers, networking gear, and entertainment

Once the big mechanical loads are quiet, your next move is to shield the devices that are most vulnerable to voltage spikes. Modern guidance on Computers and Laptops notes that Your Digital Life is on the Line, and even a single surge can corrupt drives or destroy power supplies. Surge risk lists consistently put desktops, gaming rigs, and smart TVs near the top of the danger zone, and they emphasize that downtime and data loss can be as costly as the hardware itself. Shutting these devices down properly, then turning off their power strips or unplugging them, removes them from the circuit before the grid stabilizes.

Your internet infrastructure is just as exposed. Electric safety advice highlights that Modems and Routers Your internet connection rely on are prime candidates for surge protection, because a single spike can disrupt your connection and cause extended downtime. Storm guidance that singles out Other devices notes that While the television is an obvious risk, Modems and Wi‑Fi gear deserve equal attention because surges can damage network equipment and cause internet outages. If you work from home or rely on streaming for news and communication, powering down and unplugging your router and modem after the big appliances are off is one of the fastest, highest value steps you can take.

Use the breaker box strategically when flickers get severe

When the lights are not just dimming once but stuttering repeatedly, the safest move is often to isolate your entire home. Community outage warnings urge people that if your power is flickering, you should Turn off your breakers to prevent damage to your electrical system and air conditioning unit, with residents sharing examples of how this simple step saved them thousands in repairs. Another widely shared advisory on preventing electrical damage explains that if you have lost power, it is a good idea to turn your main breaker off because as the grid comes back up it can cause surges that can fry your whole house from surges.

Utilities echo that logic in their own outage tips. Advice from Advice shared by PGE recommends that during outages you Turn off major appliances at the breaker box and unplug other sensitive electrical equipment. That way, when the utility restores service and the grid voltage swings up and down, your home is not drawing full load into every circuit. If the flickering is extreme or you hear buzzing from panels or outlets, shutting off the main breaker after you have powered down key appliances gives you a physical barrier between your wiring and whatever is happening on the lines outside.

Unplug and switch off smaller loads so they do not restart into a surge

After you have dealt with the big systems and, if needed, the breakers, it is time to sweep through the house and quiet the rest. National outage preparation guidance explicitly tells people to Switch off electrical appliances that are not designed to run unattended, so they do not all roar back to life at once when power returns. Local emergency managers reinforce the same idea, urging residents to Make sure appliances are turned OFF even when the power is out, so when electricity comes back on, the appliance does not start unexpectedly.

Electricians point out that many devices draw more power when they cycle on than when they are idling, and that Many appliances continue to use power even when turned off if they remain plugged in. Troubleshooting guides for household electrical problems advise you to Identify Power Hogs and Unplug devices that are not in use, especially those with high consumption. During a flicker or outage, that same logic protects you twice: it reduces the number of things that can be damaged by a surge, and it keeps your panel from being slammed by dozens of motors and heating elements all starting at once when the lights come back.

Know what should never live on strips and what must be on surge protection

Part of deciding what to shut off first is understanding which devices are already on the wrong kind of circuit. Electricians warn that there are Things You Should Never Plug Into a Power Strip, with Refrigerators and Freezers high on that list because their compressors cycle on and off and need a stable, dedicated outlet. If you have a fridge or chest freezer on a strip, a flicker is a warning sign to correct that setup once power is stable. At the same time, surge risk rankings for Top Electrical Devices Most at Risk from Power Surges emphasize that electronics with microprocessors, from smart TVs to gaming consoles, belong on quality surge protectors rather than bare outlets.

When the power is already unstable, the safest move for those sensitive devices is to disconnect them entirely. Blackout guidance for solar storms notes that Disconnecting from the wall creates a physical break in the circuit, blocking damaging surges from ever reaching your equipment, and that the same principle applies to home electronics that are equally vulnerable to sudden spikes. In practice, that means that once you have shut down the HVAC and other big loads, you should flip off or unplug surge strips feeding your computer, TV, and networking gear, then leave them disconnected until the lights have been steady for a few minutes. That simple sequence, starting with the largest power hogs and ending with the most delicate electronics, gives you the best chance of riding out a flicker or outage without sacrificing your appliances.

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*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.