⚡ When the Power Drops: Protecting Hawaii’s Cooling Systems and Business Operations

As Hawaii transitions into the wet season, many expect power reliability to stabilize. Yet October remains a sensitive month — it still carries the residual effects of the dry, windy season, when wildfire risk and equipment strain stay high across the islands.

In recent weeks, Hawaiian Electric has announced both unplanned and scheduled power outages on Oʻahu and neighboring islands — from short maintenance interruptions to precautionary shutdowns. These outages, though brief, have delivered a heavy impact on HVAC-R-reliant businesses, from restaurants and markets to healthcare and hospitality.

The Real Impact: Operations and Perishables at Risk

When the grid goes dark, so does cooling. Air conditioners stop mid-cycle, and refrigeration systems begin losing temperature control within minutes — especially in humid kitchens, busy supermarkets, and storage facilities.

For businesses that rely on temperature stability, even a short outage can mean lost inventory and lost revenue. Food warms, ice melts, and chilled storage starts drifting upward in temperature long before the lights come back on.

For our clients, that translates to real operational stress — and for us as service providers, it also affects scheduled maintenance and installation work. Without stable power, certain repairs or new system startups can’t proceed safely.

If you have upcoming bookings and anticipate a power interruption — or you don’t have reliable backup power — we recommend rescheduling in advance. Doing so helps protect your equipment, avoid incomplete work, and ensure safe post-outage recovery.

A Seasonal Reality: Outages Are a Recurring Risk

While we’re technically shifting out of the dry season, the transition period in October still carries risk. High winds, residual dry vegetation, and fluctuating humidity keep certain areas vulnerable to Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) — preemptive shutdowns by Hawaiian Electric to reduce wildfire danger.

Add in routine maintenance, grid upgrades, or weather-related equipment failures, and you have a perfect mix of unpredictability that businesses must plan around. Power interruptions during this season are not rare — they’re part of the rhythm of island operations.

What You Can Do Now: Monitoring and Preparedness Steps

AllTemp Hawaii recommends taking these proactive steps to reduce risk, protect your systems, and maintain business continuity:

1️⃣ Stay Informed

• 

  Sign up for Hawaiian Electric’s outage and PSPS alerts via email or SMS. You’ll receive advance notice of scheduled or potential power interruptions.

• Regularly check the HECO Advisories page and PSPS affected area maps to know if your site falls under a high-risk zone.

  
  

2️⃣ Prepare Your Systems

• 

  Ensure refrigeration units and compressors have surge protection or soft-start features to prevent damage from sudden restarts.

• Test your backup generators or battery systems monthly. Confirm they can carry the load of essential HVAC and refrigeration equipment.

• Keep a spare-parts kit (thermostats, fuses, relays, refrigerant) ready for immediate recovery once power returns.

  
  

3️⃣ Adjust Your Scheduling

• 

  For planned outages, contact us ahead of time. We can help you reschedule maintenance or installation work around your outage window.

• If you operate perishable inventory, consider staggering service hours or adjusting defrost cycles to maintain temperature stability.

  
  

4️⃣ Communicate Early

• Notify your staff or tenants of upcoming outages and proper system shutdown procedures.

  

• If you’re a property or facility manager, coordinate directly with your AllTemp technician for pre-outage system prep and post-power checks.

Alltemp: Helping You Stay Cool, Even When the Grid Doesn’t

Power instability may fade as the wet season takes hold — but the risk never fully disappears. In fact, the wet season brings its own challenges: heavy rains that flood underground lines, lightning strikes that trip substations, and wind-driven storms that topple trees into power lines. These events can cause sudden, localized blackouts and unpredictable voltage drops that test even the most prepared facilities.

October’s transition reminds us that preparedness is the best insurance against both wildfire-driven shutdowns and storm-related outages.

At AllTemp Hawaii, we’re here to help our clients build resilience — from generator integration and surge protection to HVAC-R system monitoring that alerts you the moment your cooling performance drops.

Outages may come and go, but your comfort, safety, and operations shouldn’t have to pause with them.

Need to reschedule a service or assess your system’s outage readiness?

Call (808) 213-7533 or message us through our website.

Together, we’ll keep your systems running — even when the grid doesn’t.