While an outage is a total disruption of electrical service, a brownout is only a partial disruption. Brownouts typically occur during peak energy usage periods, such as hot summer afternoons when many people are using their AC units and drawing more electricity than the electrical grid can supply. Appliances and electronics can be damaged by fluctuations in voltage (electrical pressure), so if you experience a brownout, it’s a good idea to unplug your computer, turn off the air conditioner, and don’t operate appliances, such as the microwave or dryer until the brownout is over.
