LOWELL, Mich. — Whether it's a lover or a friend, balloons sometimes seem to be the right answer when it comes to Valentine’s Day gifts!
But this year, officials are asking you to give a little love to your surroundings as well.
Utility officials like Lowell Light and Power General Manager Charlie West are encouraging people to be mindful of their Mylar balloons.
The type of balloons we often see on holidays or birthdays can actually be dangerous for our power sources.
"It goes back to an awareness and just making sure people are aware,” said West. "You get into summer you get around Valentine's Day, in, you know, unfortunately, we do see an increase in outages caused by the release of Mylar balloons, because they are metallic and there tend to be in a cluster.”
West says these balloons can cause major damage because the metallic material is conductive.
"It’s essentially creating a cat connection between two wires that just aren't meant to come into connection with each other,” said West.
And when that happens it causes a shortage on the line and the power to go out.
But West says this doesn't mean people can't buy balloons, it just means if you do, make sure you dispose of them the proper way.
"Let the air out, put them in the trash, recycle them. Just don't release them outside. That's the big thing,” said West.
Officials encourage people to not tie a balloon on a child's wrist, in case the balloon were to come in contact with electricity.
They also say a partially inflated balloon can still fly away, so make sure the air is completely out when you are disposing of it.
And of course, the biggest tip, do not try to get a balloon or anything that gets caught in a power line. If something does get caught, call your local power officials as soon as possible.
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