Sanford sits on the Tittabawassee River northwest of Midland. In May 2020, the failure of the Edenville and Sanford dams sent floodwater through the village and down the river, and many homes and businesses here had to rebuild their electrical systems from the panel out.
The surrounding country (Jerome, Lincoln, Edenville, Hope and the other northern Midland County townships) is a mix of lake and river homes, farms, pole barns and newer houses on acreage. Those properties bring their own needs: long service runs, outbuildings, wells and pumps, and generators for when storms take the power out.
Sanford · Midland County
What we see around Sanford
Flood rebuilds
Panels, outlets and wiring that sat in floodwater need replacement, and rebuilt homes need power brought back up to code.
Outbuildings and pole barns
Feeders to garages, barns and shops, sized for the tools and heat you plan to run.
Generator connections
Rural lines go down in storms. A safe, code-compliant generator connection keeps the well, the furnace and the fridge running.
Exterior lighting
Yard lights and motion detectors for properties where the nearest streetlight is a long way off.
Local notes
Good to know in Sanford.
Your utility
Most of the area is served by Consumers Energy, but some rural addresses may be served by a different provider. Your bill tells you which.
Permits
Electrical permits come from the local enforcing agency for your address, which in rural Midland County may be the county or the State of Michigan’s Bureau of Construction Codes.
Flood safety
Never re-energize equipment that has been under water. Have a licensed electrician evaluate it first.
Questions
Sanford electrical questions.
Answers specific to Sanford. For more, see all 37 electrical questions.
Sparks, a burning smell, a hot panel or half the house dark? Turn off the breaker or the main if it’s safe, then call. For fire or smoke, get out and call 911. For a downed line, stay clear and call your utility.
My Sanford home flooded. What electrical work is needed?
Anything that was submerged (breakers, panels, outlets, switches, and often wiring and appliances) should be evaluated by a licensed electrician and, in most cases, replaced. Do not restore power to flooded equipment yourself.
The utility may need to disconnect and reconnect service, and the work usually needs a permit and inspection before power is restored.
How do I safely run a generator at a rural Sanford property?
Use a properly installed transfer switch or interlock, or plug appliances directly into the generator with heavy-duty cords. Never back-feed a home through a dryer outlet or any other receptacle; it can electrocute utility line workers and start fires.
Run the generator outdoors, well away from doors, windows and vents, to keep carbon monoxide out. Blasy configures safe power outlets for portable generators and installs back-up generators.
Does Blasy Electric serve Sanford and northern Midland County?
Yes. Sanford, Coleman and the northern Midland County townships, including Edenville, Hope, Jerome, Lincoln, Mills and Warren, are all within Blasy Electric’s service area.
Call 989-631-6252, Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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