Power Outage Light Show: Recovery Plan for Your Display

Sketch title card framing outage recovery guidance

When power to an animated display is interrupted, pause the show and check the household situation first. The safe response is to treat the outage as a household electrical event first and a show problem second. Pause public viewing, stay clear of energized equipment, and only restart the show once power is stable and you have checked your files, connections and schedule. This guide walks you through that plan for an EZRGB display, step by step.

One note on scope. Follow your utility’s instructions and the guidance for your actual equipment. We do not promise that a show will restart by itself, resume mid-song, or catch up on a missed schedule after an outage. If you need to know exactly how your setup behaves, ask EZRGB support before the season starts.

Three different problems that look the same

A dark display can involve power, internet access, the controller network or playback. Sorting them out first saves a lot of guessing.

What failed	What you notice	Where to look first
Household power	Lights, outlets and appliances are off in part or all of the house	Other household lights, your utility’s outage information, qualified help if needed
Internet	Power is fine, but remote access and website control do not respond	Your router and modem
Local controller connection	Power and internet are fine, but props stay dark or behave oddly	Controller power, network cabling, the player computer

EZPlayer schedules and plays the show. In the EZRGB system, EZPlayer uses Wi-Fi to sync, while every controller is hardwired through Ethernet. Internet access and the controller’s local network connection are separate checks. A working website connection does not prove that a controller has power or an intact Ethernet link.

Step 1: Make the house safe

Before anything involving your show, deal with the outage itself.

Check whether it is just your home. Look at the neighbors. Utilities advise checking for a blown fuse or tripped breaker if only your home is affected, as Southern California Edison explains in its outage tips.
Do not repeatedly reset protective devices. If a breaker or GFCI has tripped, follow its instructions and seek qualified help when the cause is uncertain. A reset is not a repair. Do not open energized enclosures.
Report the outage. Do not assume the utility already knows. Call or use your utility’s online reporting, and keep 911 for emergencies.
Use safe light. SCE recommends flashlights instead of candles to lower fire risk.
Keep a charged phone or portable charger. Phone service can drop, and cordless phones can lose power.

If you use a portable generator for household needs, follow the manufacturer’s instructions and the CDC’s carbon monoxide precautions: never operate it indoors or less than 20 feet from a window, door or vent. Use a battery-powered or battery-backup carbon monoxide detector. Have a qualified electrician handle any connection to household wiring. This article does not size or recommend backup equipment for an EZRGB show.

Step 2: Pause public viewing

Tell visitors the show is paused. Storm damage, wet connections or fallen branches may make the display area unsafe. If you use a viewer-facing page or a sign with show times, update it so nobody waits at the curb for lights that will not come on.

Stay out of the yard until conditions are safe. Do not touch plugs, power supplies or controller enclosures that are wet or standing in water.

Step 3: Protect the equipment while power is out

SCE advises unplugging computers and other appliances and leaving one light switched on to indicate when power returns. Apply that guidance only where it is safe to reach equipment. Do not approach wet plugs, damaged wiring or flooded areas to disconnect a show.

Follow the shutdown instructions for the computer or device running EZPlayer and the kit equipment. Keep the display out of service if damage is suspected. When supply returns, follow utility guidance and the equipment instructions before reconnecting. Seeing one light come on is not proof that every part of an outdoor installation is safe.

A backup battery for one device does not establish that the whole show can operate during an outage. A backup plan would need to account for the actual player, network equipment, controllers and lights. Ask a qualified professional about compatibility and capacity rather than selecting equipment from a generic runtime estimate.

Step 4: Document what you see

While you wait, write down notes. If you later contact support, these details shorten the conversation:

The time the outage began and when power came back
Whether the lights flickered or dimmed beforehand
Which props stayed dark, and which came on in the wrong color or pattern
Any error message on the EZPlayer screen
Whether your internet was down, and for how long

Do not diagnose the cause from flicker or a dark prop alone. Record what you can observe without approaching a hazard. If there is smoke, fire, sparking or a downed line, stay clear and use the appropriate emergency or utility reporting channel. Have damaged equipment assessed before using it again.

Step 5: Restart the show after power returns

Once conditions are safe and the utility’s guidance permits it, follow the restart instructions for your actual kit and player device. The checks below are a review list, not a universal order for switching hardware on.

Power the network. Confirm the required router, modem and other network equipment are operating before relying on cloud access.
Power the controllers. Follow the kit’s power-up instructions. Do not reconnect equipment with suspected moisture or physical damage.
Start the player. Turn on the computer or device that runs EZPlayer and open the app.
Check the files. Check for missing-file errors and use the existing show folder. The EZPlayer overview warns against removing show files. Do not delete files or create a replacement show folder as an outage troubleshooting step.
Check connectivity. In EZPlayer, confirm it can see your controllers. If you use the website to control the show, confirm it can reach your player.
Check the schedule. Review the Schedule screen, intended date and time window, and assigned playlist. Compare the displayed state with what you expect before making changes; do not assume a missed song will be replayed.
Rehearse before showtime. Run a short test from a safe viewing position and check the intended props and audio before inviting viewers back.

EZRGB kit setup requires the cloud workflow to download files and sequences and configure the show. The official EZPlayer cloud guide describes checking the Cloud screen and content downloads. If files appear missing after an outage, record the error and ask support about the existing installation. Do not assume that registering again or rerunning initial setup is the correct fix.

Confirm recovery behavior before relying on it

Automatic startup, recovery position and schedule behavior depend on the actual player device, application setup and show configuration. This guide does not establish what your installation does after power loss. Ask EZRGB about the supported recovery procedure and verify the setup under appropriate, safe conditions before depending on unattended recovery.

Keep a simple record of the player device, show-folder location, controller connections and intended show hours. If an outage occurs, compare what you see with that record. That helps you describe the problem without changing several settings at once.

Build a show that is easier to recover

Keep the kit setup guide and a photo of the installed cable routes with your show notes. Label connections so you can describe them to support. Follow the planned equipment arrangement rather than regrouping props or substituting leads as a recovery shortcut. Kits include listed equipment and extensions; house-specific mounting is excluded.

When you design in the EZRGB layout designer, upload a house photo, draw a box around a measured door or window and enter its dimensions to scale the photo. Tools draw rooflines, curves, doors and windows and estimate the lights needed. EZRGB determines the equipment you need. To start with ready-to-run gear, browse our plug and play kits. Sequences and music are sold separately. Browse lighting sequences on the RGB sequences page.

FAQ

Will my light show restart on its own after a power outage?

Do not assume it will. Confirm the supported behavior for your installation and check power, network, controllers and the EZPlayer schedule before resuming public viewing. Ask EZRGB support if you want confirmation of how your own setup behaves.

Should I reset the breaker repeatedly if the display tripped it?

No. Do not repeatedly reset a breaker or GFCI. Follow the device instructions and have the cause assessed by a qualified electrician when it is uncertain or the device trips again. Never bypass protection to run the show.

How do I know whether the problem is the power, the internet or the controller?

Check the house first: other lights, neighbors and your utility’s outage map. Then see whether your router is working. If both are fine and props stay dark, check controller power and the connection EZPlayer shows.

Can I run my show on a generator?

A portable generator must stay outdoors and well away from windows, and it must never be connected to house wiring by you. Ask a licensed electrician before powering a display from one. Our advice is to pause the show during an outage.