With backup power sources and generators becoming a common gadget both for residential and business use, a greater awareness is spreading about the need and the advantages offered by transfer switches. Whenever an electric utility power supply outage occurs, it is simply not recommended to power the mandatory circuits directly for light, heat and refrigeration. Instead one should go for the more advantageous and safe option of accessing the generator through the double throws switch option. Thus its best to first understand what exactly is a switch and its various aspects.
Transfer switches are those switches through which the generator power is accessed in case of power outages and supplies to all circuits which need to run using that electrical power. These not only switch off the power utility line and open the generator line in the scenario of an outage but also reverse the process smoothly when the grid power gets restored. There are basically two types of switches- the manual changeover switch and the automatic switch.
Manual switches are mostly hardwired to the control panel and are best used for portable or standby generators. These need to be manually turned off and on whenever a power outage occurs or gets restored. This may not prove useful in all occasions but it certainly is a much cheaper and simpler option and requires much less maintenance. These are normally wired to the essential circuits that need to be powered up like lights or furnace blowers which cannot run on an extension cord.
Automatic switches automatically get the generator power flowing whenever they sense a drop in the line voltage and turn the generator power off and reconnect back to the utility line whenever they sense that the line power has been restored. These can be used in conjunction with portable generators as long as it has an electric starter. However, they are mostly used with large unit, in entities where an uninterrupted power supply is critical for smooth running of the business and units.
Regardless of the type, the size of the switch that you use would be in contingent with several factors and aspects of your business like the size of the utility service used by you, size of the generator installed and the number and types of the appliance that must be run on it. Normally, the switches sizes vary from 50 amps to 200 amps. The one that would best suit your purpose is best determined by the electrical and back power house supplier experts. If you have little idea about which one is the right size, it is best to ask the expert to avoid any problems later on.
No matter what type of switches is used, certain certifications and approval are required and they must be regularly maintained to avert any untoward incidences because of their malfunctioning. They should always be installed by an expert electrician and thoroughly inspected and checked from time to time. Any omission or carelessness here can cause severe loss both financially and otherwise.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete