Electrical Transfer Switch

Normally, if you experience frequent power failures or fluctuations due to severe weather conditions or any other wussy reasons in the area you reside here is what you do. Install a transfer switch which will help you power your home or office with the help of a generator. A portable electrical transfer switch generator comes into picture in terms of comfort, security and safety during any electrical emergencies and power outages. They are installed and are expended temporarily during such nasty situations. In practice, a generator switch's function is to transfer electricity from one portable generator to another device. Generally, a transfer switch is totally essential in times when there is a surge of electricity and your power system in your office or home stops to function. It simply protects the wattage of the current and voltage spikes when the electric power is restored.

What is an Electrical Transfer Switch

This is a switch which effectuates an electric system to switch from one source of power to another. These switches are peculiarly used if you have a standby source of power or any sort of backup for a main electrical panel. Just in case if that main electrical panel gets unplugged due to any reason, it is time for transfer switch to play the role in exchange. For instance the example I have set above, regarding the power failure at your home or office. In such cases the electric power supply switches from the regular electricity supply to generator power backup devices. These switches are also used during change in voltages. A voltage change causes tremendous internal circuits damage in various applications. Thus in times of such events, transfer switch literally comes handy to switch the current to a generator until the voltage stabilizes totally.

Factually there are two types of transfer switches: manual and automatic transfer switches.

Manual Transfer Switch: A manual switch is installed just next to the main power source panel and is connected to the emergency circuits panel. When there is a power failure, one has to manually switch 'on' the power source for the electricity to get transferred from one point to another. These switches are made of knobs or toggle switches.

Automatic Transfer Switches: As the name suggests there is an automatic transfer of current all by itself from one source to another. Naturally, a layman like me will go for the convenience of such switches since there is no manual toggling or turning of the knob to do. These switches save even the smallest loss of electric power in any electronic system, hence its use in commercial and industrial applications is demanding.

This switch is also called a generator transfer switch (TS) in technical terms. This switch permits alternating circuit (AC) line voltage to the main utility power source. Now when there is trouble in the AC line, this is the switch that diverts the load electricity to the generator. Now before proceeding with the learning of how to install an this switch, the rule here is that you must install a power transfer switch just before you connect a generator to the main electrical wiring system.

How to Install an Electrical Transfer Switch

1. In this first step you will have to decide the type of switch you would be choosing, like manual or automatic.
2. Another important step before proceeding any further is contacting the power company to shut off the power supply to your home or any place where you are carrying on this task. You will have to co-ordinate with them to ask them to remove the meter base unit ensuring that there is no power left in the meter.
3. Once all this procedure is over, install the switch to the suitable side of the load center by placing it just about 18'' from the center of the circuit.
4. Also see that you secure the switch to the rampart with some fixings which do not cause an adverse effect on the wall.
5. Now this part is a bit tricky enough to perform, hence you will have to be lot more careful while doing it. Remove the load center's cover off and also the cable which runs to the meter base unit to the defined location (home/office). Immediately run a cable from the meter base unit to the input of the transfer switch.
6. Ensure that the lock-nuts are tightly fixed and the running wires are hanging freely.
7. Now remove the knockout and run the wires of the generator coming from the upward conduit through the knockout. Fasten them to the add-on input which is on the switch generator.
8. (Hopefully these instructions are clear until here). Once all the above steps are well performed, realize you are approaching nearly the end of the 'all-by yourself installation.'
9. Just search for the wire that you managed to unplug from the meter base unit and simply run it right to the output of the transfer switch. Just check for the grounding of the generator whether it is neutrally unbounded.
10. Well, your job is over here. One last thing, call the power company to ask them to turn back on the power source. Once they have sufficiently co-ordinated with you, run the transfer switch to test its working.

You must have realized for all these years how technology has taken a turn over to contour into gratuitously new forms of gimmicks and gizmos and make everyone's life so convenient.