Power Transfer Switch: Scheduled Care Guarantees Proper Outage Detection

Power Transfer Switch: Scheduled Care Guarantees Proper Outage Detection

Your emergency or secondary electrical generation unit contains various switches
designed to manage current flow. Circuit breakers are intended to stop the flow of
current when a fault is present by means of a tripping mechanism that breaks the
arc resided between a set of contacts. A power transfer switch manages the source
of electrical current generation by disconnecting or reconnected power to the main
supply and secondary source. These items can be operated manually or consist of
an automatic failure detection design. An isolation switch is included in the design
to bypass the ATS in situations where the current must be isolated for maintenance.
Additional switches can be found within or outside of your system; however, the above
mentioned are the primary concern when focusing on the importance of generator
services in Carolina.

Generator Services in Carolina Maintain Component Reliability

An automatic transfer switch, or ATS, continuously monitors the supplied current
from the main source and notifies the generator to start when needed. It isolates the
two supplies to prevent them both from simultaneously running. Transition modes
can be open or closed, depending on the exact electrical needs of your building. If a
problem exists with this component, several issues, including failure to start, could
be experienced during a switchover attempt. Generator services in Carolina, such as
routine maintenance scheduling, are the easiest ways to make certain this component is
functioning correctly and is able to complete these transitions safely.

An open transition power transfer switch, also referred to as break before make,
completely severs the connection with one source before converting to the alternative.
This design prevents electricity from flowing back into the utility line on a commercial
setup. Closed transition, or make before break, must be implemented when attached
items cannot suffer a complete loss of electricity. Your building will change over to the
alternative source before the main supply is cut off. Overlap is only a few milliseconds;
however, these designs must operate as make before break during a regular outage
to prevent backfeeding. Professional generator services in Carolina are necessary for
either type to guarantee proper operation and reliable performance.

Manual designs require someone to physically activate the switch by throwing the
lever once the system has started and stabilized. Most commercial setups use an
automatic system to gain faster access to the secondary supply and to remove the need
for human intervention. An ATS monitors delivered current and then triggers a start
when fluctuations or quality problems have been detected. Stabilization is allowed to
occur, and the switch allocates the supply to the backup system. It returns to a normal
position once the main source has been restored for a set time without any further
quality problems. Power transfer switches are an important component that must be
cared for properly to perform these actions at the right time. Prime Power professionals
can help you maintain this aspect of the process, along with all other components of
your secondary setup. Schedule an appointment today to have one of our technicians
perform system testing or routine maintenance for improved performance.