Keeping your business running is vital, and without access to power, not only will you be left in the dark, you will be unable to operate. With so much of our businesses reliant on information technology, server downtime because of an unexpected power failure could be quite detrimental to your business. It could throw up a lot of technical problems, let alone the impracticality of the situation.
That is why having a back-up generator will help your business in times of need. Whether you are contending with a power outage because of a fault on the grid, or the power is down because of a natural disaster such as flooding or bad weather, having your own generator will ensure you keep yourself powered-up.
But when it comes to transferring from your national grid power source to your generator seamlessly, you will need an automatic transfer switch. This vital piece of equipment will ensure that you suffer minimal disruption as a result of a power outage, as it automatically starts up your generator for you.
Why You Need an Automatic Transfer Switch
An automatic transfer switch will make the difference between your power instantly rebooting and having to wait for human intervention. Power outages are often impossible to predict. While on occasion, you may be informed of a power cut before it is due to happen, on the whole, power cuts catch you unaware and leave you in the dark.
By having an automatic transfer switch fitted at the point where your grid power enters your premises, as soon as you lose power, the switch will turn the generator on. Whatever time of day or night this happens at, as long as you have this in place, you will retain the power to your business or property.
How Does an Automatic Transfer Switch Work?
An automatic transfer switch is connected to the grid power that enters your premises. When the power is working as it should, it sits in standby, ensuring that the battery that starts the generator is always topped up with enough of a charge. The automatic transfer switch has a line out to start the generator and a powerline from the generator.
In the event of a power cut, your automatic transfer switch will sense the loss of power from the grid. It will immediately start the generator and then relay the power from this to wherever it is needed. This process takes a few seconds in total.
The generator will continue to run until the automatic transfer switch detects that the power from the grid has been restored. It will then switch the power source back over to the grid and turn the generator off. Again, this will take a few seconds.
Deciding On Whether To Invest In An Automatic Transfer Switch
Automatic transfer switches are sophisticated pieces of technology, and they can ensure you are able to move to generator power much quicker than if you had to use a manual switch. They are particularly useful if you won’t be on-site to change the power source over but need that seemless transition.