When Do You Use An Automatic Transfer Switch?

By Author: Rudy Silva
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An Automatic Transfer Switch is an automatic transfer of power source from one to another, this type of switches is more convenient compare to the manual type. An electrical transfer switch is very useful nowadays, because when the main power source is disconnected, it will automatically transfer the power to another electric system.

Electrical transfer switches can be use also when there are changes in voltage power supply. If the voltage power supply changed, it can cause damage to the internal circuit of your appliances at home or at the office.

Transfer switches will initiate the transfer of power to a generator or back-up power source until the voltage becomes stable again. A transfer switch is also called Generator Transfer Switches.

An automatic transfer switch has additional circuit component, which is normally in a form of computer in which the incoming power is being monitor. It monitors the circuit for voltage sags, power surges, power spikes, or brownouts. It also actively initiates action in case there is a complete power loss. When the problem is being detected, the automatic transfer switch ...
... begins to start up the emergency power supply.

When the emergency power supply achieved the appropriate level of voltage, the automatic transfer switches will transmit power from the main source to the emergency power supply. While the emergency power supply as the active source of power, continues to monitor the main power supply. Once the main power source becomes stable for a specific period of time, the automatic transfer switch will transmit the power back to the main power supply.

Automatic Transfer Switch, according to the expert in power source is the safe way in connecting electrical load to the power generator as your back up electrical source. If you have installed an electric generator into your power system without an automatic transfer switch, it could break your power generator and everything in the circuit.

There are three methods used by electrical transfer switches in transferring electrical power source. These are break before make, closed transition transfer switch, and soft loading transfer switch. In the break before make method, the transfer switch breaks the contact from one power source before it switches to the other power source.

If there is a small or large switch breakage, break before make method prevents from back feeding of the emergency generator into the electric power line. The Closed Transition Transfer Switch method enables the generator to hold the load while the power supply remains uninterrupted. This method is common in industrial and commercial applications that are using automatic transfer switch system.

The Soft Loading Transfer Switch used the Closed Transition Transfer switch except the amount of load accepted by the generator in constant changed, as the power source is switched. This is the dynamic version of the closed transition switch and is compatible with the automatic transfer switch.

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