Blog posts of '2025' 'January'

Does One Need a Transfer Switch?

For convenience and safety, a manual transfer switch generator in the UK is always required if your generator generates more than 5,000 watts. This is crucial to keep in mind because the amount of power generated necessitates the usage of a regulator to assist prevent surges and grid back feed.

However, what about the law? Depending on the location where you choose to store a backup generator, this is one of those questions. While some jurisdictions require it, others only strongly advise having one. Others, however, just require it for standby generators.

Speak with the building code enforcement office to find out if your local government mandates a transfer switch. They should therefore be able to suggest which generator types from a new generator for sale in the UK require transfer switches and which do not.

Threats Associated with Not Using a Transfer Switch

Beyond just being convenient, there are other dangers associated with not employing a transfer switch. In certain situations, not having a transfer switch may put your family's safety or even the safety of the electric company's employees at risk.

Backfeeding the grid is the primary situation in which this becomes problematic. This implies that two currents are feeding your house when you use your generator without a suitable transfer switch and the main power source turns on. Utility personnel may be at risk due to queue issues brought on by this influx. Your house or place of business may catch fire as a result. And for that reason, a transfer switch is essential.

A Manual Transfer Switch: How Does It Operate?

Household electrical circuits are simply connected to the generator via a manual transfer switch. Any load connected to the circuit will turn on using backup power when the operator turns on the backup power source in the event of a power outage. It is easy to utilise this switch both indoors and out. Therefore, the number of circuits that can be manually connected is dependent on a generator's output.

Manual Transfer Switch

An electrical load can be substituted for the power supply source using a manual transfer switch particularly when paired with new generators for sale in the UK. These switches come with handles and metallic paths that are connected such that when the handle position of the switch is manually changed, the paths will connect. This automated transfer switch's connection is displayed below. You can connect both of the power sources for the house wiring with the help of a manual transfer switch generator in the UK.

Check out the sale at Blades Power Generation for more.

Whether we like it or not, winter is now firmly upon us in the UK. After a mild autumn, we have suddenly been hit with storms Ashley, Bert, Conall, and Darragh, one after the other, which have resulted in many fallen trees, damage to buildings, and power cuts as well. The West of the country, in particular, has been severely hit.

Not only that, but the government is on course to ensure that we are all using wind and solar energy by 2030. This is a great target, but unfortunately there are days, and even weeks, when the wind doesn’t blow, and the sun doesn’t shine. All of which are very good reasons for ensuring that you have sufficient backup to produce the electricity you need for your home or business regardless of what the weather does. If not, you will be sitting there in the dark and freezing.

The very obvious answer is to install a standby generator that will automatically switch on when the power goes down, so that you will hardly notice it. At Blades Power Generation we have whatever you need, including new generators for sale in the UK. We also provide generator changeover switchgear that takes care of everything for you so that you don’t have to head out into a Force 8 (or worse) storm when the lights go out in order to switch your generator over manually.

1.5 Million New Homes

Not only are we heading to net zero, but the government has also promised to build 1.5 million new homes by 2030. There are presently some 29.9 million homes in the UK, so this target represents an increase of just over 5% - in five years! All those homes will be full of people who also use electricity, which means that we need to generate 5% more than we already do. If the housing target is achieved, you can pretty much guarantee that there will be more power outages than ever.

This is why the time to talk to us about new generators for sale in the UK is right now. Don’t leave it a moment longer.

We have generators of different sizes that can produce different amounts of power, so we can supply and install whatever is correct for your home or business. Fitted with automatic generator changeover switchgear, it means that when (note, we didn’t say “if”) the worst happens, you will still be warm and cozy with the lights on, while others may not.

It is sad to say it, but we live in an age where electrical blackouts are becoming more common. While some 60% of power failures are the result of a violent storm, it is also the case that one third of them (34%) are caused by faulty equipment as a result of the fact that the grid is aging and is becoming overloaded.

One of the reasons for this is that the population of this country is increasing at an almost alarming rate. Net immigration last year – both legal and illegal – came to a record high of 906,000. That is close to one million more people who all use electricity in the same way that the rest of us do. So, the simple fact is that power outages are going to become more and more common.

Turn Off Appliances

If your power goes down, whether at work or at home, one of the first things to do is to turn off all appliances / computers. The reason for this is that when the power comes back on it can result in an electrical surge which can then cause damage to anything which is still switched on. It is OK to leave a light on as, apart from anything else, it will let you know when the power has reconnected.

It is well worthwhile checking with neighbouring businesses if their power has gone down too, because if not, the fault is within your own building or its’ wiring or appliances.

It is also a good idea to call 105, which is a free service that puts you in touch with your local supplier. You can gain information about the outage and when the power is expected to return.

For total peace of mind, the ultimate answer is to have your own standby generator which can automatically switch on when the power goes down and you need emergency power, thus saving you all the hassle. These are available in different wattages, so you can buy one that is the correct size for the power that you need. Depending upon your power requirements, a new generator can be fairly expensive.

However, you can also buy used generators in the UK. At Blades Power Generation, we always have some of these available. This is because many businesses that use generators are growing and then begin to need more power. So, they trade in their old generators with us. When you buy used generators in the UK from us, it can save you a considerable amount of money. You will also have the peace of mind that when you need emergency power, it is right there ready and waiting.