Blog posts tagged with 'Generator Switchgear in UK'

Standby engine generators, as the name suggests, are vital for emergencies. They are kept as backups to generate power during outages. Now, swift activation of standby engine generators is crucial when outages persist for a longer period of time. Specific issues such as failure to start, generator not connecting due to switchgear malfunction, or operational failure post-connection may sometimes delay the activation of the generator. By using a branded generator changeover switchgear, you can eliminate these problems.

Common Generator Problems and the Ways to Address Them

Problem 1: The generator engine failed to start

Solution: Confirm the engine and switchgear controls are in automatic mode. Regularly check battery health and charger power. Be cautious of ATS not detecting power failure, hindering engine start. Periodic ATS tests, briefly cutting normal power, ensuring prompt engine response, and verifying ATS functionality during utility outages.

Problem 2: Engine running but failing to meet critical load

Solution: During routine maintenance, technicians must validate the correct switchgear neutral switch timing setpoint. Regular checks should ensure the engine main breaker is closed. Adjust the breaker setting to avoid unnecessary trips under load. Conduct frequent transfer tests initiated manually at the ATS without opening circuit breakers to prevent failure modes. The common failure modes are:

•      The ATS does not acknowledge acceptable generator power
•      ATS jamming or failing to transfer
•      And, contacts fail under load post-transfer

This proactive approach ensures the reliability of the generator switchgear and minimises potential operational failures.

Problem 3: The engine carries the load smoothly but fails before the return of utility power

Solution: Prevent fuel-related issues by routinely inspecting pumps and filters for contamination. Run the generator for extended periods to confirm prolonged performance and avert these potential failure modes.

•      Engine overheating
•      Component failures
•      Incompatibility issues with load, such as voltage regulator or speed governor issues

Problem 4: The engine still runs after stable utility power returns

Solution: Verify switchgear setpoints for potential manual transfer requirements. Ensure correct adjustment of the ATS-in-phase monitor and appropriate engine frequency for seamless in-phase monitoring and closed-transition transfer.

Avoid generator issues with the best switchgears

Selecting the right generator changeover switchgear is critical for unhindered power transitions during power cuts and supply outages. The choice influences the reliability of backup power systems by ensuring timely and automatic shifts between utility and generator power. Well-designed switchgear minimises the risk of failure modes, such as failure to recognise utility power return or jams during transfer. Find the best switch gears with Blades Power Generation today!

Investing in a standby generator for your home is not going to be cheap, but in the light of recent events there will no doubt be many homeowners who would never have considered it before but are now studying the market to find a generator that will cover them for a power outage.

Storm Arwen - only the first named storm of this season – has caused havoc for people in the north, some of whom have been without power for 11 days. Many of them have had no lighting and no TV, so not only have they had no power but have not been able to keep up with the news and see when (if ever!) their power is going to be restored. The worst part of it for those people is that in most cases they have had no heating either – in the freezing conditions caused by the storm.

It is bad enough having a power outage in your home, but in other situations it can literally be a matter of life or death. In a hospital, for instance, the loss of power for even a few seconds can be a catastrophe. So, under those circumstances, the installation of a standby generator is not an option, but an essential.

Then there is the matter of how the generator kicks in when the power goes down. This is taken care of by a transfer switch, and it can either be manual or an automatic transfer switch.

With a manual transfer switch, as you might imagine, you have to start the generator yourself and then when it is up and running switch over from the mains input to the generator. This means that there will be a time gap between the power going down and the generator producing power again. It also means that if you are not at home or on the premises, the power will be down until someone can start the generator.

An automatic transfer switch, however, does the job for you. It senses when the power has gone down and sends a signal to the generator to start up. When the generator is running it will send a signal back to the automatic transfer switch which will then switch over from the mains to the generator. When the power returns from the mains, the switch will turn off the generator and return to mains power again. 

Yes, we know that may seem a bit of a strange question. If you live in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, or even Plymouth, it probably doesn’t happen very often.

And yet, there are plenty of places, even in the UK, where power cuts occur quite often. And this doesn’t have to happen just because the electricity company is at fault. It may be generating away quite happily as always, but unfortunately, there is a storm. The storm brings a large oak tree down. That oak tree falls across a power line which just happens to be the one that brings the power into your home. Or your office. Or your retail store. Or your factory. Or – enter your own choice here.

Power cuts happen quite often, and the result may be that you miss out on the middle of East Enders and have to dine by candlelight.

(By the way. Do you have any candles? Just asking. But what if you don’t?).

And what if the dinner is only halfway through cooking and the cooker gets switched off? The candles won’t matter because you won’t have any dinner anyway.

Ah well, you can always send out for a takeaway. Except that you can’t, because their power line is the same one that supplies you.

Trust me. I know. Back in the day – in the Great Storm of 1987 – exactly that happened to me. And my home was without power for – wait for it – THIRTEEN DAYS! In the middle of Autumn and just when winter was approaching with darker evenings.

But in those days, we never thought about those possibilities. I had recently moved into the countryside – still in Kent, so not exactly out in the wilds – and I learned those power outages were a regular occurrence. But what I didn’t have was an emergency generator.

This is why I recommend everyone to have an emergency generator, and today you can buy generator switchgear in the UK from Blades Power Generation.

That means that when that power cut strikes – for whatever reason – you will be without electricity. For about ten seconds.

As soon as the power goes down, the emergency generator kicks in and the lights will be back on again. Bang! Just like that. Along with your dinner.

If you want to buy generator switchgear in the UK, head over to Bladespower Generation and check out all the possibilities.