Blog posts tagged with 'manual transfer switch'

Are we going to get through the winter in the UK without having power cuts?  What are the odds?

Well, if you listen to the government, everything is going to be hunky-dory. No power cuts. No worries.

But would you like to put your money on it? Say, £100?

Quite!

This is just one reason why so many people are considering investing in a standby generator to cover them if the worst really does happen. But there could be another one as well. It may well be cheaper to use a generator to produce your electricity than to use the mains.

You Are By No Means Alone

So, if you are considering investing in a generator for your home, you are by no means alone. The size of generator that you will need depends upon how much electricity you need to produce which, in turn, will depend upon the number, type, and size of the electrical products you use. The bigger the generator – not just in terms of sheer size but in the amount of electricity it can generate – the more it will cost.

However, you don’t necessarily have to buy a new generator, as at Blades Power Generation we have used generators for sale in the UK. And before you say: “uh oh, I don’t want a second-hand generator”, why ever not? If you are like most people, you will have bought a second-hand car in the past. You may even have one now. Buying a second-hand generator is just the same.

In fact, we always have a selection of used generators for sale in the UK. Many businesses use generators, and what happens is that they expand and take on extra work and produce more products. So, they need a bigger generator to produce more electricity, so they trade in the old one with us.

You will also need a transfer switch to transfer from mains to generator when the power goes down, and you can use a manual transfer switch or an automatic one. If you use a manual transfer switch you have to start the generator and then switch over to it when it is up and running. An automatic transfer switch – as the name implies – does it all for you. It is more expensive than a manual one, but the choice is yours.

What Would We Do Without Electricity?

The short answer is that we would be living like that ancient fellow in the Amazon jungle who was found dead a couple of weeks ago, and who had no contact with humans in the outside world. All he knew was hunting and fishing and being able to build himself a home by digging holes in the ground.

He didn’t have light, except for daylight. He didn’t have a laptop. He didn’t have a fridge or freezer. He didn’t have a TV. He didn’t have a shaver. He didn’t have hot water. The list of things that he didn’t have goes on. We have all of these things, (with the possible exception of the shaver if you are of a female persuasion!). What would we do without them all?

The answer is that we would be in the dark, both figuratively and literally. Yet, the way that climate change is going, and the race to get to green power without producing a carbon footprint means that in the not-too-distant future, power blackouts could become a regular feature of our lives.

That is no fun at all and is the reason why a lot of smart people are investing in a home generator which can produce power when the mains power goes down. Anyone who has the space for a generator can do this.

However, there are certain things to take into consideration, the size of the generator being one of them. It needs to produce enough power to run everything that you want to run.

A Transfer Switch

You also need a manual transfer switch or an automatic one. A manual transfer switch is much cheaper than automatic. What happens is that when the power goes down, you have to go and start your generator and then switch from mains power to generator using the manual changeover switch.

Why do you need a changeover switch? Because if you start the generator and the mains comes back on and the two are connected, you will burn out the generator. It can also work the other way. The generator can produce power which would go into the mains and very easily cause injuries to workers trying to restore the power.

So, the system is set up so that you cannot have mains and generator power at the same time. The way that works is that you use the manual changeover switch to switch from one to the other, either when the power goes down or when it is restored.

We take electricity for granted these days. You press a switch, and the light comes on. You press another one, turn a dial, and your cooker heats up. Turn a few more dials, press a switch and your washing machine does your laundry. and in many cases, can be set to dry it as well. It makes life easy, doesn’t it?

Well, until there comes a day when you press a switch, and nothing happens. Because there is no electricity. No power.

But that doesn’t happen, does it?

Believe it or not, it does happen, and is very likely to start happening more often in the future. Storms can knock out electricity lines, and last winter did just that. Some people in Scotland were without power for two whole weeks. Yep. A fortnight! It makes you think.

You May Want To Consider A Generator

What with this, and the prospect of the energy cap going through the roof in the next few weeks, you may very well want to consider buying a generator. This way, if the power goes down, you still have power. The lights go out, but you can turn them back on again. If you don’t have a generator you will have to sit there in the dark until the power is restored. And who can say how long that will take?

At Blades Power Generation we have a wide range of new generators for sale in the UK. They come in varying sizes, which will depend upon the amount of power that you need to generate for your home or business. In fact, it is possible to carry out this calculation yourself, but when you are considering new generators for sale in the UK, it is safer to have an experienced electrician work out the figures for you. The bigger the generator, the more it costs, so you don’t want to go over the top, but at the same time you need to make sure you have enough power, and a little extra just to make certain you are covered.

You will also need a manual transfer switch or an automatic one. A manual transfer switch means that when the power goes down you have to fire up the generator and then manually switch over. So, if there is nobody on the premises, you still don’t have power. That may be OK, but if you are away from home for a few days your freezer food is going to be rubbish. Your tropical fish tank may go cold. You get the idea? This is why an automatic transfer switch, although more expensive, is always the best idea.

If you have been thinking about buying a standby generator for your home, now could be as good a time as any to do it. There is a global rise in the use of electrical power, and this is only going to increase because of climate change and the fact that we are all having to turn over to electrically powered vehicles as petrol and diesel ones become, in the UK at least, outlawed.

This is very likely indeed to increase the number of power outages that we experience. OK, you might say, if the power goes down for a couple of hours, so what? But what if it goes down for a couple of weeks as it did in the northwest of Scotland at the beginning of the year? That’s a whole different ball game. Investing in a generator now is just plain common sense.

You can actually buy a new generator in the UK for as little as about £300, but it won’t provide very much power. On top of that you have to allow for installation which would take about 3 days and cost a ballpark figure of £1,000.

However, the average home would need a much larger generator than that. You can see that an oven uses 2,000 watts, a fridge 1,200, washing machine 1,200, and so on. And there are a few things that are not shown such as a water heater, which also uses a lot of energy.

In order to buy a new generator in the UK you need to calculate the amount of power that you need and then add about 25% in order to allow for any overload.

You also need a transfer switch in order to transfer from the mains to the generator. You can get a manual transfer switch quite cheaply. However, a manual transfer switch, rather obviously, means that you have to physically fire up the generator and then when it is running at full speed switch from the mains to the generator.

Far better is an automatic transfer switch because this, again rather obviously, will automatically fire up the generator when the power goes down and switch over when it is up and running. That means that you are only without power for a matter of seconds. 

When it comes to the electricity that we use today, things have changed quite a bit in just the last few months. What with the war in Ukraine and the cost of electricity going through the roof, more people are certainly considering their options.

It used to be that a generator for the home was merely used for those occasions when the power goes down. This was not all that likely to happen in our big cities, but today, who knows? Not only that, but we may be coming to the point where electricity is so expensive that it is actually cheaper to produce your own using a generator! Something nobody would have even considered only a year ago.

If you are seriously considering buying a home generator, you need to make certain that you have one that is big enough to produce the power that you need. You can either work this out yourself, or better still have a qualified electrician do the calculations for you because you need to be certain that you are covered and add a little on top as a safety precaution.

The bigger the generator you need, the more it will cost, but there is also some good news and that is that you can buy used generators in the UK. This is much the same as buying a second-hand car. It still works, but it may not look as “flash” as a brand new one. In fact, if you are considering the option to buy used generators in the UK, at Blades Power Generation we always have some in stock. This is because some firms who use generators expand their businesses, and so need a bigger generator and then they will trade in their old one with us.

You will also need a changeover switch to start the generator when the power goes down. You can buy a manual transfer switch, but an automatic transfer switch, although more expensive, is always the preferred option.

This is because an automatic transfer switch does what it says on the tin. When the power goes down, it will automatically fire up your generator and then transfer over to it. This means that you will only be without power for a matter of seconds.

If you have a manual transfer switch, you have to be on the premises and do it manually. If you happen to be on holiday and the power goes down for four or five days, you will come home to a freezer full of unfrozen food. Not ideal!

In today’s world we are almost totally dependent upon electricity – far more so than even 50 years ago. Back in the day, we didn’t have computers, but today it is almost impossible to run a business without one. Even a local convenience store which deals largely with cash may not need a laptop for the actual serving of customers, but you can bet that the owner has one for ordering stock and supplies, keeping track of stock levels, and so on. Electricity is also necessary to keep the fridges running. So, electricity is vital.

However, with the increase in the use of electricity comes the possibility of more power outages. This is increased further by climate change which seems to be bringing us more frequent and very heavy storms, which in turn can bring down power lines. So, if you run any sort of business, it makes sense to invest in a standby generator in order that you can keep going when the power doesn’t.

Used Generators

But you don’t have to invest in a brand new one if you only run a small business or need one for your home. You can buy used generators in the UK for considerably less than a new one. In fact, when you buy used generators in the UK it is just like buying a used car. Sure, if you can afford the very latest swanky Mercedes Benz or a Roller, then you might want to buy one. But a second-hand Nissan Juke will get you around just as well.

You can buy used generators in the UK for under £500 at Blades Power Generation. Of course, you then have to add in the cost of installation as well. And you will need a transfer switch. This is a legal requirement because it stops the mains power coming into contact with the generator, which would almost certainly burn out if this happened. It also stops the generator from back feeding the mains when it has failed, endangering the lives of electricity utility workers.

You can buy an automatic transfer switch (ATS) or a manual transfer switch. An automatic transfer switch does what it says on the tin, so when the power goes down it will fire up the generator and you will have power back on within seconds. However, a manual transfer switch costs a lot less than an ATS. It does mean, of course that you have to fire up the generator and then switch over. This is OK if someone is on the premises but could prove difficult if you need to keep the power running even though you are not there. You need to consider your options. 

It is a fact that, today, the majority of people take electricity for granted. You flick a switch, and the light comes on. You would be absolutely astonished if you flicked the switch, and nothing happened!

And yet, the power can go down at any time, and usually just at the worst possible time. Moreover, with the way that things are going in the world just at the moment, it is becoming increasingly likely that there will be power shortages and outages.

This may, or may not, give you some concern. However, these days we do rely on electricity for much more than we used to 50 or 60 years ago. Just for starters, most people today have a freezer full of food. If the power goes down for a couple of days, you can say goodbye to that lot. Furthermore, if you have no power, how do you charge your mobile, or use your laptop to work from home as so many more people do? The answer is that you don’t, if the power is down.

As for running a business, you are reliant on electricity to keep going. If you have no electricity, your business simply cannot function.

A Couple Of Tips If the Lights Go Out

A couple of good tips if the lights go out in your business is to check other local buildings and offices. If they still have power, the odds are that the issue is in your own building, and you will need to call an electrician. It is also a very good idea to turn off all computers, printers, and other appliances because when the power is restored it can cause a power surge and this can result in damage to the appliances.

The very best answer today is to invest in a standby generator to cover the occasions when the power goes down. This will take over and keep your business going.

The best way to use a standby generator is to have an automatic transfer switch. This will kick in immediately the power goes down and start the generator, so you will only be without power for a matter of seconds.

Certainly, you can use a manual transfer switch, but that means that you have to go and start the generator by hand. If you happen to be away from the office but things still need electricity, that means that there will be no power until you return. An automatic transfer switch does the job for you.

It seems that more people these days are investing in a standby generator in order to provide electricity to the home or business when the mains power goes down. This happened quite a bit recently in Scotland with all the storms that we have been having. There seems to be no doubt that climate change is an issue, and that means that those storms could become more frequent. This writer is old enough to remember the Great Storm of 1987 when our home was without power for 13 days! Fortunately, we had an oil-fired Aga cooker. If we hadn’t, we would have been in serious trouble.

In addition, of course, there is the threat of a lack of gas supply coming from Russia, and this could be used as a weapon by Vladimir Putin.

So, it makes sense to many people to have a standby generator to step in when the mains power fails. But how does the generator work?

Most generators run on diesel, and they can be started either manually or automatically when the power fails. Every generator must have either a manual transfer switch or an automatic transfer switch.

If you have a manual transfer switch you need to manually turn a handle or alternative lever to switch from the mains to the generator and then start the generator by hand as well.

Required By Law

In fact, a transfer switch is required by law in every country when you install a generator at a premises that has a mains supply. This is for two main reasons, one being that it stops the mains power coming into contact with the generator when the power is restored, which would almost certainly burn out the generator.

More importantly, it prevents the generator from back feeding the mains when it has failed which could endanger the lives of the electricity utility workers.

So, you switch from mains to generator manually and then go and start the generator. When the power is restored, you would then switch off the generator and manually switch back to the mains.

While a manual transfer switch is cheaper than an automatic one, the latter does have certain advantages. Apart from anything else, it is much faster, because it automatically starts the generator and then switches to it in seconds. If you are not on the premises when the mains fails and you use a manual switch, then you are without power until somebody returns and switches over.

If you are considering buying a standby generator for your home, which in the light of recent events in the north many homeowners are looking at, there are a number of things to consider.

The first thing is to buy a generator which does what you want, because generators come in different sizes. One answer is to buy the largest size available in order to power the entire home, and if money is no object that could be one solution. However, if you want to buy a generator which only covers the essentials in order to keep costs down, then you will need to make an assessment of your home to purchase a generator which will cover only the essential electrical circuits.

However, sizing generators is not just a question of saying that your home is “x” square feet, so you need an “x” size generator. The complexity of your home’s electrical system also needs to be taken into account, especially if it has air conditioning. You will need an experienced electrician to calculate the electrical loads of your home and recommend he right size of generator.

Once you know this, you can then buy the generator and install it. However, there is also another issue, and that is how the generator starts when the power goes down. When this happens, it is necessary to switch from mains power to generator and it can be done using a manual changeover switch or an automatic one.

With a manual changeover switch you have to physically start the generator, and then when it is up and running one needs to switch from the mains to the generator. This means that there will be a delay while you do this. It also means that if the power goes down when you are not at home there will still be no power until you get back again. This may, or may not matter, depending upon what systems and equipment you use.

However, you can also get an automatic transfer switch. This is more expensive, but the way that it works is that when the power goes down the switch will send a signal to the generator telling it to start up. When the generator is running it will send a signal to the ATS telling it to switch over. When the mains power is restored, the ATS will switch off the generator and transfer back to the mains.  

Should you buy a standby generator for your home? Well, the answer to that is “it depends”. To some extent it may be a matter of choice. For instance, for some people, suffering from a blackout on one occasion may be sufficient reason to get a generator.

However, if you live in an area where power outages are frequent (i.e., more than three a year) or they last for several hours, then investing in a standby generator is more a matter of necessity rather than simple convenience.

Generators are available in a range of different sizes and can be powered by diesel, propane, or LPG. Whether diesel generators will be available for much longer in the UK remains to be seen. One option is to buy a generator that is big enough to power the whole of your home, and if you can afford it you might want to do just that. However, another option, which is more affordable, is to buy one that powers your most essential electric circuits. You would need an experienced electrician to calculate the anticipated electrical loads of your home in order that he could recommend the correct size.

You will also need a transfer switch to transfer the power supply from the mains to the generator and back again when the mains power is restored. This can either be a manual transfer switch or an automatic one.

The disadvantage of a manual transfer switch is that someone has to be on the premises in order to transfer from one to the other. It rather depends on what sort of equipment you need to power. If there is always someone at home, it is not so much of an issue, but if you need to be able to switch to the generator instantly at any time, then an automatic transfer switch is the answer.

This will detect the fact that the mains supply has gone down and send a signal to the generator to start up. When the generator has started it sends a signal back to the automatic transfer switch which will then switch over to the generator. When the power is restored, the automatic transfer switch will transfer back to the mains and switch the generator off.

Certainly, an automatic transfer switch is more expensive to install than a manual one, but once you have it, you have no worries.