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What Is An Automatic Changeover Switch and How Does It Work?

Can you really imagine spending an hour without your mobile phones, laptops, wi-fi and other electronic appliances and technologies? Seems impossible, right? Well, it is!

In today's fast-paced life, power cuts and loadsheddings are no longer acceptable. To ensure that your homes and offices have power throughout, you must have a source of backup power, like generators with automatic changeover switches.

What is an automatic changeover switch?

An automatic changeover switch, also known as an automatic transfer switch, is used in generators that automatically transfer power from a main source to the backup source when it detects power outages. Unlike a manual transfer switch, here, you do not have to turn on the generator manually. Hence, it is more convenient.

How does an automatic changeover switch work?

An automatic transfer switch plays a key role in connecting a standby generator to your home. Electricity flows from the utility to your home's main electrical circuit, powering all the appliances and components. Here the ATS acts as the brain of the entire secondary power unit. Once it is connected, then it can switch automatically between utility power and generator power. Unlike the manual transfer switch, the ATS can detect power failure automatically and restores power within a few seconds.

How does an ATS detect power loss and restores power automatically?

An automatic changeover switch monitors the incoming and outgoing lines to detect power loss. A voltage sensor monitors the incoming line. It checks whether enough voltage is coming into the system to operate safely. In case there is insufficient voltage, an alarm will go off, and the automatic transfer switch will switch the power source over to the standby generator.

Similarly, the outgoing line is monitored by a frequency sensor. It detects if enough frequency is coming out of the system. If there is inadequate frequency, an alarm goes off, and the ATS switches over to the standby generator.

Light up your spaces with Blades Power Generation:

A 24/7 power supply is necessary in commercial and residential spaces. Unfortunately, you cannot predict power cuts; but with Blades Power Generation, you can stay prepared for it. We offer state-of-the-art power backup to our large clientele ranging from homeowners or businesses. If you are tight on the budget and looking for inexpensive options, buy used generators in the UK from us, and keep your homes and offices functional all the time.

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Comments
11/4/2023 9:59 PM
We have several power cuts a year.  Mostly they are fixed within 24 hours.  But in those 24 hours it is unacceptable to lose heating, particularly in winter, to lose the fridges for more than 6 hours, and to lose almost any time for computing and lighting.  I am llooking for the simplest system that will handle this.
I have had a small generator in the past and this was not reliable and was too much effort for each power failure.
So I now working on taking separate power lines from the above devices to an extra consumer unit that is powered from an automatic transfer switch which switches over to a large battery powered inverter when the power fails.
I am not sure yet how many amps these items will consume but I can soon find out once the new consumer unit is wired up.
The questions are: What problems might I have?  Is this a sensible way of dealing with the problem.  Who can supply the right kit?  Prices?