Installing a generator at your home is the best way to ensure that your family is prepared in the event of a power outage. Keeping your home’s power on not only allows you to maintain your personal comfort, but it also protects against losses like your food going bad with no refrigeration. If you use a generator, adding a transfer switch makes your system more efficient and effective.
How a Portable Generator Transfer Switch Works
On a simple level, a transfer switch changes how your home is being provided power between your generator and the utility company. Connecting your generator to your home’s power supply, as opposed to running cords off of it, is the most effective way to power your home with a generator, and using a switch makes the process safer.
The Benefit of Automatic Transfer Switches for Portable Generators
There are two categories of transfer switches for portable generators, manual and automatic. With a manual system, you have to start your generator and switch over power when an outage occurs. Automatic transfer switches simplify the process by making the switch to generator power when the utility line stops providing. For some outages, an automatic switch may be able to identify indicators in the leadup to the outage and start the generator in preparation for the outage, reducing or eliminating the time you are without power as you don’t need to wait for the generator to power up.
Installing a Transfer Switch
Anytime you are working with electric lines, it is best to leave the job to a professional who has the tools and experience to complete the task safely. If you have a portable generator and are interested in installing a transfer switch to improve its performance, you should get in touch with a professional electrician today to schedule a consultation and then a servicing for your home.
