What Is an Automatic Transfer Switch and How Does It Work?
In an emergency power system, an automatic transfer switch transfers a building’s source of electricity from its primary source to a secondary one, usually from commercial supply to back up generator supply. In addition to operating automatically, transfer switches are also designed to operate manually, a style commonly used in domestic and commercial settings, but not in settings where constant electricity is needed to maintain critical functions. When an emergency power system operates using an automatic switch, it contains one of the following types of switches: open transition, or closed transition. 1. Closed Transition Also known as “make before break” switches, open transition models switch a building from commercial electricity to generator electricity before ending its connection to the former, allowing entities that need a constant supply of electricity (e.g. hospitals, data centers, and security organizations) to protect against periods of outage, however brief. The implement
