3 Reasons for Using a Transfer Switch with Your Generator

While automatic transfer switches are most often used with standby generators, they can also be used with portable generators that have electric starters. Another option, if a portable generator is being used for backup power, is to install a manual transfer switch.

Whether you have a standby or a portable generator, there are several reasons to incorporate a transfer switch. Here are three of the big ones:

1) A transfer switch eliminates the need for numerous extension cords – Rather than running extension cords through the house, a transfer switch allows for appliances to be powered by the home’s circuitry.

2) You can power up your hard wired items – Furnaces, air conditioners, lighting and other appliances in many cases cannot be hooked up to a generator with an extension cord. They can be powered through the home’s circuitry if a transfer switch is in place.

3) Using a transfer switch is only way to safely connect your generator directly to the circuits in the home – Transfer switches effectively separate generated power from electricity coming from the main. This prevents back-feeding, which can occur when power is returned and the excess electricity coming from the generator is transmitted back to the power lines. Back-feeding can both start fires and cause severe injury via electrocution of people working on power lines.

While having a generator will allow you many benefits during an outage, installing a transfer switch can add an extra layer of convenience as well. The safety of transfer switches is another benefit, the value of which is impossible to calculate.