What's a Generator Control Panel?
Here we’re going to be talking about generator control panels. We believe that by being open and transparent with you, our customer at all times, we make everything far easier to understand.
This means that you can hire one of our generators, safe in the knowledge that you know exactly what it is, how it works and what all the parts are for and what they do. You’re making an educated decision, which we like for all those who hire generators from us.
The Basics
A modern generator will have an electric control panel. This is for protecting and monitoring key components that help your generator work.
A generator uses kinetic energy and converts it into electrical power from a combustion engine. Of all the components that make up a generator, the control panel is one of the most important ones. This will help to maintain your generator and help you to see what’s going on inside it.
Display
The panel works as a display of the different and important details and parameters regarding the generator while it’s running. This might include current, frequency and voltage. Some generators will come with displays so people who use them can see and review the generators inner workings and see how they function. It gives them a good idea of course when something is going wrong too. Some panels may also come with gauges and meters that display information. The control panels are usually insulated from shocks with vibration proof padding, and this helps to keep the generator in good working order and safe from shocks which could damage it.
Using a larger generator?
If you use a larger generator for whatever reason, usually for industrial use, the control panels will be detached from the generator unlike with smaller ones. In this case they’re usually standalone, mounted on a wall or a shelf. The panels of many generators will come with buttons and switches that help the generator work properly, and sometimes certain preset modes that tell the generator to carry out certain configurations so it can monitor certain details within the generator, so it will continue to work safely.
Advanced Technology
The control panel will provide feedback on temperature, and it can also automatically start it up when there’s a power outage. What’s known as microprocessors inside the panel can manipulate input sensors. If anything goes wrong then the generator will stop working by utilizing the power electrical system circuit breaker. The temperature gauge is particularly clever in that it will shut down when it reaches a temperature threshold.
An automatic transfer switch or ATS, as it’s more commonly known, prompts the generator to start up when there’s a power loss as described earlier.
Auto-shutdown
The generator will shut down once the main power comes back on again. Good, right? The ATS will do this while it is connected. There is also a manual switch you can use too if your particular model of generator has one.
The ATS backup power button helps with the functionality of your generator’s control panel. By making sure the generator is switched off properly once the power goes on after a power cut, it helps to avoid issues to the generator such as back feeding. Back feeding can cause a lot of problems to both your control panel and your generator, which is why the ATS button is so important, rather than relying on a manual button to switch it off.
Generator Hire Solutions - think you might need to hire a generator?
Let us know and we’ll be more than happy to help. Contact us with any questions about this post or any other generator hire related questions and one of our team will be more than happy to help.