I made a quick improvised video of our automatic generator test cycle using my cell phone just for fun this morning for a bit of an inside look at Roller Network and the general sequence of how our generator self test operates. The common practice is to test monthly without load, but simply idling a generator doesn’t indicate it will work during a real outage. Diesels also don’t like to be idled and shut off; they like to work loaded. Unless you take the system on load you aren’t actually testing the whole transfer path.
The most common fault for datacenter transfer switches is failing to transfer. By taking ours on load for tests, we can prove this critical junction between utility and backup power is fully functional.
I recorded this on my EVO which unfortunately doesn’t adjust focus once it starts recording, so everything but the display screens are blurry.