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APC UNIV TRANSFER SWCH 120/240

Mfg # UTS10BI CDW # 1596869

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This item was discontinued on June 15, 2023

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APC Universal Transfer Switch 10-Circuit - bypass switch is rated 3.90 out of 5 by 14.
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Great. Thumbs up. I installed this unit in a small cottage in the out islands of the Bahamas about one year ago where outages, brownouts and spikes, occur almost daily. It is coupled to a Honda 6500is generator permanently mounted in a separate powerhouse. Because of the frequency of need and the fact that my wife is there many times without me it is imperative that I have an autostart feature. Through Google research I found a PDF doc published by APC offering an autostart kit. However, when discussing this with APC techs and dealers no one seemed to know anything about it. Finally, a dealer's shop manager in Vermont became interested and helped me research it. We found that on the top right corner inside the panel is a five pin male connector and directly above it a knock out (which mated perfectly to the graphics in the kit shown in the APC published PDF). When I went back to APC with this find, they finally conceded that the feature is in fact built into the unit. However, when Honda saw it they nixed the idea - because the switch is designed for portable generator use and this feature could be really dangerous if a user left the feature connected and brought the generator back indoors. So, $2.15 later I had a five pin female connector that receives the wires from a standard Honda hard wire remote - simply clip the box off the remote, wire to the switch and plug into to the existing remote connector on the generator. In setup mode I elected for a 30 seconds delay for autostart after grid power failure and a 5 minute cool down runtime for the genset upon return of grid power. During the 30 second delay period no electronics are affected since the internet, VOIP phone, TV, Bose and Sat TV receiver are all on the provided UPS circuit. The system works flawlessly. My only complaint is that APC elected to use internal fuses rather than breakers. They are antiquated and a pain to change -as already stated by others. I did replace the 15A fuses with 20A but it is still a frequent problem because the 20A fuse seems to always blow before a 15A breaker - nothing worse that removing the panel face at 2am to replace a fuse. Besides, it just makes no sense to design a very slick little high tech digital system then use 100 year overload technology - dah! Lastly, the load sharing is what makes this panel so awesome. Though our place is small, it has all the modern conveniences and necessities - and this unit coupled with the Honda 6500is runs everything (except water heater - remember only 1 - 220 circuit) - without even breathing hard with a fuel burn of about 1/3 GPH. A big deal when fuel where fuel is above $6.00/gal! Overall, I say that this is one super slick little system. When I go to neighboring homes in the islands and see their huge boxes full of WWII solenoids I smile.
Date published: 2014-06-29T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Preliminary review Most excellent and professional looking design. Haven't installed yet but can provide some other observations. I would be nice to have a second 240v circuit. I might prefer thermal circuit breakers instead of fuses, but fuses are ok. The big issue I see is that there isn't a master off switch. I would think that if the unit can be turned completely off (totally passive mode) and still pass utility power would be ideal. Such a unit might even be an "Energy Star". After all, I'm 99.9% on utility power, except when things might get bad.
Date published: 2011-01-15T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Perfect ! Installed this 10 circuit transfer switch with an Aurora 6500w diesel generator and it works like a charm. We can power the whole house with lighting, the well pump (1hp on circuit 9 and 10) and electronics like TVs, dvr, computer, modem and router. The addition of a UPS is a must if you want the full functionality. That circuit is tied to the electronics in the familiy room which also power the backyard exterior ilghts, perfect to turn on the generator at night. Great product. No need to manually switch back from generator to utility. When power is restored, just shutdown the generator and power come back to the house.
Date published: 2014-05-01T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from UTS works Fine I Installed the UTS10bi myself and had no issues at start up.. the hardest part of the job was removing the knockout plug to install the optional hardwire kit(very difficult) the unit passed all tests at startup and auto start to the generator. would recommend this product for it's features of shedding and delayable circuits.
Date published: 2011-01-03T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Best Transfer Switch Available! We were looking for a transfer switch for our generator, and the ones they sold at Depot and other places were around $300 for a low-end 6 circuit manual transfer switch. I'm a bit of a tech guy, so I wasn't quite happy with my choices, until I stumbled on this on Honda's Generator Website. Load balancing, automatic transfer, multiple power sources, and even UPS support! All for $480 shipped! I couldn't go wrong! It came today and it was so easy to install and configure, we tripped the main breaker, and it took over switching to our generator as soon as we turned it on. This is THE transfer switch to get. My only disappointment is it took me so long to find it, since it's not advertised very well. Bottom line: If you need a transfer switch, buy this one!
Date published: 2010-03-20T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Pretty Decent All in all, this is a pretty slick transfer switch for the money. Easy to install, the wizard is decent with programming assistance and so far it works exactly as intended. The load shedding feature was by far the biggest perk for my situation. My generator is a Honda EM5000, which only leaves me with 4500 watts of usable power. My big ticket items were the hot water heater (my 240 circuit), furnace and microwave. With the hot water heater and furnace running, I'm around 4200 watts of connected load. If the microwave is needed, the peace of mind knowing the transfer switch will drop the hot water heater temporarily to let the microwave run (and then bring it back on after the micro is done) is fantastic. I don't have to worry about overloading the generator and losing all of my circuits as a result of the overload. I thought the 2nd backup source option sounded good on paper, but once I got it all installed, I found myself ordering a small UPS (APC Back-UPS Pro 1500, BR1500G) to complete the package. I had misread the documentation and thought you could only backup a single circuit off the UPS. Well thats not the case, as you can backup any circuit except #1, which feeds the UPS and #9&10, as they're the 240v circuit. It's really a great option, as my living room (where the TV and computer live, aka "sensitive equipment"), master bedroom and both bathrooms have now been set to "uninterruptible". Not only will this protect my sensitive/expensive devices from surges or brown outs, but if/when the power goes out, they'll stay on until I get the generator fired up. Run time isn't huge with the TV and PC on simultaneously, but it leaves enough lights on to navigate the house and just enough time to run outside and get the generator fired up. There are a few bummers though. #1: Fuses. I'd prefer breakers. The other bummer on the fuse situation is all the circuits come with 15 amp fuses (#9 & #10 are 20 amp for the 240V circuit though). Swapping them out isn't hard, but it was a slight hassle and they're not the cheapest fuses on the block. #2: The 1' pre-made whip to wire into the main panel. A 2' or 3' whip would have leveraged better mounting options. #3: The hardwire kit isn't included. I think it should be standard, or at least provide a knockout cover so you can remove the 30A twist lock receptacle. Standard knockout sizes didn't fit either, making it even more annoying. #4: Transition from backup source #1 back to utility isn't seamless. It will drop the load for a short period of time going from generator back to utility. The circuits fed via the UPS and that are set to uninterruptible won't drop, but it would be a bonus if nothing dropped when utility power is available again. All in all, its a great little transfer switch. It offers features that other transfer switches in the same price range don't. Easy to install, easy to program and so far it's been issue free. I'd definitely recommend it.
Date published: 2011-03-04T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Get rid of the fuses This unit works very well and is at a good price point for the function. My issue is the Expensive fuses that blow and require the panel front to be removed for replacement. A 20 amp fuse will blow before a 15 amp breaker trips that supports the circuit. Poor design. Even the manual transfer switches use circuit breakers. Fix the fuses and you have a winner of a product. With a 1500VA Smart UPS we are able to power all the house ceiling lights so we can see our way to connecting the backup generator. The tranfer back to utility power is flawless. APC is missing the boat by not having this product in wider distribution. The Honda brochure is the only place I have seen it advertised.
Date published: 2011-01-19T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from did not last Bought this in 2012 because of its features and design. Never had to use it due to a power outage, but it worked well when we tested it with the generator. Yesterday, all of a sudden and for no reason, 2 of the circuits and the LCD display went out. We called customer support and the answer was simple - Buy a new switch, they do not repair the units. Totally unacceptable!
Date published: 2017-07-05T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Quality and Support Issues Absolutely no support for Generator Auto start function. You have to search online to find how to hook up and to find the correct connector to circuit board. Also, my display is flickering after warranty period ended and instead of helping to find replacement display I was told to purchase a new unit. I am told the display is not user replaceable. I don't know who they think they are talking to but I am perfectly capable and have repaired many electronic devices. I was told the only thing the user is able to do is replace fuses.
Date published: 2020-05-15T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Good Option Based on previous reviews I was skeptical. But I am glad my people went with this solution. This worked well in our environment, and if I needed another transfer switch this would be my fall back.
Date published: 2018-12-18T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Great product Bought this for our generator in December for the upcoming spring severe weather and Hurricane season. We put it to use when the recent tornadoes tore through MS. So far I am very pleased.
Date published: 2020-05-01T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Using for over 10 years I’ve had this unit hardwired to my generator for 10 years. It has worked flawlessly! I also had a new boiler being installed in my home and the electrician had his apprentice wiring the boiler up. I have my boiler on a generator circuit. It told me there was a fault on that circuit. The young man had wired something incorrectly and this APC unit detected the fault. The electrician wrote down this info about my unit so he could buy one. I also love the load shedding, it not only protects the generator but allows me more versatility with electrical distribution in my home. I also like the programmable features. I see the onboard circuit fuses as a good circuit protection. The only advice I would give APC is to put a hinge on the face panel with butterfly twist screws, so the front panel can be opened easily for changing fuses if need be. If APC does that this unit is unmatched out there for an auto transfer switch. Even without the hinge, it is unmatched!
Date published: 2021-02-25T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Lead time At first I ordered this transfer switch though Office Max. They promptly cancelled the order back in January/Feb 2022. Perhaps they understood they could get the product. I reordered the Universal transfer switch from another vendor March 25th 2022. Since then the delivery date has been moved out several times. Most recently now to Feb 2023. APC whatever you are doing is broken. Change it. Why do people buy generators? Answer for emergency power. Who wants to wait an entire year for an component of an emergency power system. Terrible
Date published: 2022-11-28T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Yesterday's UTS Bought this to replace one just like it that had failed after 10 years use. I use it in my home to switch between my electrical service and a 6500W Honda generator 6500is. This machine was identical to the old one -- and that is unfortunate. Had it been modernized with a good IOT app and more contemporary hardware, I would have rated it 5 star. In addition, it has been unnecessarily limiting for 8 of the 10 circuits to be limited to 15 amps. Four of them, if not all of them, should have selectable amperage of 15 or 20. These units are sturdy and reliable.
Date published: 2019-07-10T00:00:00-04:00

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