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Choose an Uninterruptible
Power Supply!
(UPS)
Choose an Uninterruptible Power
Supply:
By Raymond Garcia
WebTechGeek.com
Uninterruptible Power Supply: An uninterruptible power supply or (UPS)
is the best way to protect your computer hardware and
documents from power fluctuations. It also lets you continue
to work during brief power failures. You can sometimes
find wattage and volt-amperage of your computer equipment
in the manual or on a sticker on the chassis. Whether
you need EMI and RFI protection depends on the quality
of your electricity and the amount of other electronic
equipment in the vicinity of your computer.
Mains power is continually plagued by surges,
sags, spikes, transients, EMI, RFI and even complete failure,
all of which affect sensitive electronic equipment. The
key benefits to having UPS protection and support are:
Avoiding costly hardware damage Avoiding data corruption
and loss Avoiding costly and inconvenient down time Enabling
remote monitoring and control of power requirements Enabling
unattended orderly shutdown in the event of mains failure.
Uninterruptible Power Supply tips. Remember to come back to WebTechGeek.com for more How to's.
There are basically three types of UPSs:
Standby, Line-interactive, and On-line.
Standby: (sometimes called "off-line")
With this type of power supply, power comes directly from
the A/C outlet until the voltage sags or the power fails.
After the power sags or fails, a battery powered inverter
almost immediately turns on to continue to supply you
with power. Batteries are charged, as necessary, when
direct A/C power is available. Even while power is coming
directly from the A/C outlet, the UPS provides protection
from voltage spikes and surges. Standby units are the
low cost solution in the UPS family.
Line-interactive: Just like the standby
units, line-interactive UPSs provide protection from spikes
and surges, as well as supplying auxiliary power if a
voltage sag or a blackout occurs. Unlike the standby units,
line-interactive UPSs provide automatic voltage boost
when the power dips, without accessing the batteries.
This feature provides continuous lined conditioning, promotes
longer battery life, and eliminates electronic "noise"
that can cause minor application errors and loss of data.
On-line: On-line UPSs provide the
highest quality of power protection by using a double-conversion
technique. The UPS takes the incoming A/C power and recreates
it by converting the voltage to D/C, then conditioning
the power to eliminate noise, sags, or surges, and, finally,
converting it back to A/C before it exists the UPS. Since
the power runs continuously through the inverter, there
is no transfer or switching time to battery mode in the
event of a blackout. Uninterruptible Power Supply tips. Remember to come back to WebTechGeek.com
for more How to tips!
Tips:
1. If you have a limited budget, choose
a standby (also called "off-line") UPS that switches to
battery power when power goes out. And choose an "on-line"
UPS if you need unlimited backup power.
2. Select a "line-interactive" UPS if your
needs fall between the two other types. Determine the
total power needs (in watts and volt-amperes) of equipment
you will connect to the UPS. Choose a UPS that equals
or exceeds the total power requirements of the equipment
that you'll connect to it.
3. Compare the following five specifications
for different models: maximum surge current (expressed
in amps - more is better), surge suppression (expressed
in joules - more is better), suppression response time
(faster is better), battery recharge time (faster is better),
and number of AC outlets (more is better).
4. Find out if the unit under consideration
has a replaceable battery, and if the battery is user-replaceable.
And compare battery operating times (how long the UPS
will keep equipment running after power failure).
5. Look for a unit with modem surge protection
and electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio-frequency
interference (RFI) noise reduction if you need those features.
6. Check for alarms or LEDs that indicate
wiring problems, whether the equipment is running on UPS
battery, and whether the battery is low.
7. If you are buying a more expensive unit,
get one with software that automatically saves documents,
closes applications, and turns off equipment when power
goes out. Uninterruptible Power Supply tips.
TIP: Compare warranties and insurance
guarantees. Uninterruptible Power Supply tips.
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