An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or Uuninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) is an electronic device with a rechargeable battery designed for the short-term supply of energy to personal computers, home appliances and other devices in the event of a sudden change or disconnection of the voltage in the electrical network. After all, no one wants in the moment to lose all the information, regardless of whether you are going through a computer game, typing text or working with code. In case of a sudden shutdown of the PC, all data may be irretrievably lost. Not to mention what can happen with the “iron” itself.
We will tell you about how to navigate a large number of sold UPS. What parameters to pay attention to and how to choose the right source to protect your equipment, so that in case of force majeure save yourself nerves and money.
Varieties of UPS
The most important thing you need to decide is which device you want to protect. What problems with electricity do you have at the place of operation of these devices - how often are the power surges, whether the lights blink. If such problems are rarely observed, and you are going to connect a small number of devices, we recommend taking UPS with backup power supply. Such devices are cheap because they are low-powered. When the electrical outlet of the optimal values, whether it is a voltage drop, or its complete shutdown - the UPS switches to work from the built-in battery and returns to normal when energy is generated. The advantages of such devices are that they are fairly low noise, sometimes compact, and also have high QDP and low heat generation. Switching time from the network to the battery is about 10 ms.
If voltage surges in the region of 180-195 V and its disconnection are common, then you should choose line interactive UPS. Such devices contain absolutely all the functionality of a backup UPS, featuring a voltage regulator that allows you to adjust the voltage at the output of the network. In terms of efficiency, line-interactive UPSs occupy an intermediate value between backup and double-conversion UPS. The transition time from the mains supply to the battery is about 2-4 ms.
If you choose a UPS to protect a large number of sensitive equipment, such as server and workstations, then you need to pay attention to double power conversion uninterruptible power supply. Such a scheme for building energy produces an ideal voltage for the network. Such a device continuously converts alternating current into direct current, regenerating it then again into alternating electricity. Due to this, the transition time from the mains supply to turning on the battery power is zero. That is, the transition occurs instantly.
Power
Ask about the technical characteristics of the equipment that you plan to protect, namely - what is its power. Choose an uninterruptible power supply with a power reserve of 20-30% of the planned network load. For example, an uninterruptible power supply with a power of 300-500 watts is enough for you to protect an ordinary personal computer. To protect a gaming computer with a large monitor and some peripherals, you will need a UPS with a power of 700-1500 watts.
If you still have certain questions, you can always turn to the websites of the UPS developers.In which there are special programs for calculating the power of a personal computer based on your parameters.
Duration of battery life
No UPS provides endless time in the absence of electricity. After a power outage, you only need a standard 5-7 minutes to safely save and shut down. A computer server may require a little more time. Therefore, be sure to specify how many minutes or hours the UPS is able to operate until the battery is completely discharged. You can also choose a UPS with the ability to connect an additional battery. In any case, the battery life is indicated in the instructions, or on the official website of the manufacturer.
Other selection criteria
- According to your needs, choose a UPS with either computer outlets of IEC-320-C14 standard or Euro-sockets of CEE 7/4 standard. We advise you to choose the device with which these sockets are combined. After all, who knows, the need to protect what device you may have tomorrow ...
- You should also make sure that you can replace the battery yourself, since its service life is usually 3-5 years. If self-replacement is not possible, then the device will have to be sent to a specialized service center.
- Indication also plays an important role. It is much more pleasant to observe the state of the system through an informative LCD display, rather than through LED lights. It should be borne in mind that you will have to pay for the functional information, when only LEDs are installed on a budget UPS.
- The presence of USB ports will allow you to save all your work on a personal computer in automatic mode. For these purposes, special software is used. Very convenient - after all, when a power outage you may not be nearby.
- RJ11 and RJ45 connectors protect your telephone and local network from overload. If you need this option, do not miss the opportunity to use it. As a rule, even cheap models have these connectors.
Common customer mistakes
- Choosing the wrong type of UPS can easily lead to frequent battery replacement. The fact is that with a regularly jumping voltage in the network, the budget device often switches from to the built-in battery, spending its resources. That is why in such cases, the purchase of a linear-interactive UPS is recommended.
- Before choosing a device, correctly calculate the total power of your devices, otherwise, in the event of an overload, the UPS will simply shut down.
- Keep in mind that over time, battery capacity decreases, while reducing battery life. Replace the batteries in time so that the UPS will not turn off at the same time as the electricity.
- You should know that double conversion sources are quite noisy. Some buyers were unpleasantly surprised by this.
