Posts Tagged ‘UPS system’
APC Batteries – Do They Last Long?
For alot of people / company’s an APC battery is the foundation of their workstation. This is particularly true when your primary ups power supply is, in fact, less than entirely reliable. For instance, people who live in areas where storms are a regular occurrence. The not knowing of how long your APC battery will last, can nonetheless, leave you feeling very vunerable and insecure. To help keep your APC batteries in check we have provided a simple guide for you.
Always play safe, is an important tip to remember when relying on APC batteries to keep your computer, network or work station up and running. What this means is that you should be ready and willing to replace your APC batteries before they expire, and not after.
An APC battery is meant to be used as an emergency power supply, and as such, different rules apply than if you were talking about some double A batteries for your remote control. You can replace your remote control’s batteries when they run out because not being able to change the channel is hardly an emergency situation.
APC batteries need to be replaced regularly just as you would regularly replace the 9 volt battery in your smoke detector, whether you know the battery to be expired or not. It might or might not be expired. If it’s still working, it might save your life in the event of a fire, but if it’s not, then the only way to find out is to have the smoke detector fail to make a sound when there is a fire.
The best way to go about replacing your APC batteries is to use the warranty as a rough guideline. Most APC batteries will last beyond the warranty, simply because that’s the only way to stay in business (you won’t last long in any industry if you find yourself living up to every warranty you issue). Once the warranty runs out, you can usually expect the battery to be reliable for some time after, but it’s wise to replace it as soon as is convenient.
The warranty, then, can be seen as a “minimum possible performance” guideline. An APC battery that is made well, is only guaranteed to last as long as the warranty, but in reality, it will probably outlast the warranty.
Most manufacturers and retailers, that are reputable, will in general, will offer a one year warranty. Some may offer shorter or longer warranties, but one year is generally considered to be as long as the average APC replacement battery should be expected to last with any degree of reliability.
In short, treat your emergency power supply like your emergency safety kit. The batteries in your flashlight might still be okay, but if they’ve been in there for a year, the last thing you want is to find out they’re dead when a hurricane knocks your power out. Have power solutions to hand for your ups system before anything major goes wrong.
UPS Systems – What Are They?
Summary: Most commonly used are the small UPS contraptions that can conveniently be placed alongside a desktop PC to power it in case of a utility failure. The ideal protection against brownouts and spikes, however is not provided by this. This is the reason why you need to have a proper UPS system that can supply energy as well as shield your PC.
An UPS system is basically an on-line system that has the ability to transform AC power from the main source to DC power to be stored in the battery and back to AC power to be supplied to connected equipments during an unexpected power failure. This type of UPS system not only is able to provide an uninterrupted power supply but can give complete security against spikes and brownouts.
UPS systems generally refer to more than one UPS working in conjunction with another UPS, thereby providing superfluous energy and better security to equipments. The lead acid batteries can last anything between 4 to 5 years and are the most common battery used to store the power in the UPS system.
The capacity of these UPS power supplies is determined by the usage requirement that can be evaluated by the number of equipments that will ultimately use its power source. As they support a vast number of equipments, it is essential that a regular scrutiny of the systems be maintained so as to ascertain proper service at all times.
The energy however maybe restricted to say a few days or a week, as the UPS systems are not able to provide unlimited power. A generator is therefore a necessity for backup purposes. Safeguarding your equipment from brownouts and spikes is essential. These two work together supplying a vast number of pieces of equipment uninterrupted power supply and is something you should consider not being without.
There are three types of UPS systems available that include on-line, line interactive and standby UPS systems. The standby UPS is the least expensive and can provide protection for up to 20 minutes. It however, only offers very simple attributes such as surge defence and backup energy. This makes is extremely vulnerable to any sudden unexpected collapses in the system, as it does not have the ability to monitor or self-test the potential of the battery. If you are looking for something reliable, then this should not be considered.
The line interactive UPS is more or less like the standby UPS but for the fact that it consists of an autotransformer that can plus or minus power coils and in turn control the output electrical energy of the transformer. It can withhold low voltage brownouts and high voltage surges. An on-line UPS though similar in technology, has a more powerful charger and an advanced cooling system and costs much more than the other two UPS systems.
The standby and the line interactive UPS systems are not rated as highly as the on-line UPS system. This is due to the fact that it offers a protective electric firewall between the inward bound energy and the vulnerable equipment. It is hence a more feasible option if you are considering buying a UPS system.