How to Choose the Proper UPS to Protect Your Small Office Computer?

UPS… What is it? Universal Power Supply, uninterruptible power supply, uninterruptable power supply … They are all correct terms for this essential device for protecting your computer and expensive equipment. The line interactive UPS at Eaton is so important that you actually need to look at how it’s powering you right now. Are you using the old wall-wart power supply the computer came with? Are you using solar? Do you have a backup generator? All of these can cause problems with your computer. While this article will primarily focus on selecting and buying the proper UPS for home offices, there will be useful information for any small businesses or large businesses planning on buying new or replacing their existing model.

UPS systems solve basic problems

UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) is reliable equipment designed to protect sensitive, mission-critical electronic equipment against power line disturbances. Analysis and tests carried out by the company’s experts and other independent organizations show that, under fault conditions, UPS keeps your computer running for about 60 seconds. This allows you to safely shut down the system and prevent data loss, possible damage, and abnormal behavior of the system components.

Decide its Size, Type, and Battery Backup (Autonomy) Time

The Voltage rating of a UPS is usually listed in Volt-Ampere (VA) units. If you buy a UPS for your home computer, make sure the rating is at least 350VA. The Watt rating or power consumption rating is usually 245Watts. A UPS unit has a kVA rating, which signifies how well a UPS can take a voltage dip and not lose precious work minutes. It is the most important parameter. A UPS of more than 350Volt Ampere (VA) or less than 350VA won’t be able to hold up your computer power. However, any computer running on more than 350VA draw should invest in more than just a UPS backup power source.

Home computer users have a large selection of UPSs to choose from. There are three categories of desktops that use backup power. The first is for protection against utility outages, the second is for protection against voltage surges and utility outages, and the third is voltage deviation beyond set limits, transferring to battery operation.

A Line Interactive UPS is an innovative solution for computer protection in case of power failure. A-Line Interactive UPSs extend all the functions of a Standby UPS, plus have a special power supply able to correct mains voltage variation without transfer to batteries, thus ensuring continuous operation at low or high voltage without switching to batteries, providing a work environment with a higher level of stability and security. In addition, the AVR allows the UPS to respond instantly to possible overload conditions.

Make your purchasing decision

If the cost of L6 backup power is not higher than the cost of an extended Power Battery and you don’t plan to run any critical loads, then perhaps the L6 size UPS battery backup is not needed, and an additional battery may be put to better use elsewhere if it’s not 20% expensive. There is a price difference between the extended and normal UPS batteries. So it is important to choose the UPS, which can provide higher backup time at a cheaper cost. For example, you have a load of 1000 VA and 600 watts which draws 12 Amps. The total energy consumed by the load is 12. 

The biggest big ups are 5000 VA to 6000 VA. However, there are many ups of small capacity 150 VA to 600 VA, connected to computer or server for voltage and current regulation. Any ups has a battery module loaded with lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, or nickel-metal hydride.