So you’ve decided to make the upgrade from mere surge protector to fully-protected uninterruptible power supply (UPS). Nice choice!
An uninterruptible power supply combines surge protection with a battery to keep your electronics running long enough during a blackout for you to save your work and shut down. Plus, use of a UPS can reduce energy loss by 30-55 percent. UPS devices can also improve the quality of the power your devices receive.
However, there are many models on the market offering a range of features, some of which are quite pricey. In order to save money on your UPS purchase, figure out what you need and find a place to buy it at a discount.
You should always shop around before making any big purchase. The advantage of buying from a computer store as opposed to a general retailer is the quality of information and advice you get. Here are some of the best places to begin your quest for the lowest price.
As with any electronic device, all UPSs are not created equal. Here’s what you want in your UPS, and what you should steer clear of.
Think about what you’ll use your UPS for. If you will be a light home user or even a small office user, you don’t need all the features that would be critical for a larger scale operation in a data center or server room.
Line-Interactive UPSs will give you batter backup, surge protection and brownout protection, meaning your computer will continue to operate at a safe voltage level during fluctuations in electricity supply. Some line-interactive models will also provide overvoltage protection, shielding your devices from damage, and pure sine wave output, which supplies ideal power levels for equipment that is especially sensitive.
CyberPower CP1000AVRLCD Intelligent LCD Series UPS 1000VA 600W AVR Mini-Tower 1000VA/600 Watts UPS system - Protects PCs, workstations, and home entertainment systems. Prevents data loss and protects electronic equipment from harmful power problems.On-Line UPSs provide a more extensive set of features in addition to the basic functions, including overvoltage protection, pure sine wave output and online operation, which gives you instantaneous transfer time to battery power.
Standby UPSs are the most basic and inexpensive model. They stay in standby mode until an outage occurs, then provide battery power to your computer so you can save your work and shut down.
CyberPower CP350SLG Standby UPS 350VA 255W Compact 350VA/255 Watts UPS system - Protects PCs, peripherals and personal electronics. Prevents data loss and interruptions that can cause lost product configurations.At the very least, you want to have enough battery life for the time it will take your computer to shut down safely. However, you need to factor in not just battery life for the operating system, but also for the monitor and any other equipment that will be plugged into the UPS.
If you’re into math, you can calculate the energy usage of all your equipment yourself. The easier approach is to use manufacturer estimates of battery life based on the size of the battery. These estimates tend to be conservative, so if anything you’ll end up with a little more than what you need, which is a much better situation to be in than not having enough.
There are also online calculation tools that help you find the ideal UPS and battery size based on an estimate of extra power you may need for future devices, your optimal equipment runtime after a power fail and the voltage system you use based on your country. For example, you may only want the minimum time needed to shut down your computer or you may want an hour or more to continue working after an outage.
It may take some time and research to find the best UPS for your needs at the best price, but putting in this effort will pay off with peace of mind. Now that most people work at home at least occasionally, protecting your equipment and your data with a UPS is more important than ever. Since severe weather events are likely to become more frequent, power outages and brownouts will also become more common. Protect yourself now to avoid a data disaster in the future.
Image credits: Negative Space, Marcin Czaja, Declan TM