Windows

Always Use Protection!

Posted by on Mar 23, 2007 | 5 Comments

In last night’s email newsletter (picks@lockergnome.com), I linked to a video question submitted through my EyeJot video widget. Recently, Aaron asked a question about Uninterruptible Power Supplies. I suggested getting a unit that included Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR), subsequently hyperlinking everyone to a classic story on UPS batteries. Fellow Lockergnome subscriber Brian Newell submitted:

Regarding Aaron’s question about UPS, wouldn’t a line conditioner or isolation transformer work just as well? It sounds like there are no true power outages so a battery backup might be overkill (although that’s not necessarily a BAD thing). After a quick check on tripplite.com, comparable MSRP pricing on Tripplite products are $172 for a 1200 watt line conditioner (LC1200), $400 for a 1000 watt isolation transformer (IS1000) and $599 for a 940 watt UPS (TE1200). And, yes, I realize that an isolation transformer in a home is overkill. Whoever heard of the need for an electrical circuit in a home to be completely dedicated from other circuits just to run a computer? Although if you’re talking about an expensive home theater system or the downtime someone might experience while waiting for replacement components after electrical damage.

I’ve been largely satisfied with Belkin’s line of hardware, but I’m also wondering what you use? How do you protect your electrical equipment?

[tags]line conditioner, power outage, ups battery[/tags]

  • http://www.members.cox.net/mdn7779/rightclick/rccs.htm Mike Nelson

    Dear Gromys,

    For years I have always had problems with power fluxing where I live. Brown outs were as bad as if not worse than power outages. It seemed that I would go through computers like people go through shoes.

    After a lightening strike which melted the power connection to the motherboard, I said enough is enough. I bought a APC PowerChute Personal Edition UPS, 350. Even though I had to make sure I had a good ground wire to the outlets in my computer room, I have returned my money many times over. So much so that I even bought one for my wife’s computer.

    Brownouts are as bad a power spikes. Because the power in many cases come back up acting like a mini lightening strike. I will hear both alarms go off through out a given day many times as it takes over because of the small window that my power has to operate in. If it goes outside that window, the power backup takes over and the computer doesn’t even know it. It constantly at times click on and off and I know my computer doesn’t even know it.

    In the amount of time I have had the UPS units, I have in the past gone through two computers. I am using a 3 year old computer I built myself, and she is humming alone as if brand new.

  • Mike (from a 3rd world country)

    It appears that the respondent hasn’t been overseas! Power outages/interruptions – scheduled or unscheduled, “brown outs”, storms and other “acts of god” are pretty much common place here. Sometimes it seems as if someone sneezes the power goes out! I reside in the Philippines; not in a major city like Manila. Usually, if you go for more than a least a week or two without interrupt, you can get a bit paranoid wondering if the power will go at any time! This line voltages here, depending on where you live, various greatly and can really play havoc on all electronic devices. The primary line voltage here 230vac. I don’t have an UPS yet but want to get one. I do, however, have an AVR on my computer, monitor and such, to at least attempt to keep the line voltage steady. Not too long ago I had to repair my TV as the voltage levels finally “killed” my TV. My feeling about UPS w/AVR is the best way to as it allows you maintain voltage levels and, in the event of an interruption, allow you to properly/correctly shut-down your computer.

  • http://www.real-time.org E. Douglas Jensen

    As noted, UPSs, line conditioners, and isolation transformers have different purposes; and most PC users need the former and not the latter two.

    Google will provide explanations of these devices. Suffice it to say that the best type of UPS generates its own AC power so the load is totally isolated from the utility power. Unsurprisingly, these cost a great deal more than the ordinary UPSs that pass utliity AC through, sometimes with some regulation against sags and surges, until a utility power failure causes them to generate AC (some approximation thereof) from their batteries.

    Everyone knows they should have transient protection for virtually any electronic device running on utility power. Unfortunately the ubiquitous MOV-based products are undependable because their circuits rarely are designed to provide complete protection — and worst of all, MOVs wear out as they suppress transients, without any indication of their degraded performance. If I used these MOV powerstrips, I’d replace them at least once a year, or more if I lived in a known problem area such as northwest Florida. Instead, you are far better protected with an entirely different technology, that is (you guessed it) much more expensive in the short run but less expensive than replacing your destroyed computer system. I recommend you start by reading the documents by Zero Surge. I have been a very happy customer of Zero Surge for decades, without a single power transient induced problem. I use rack mounted Zero Surge PDUs for all my computer equipment, and the standalone suppression boxes at the utility outlets for all other electronic equipment.

  • http://davidprentice.com David Prentice

    I use the Cyberpower series of UPS on my mission critical machines. Out here in rural Western Washington, we are subject to occaisional power outages during severe weather. These handy devices have saved my “data” several times. A quality UPS will actually run the power off of the battery through an inverter. And that is inherently better than the power out of the wall socket.

    As for the other devices, everyone should use a surge protector at a minimum. A few years ago a friend of mine lost every electronic device due to a surge. A line-conditioner will merely give you that nice sine wave that electronics love. The isolation transformer does just that, removes any physical connection to the power grid. The conditioner and the isolator offer no real protection. They are more suited toward areas with poor power regulation from the utility. And they will probably sacrifice themselves in a real emergency.

    “Whoever heard of the need for an electrical circuit in a home to be completely dedicated from other circuits just to run a computer?”

    Have you seen my garage lately? : )

    Just my two cents.

  • http://www.Hogans-Systems.com Rick Hogan

    I’ve been using various UPSes on my home computers for close to 10 years now. My first UPS was a Cyber Power unit. It worked perfectly well and lasted several years.

    My second UPS was a no-name-brand unit that was on sale somewhere for an incredibly cheap price. I thought it would be junk, but it actually worked perfectly well for a couple years until failed. It was still under warranty, though, so I was able to get a replacement unit which is still working today.

    Although I was under the impression that Tripp-Lite was a good brand name, I only ever had one Tripp-Lite UPS and it started having problems shortly after I got it. I was so disappointed with it that I never bought another one.

    Another UPS I was disappointed with was a Conext brand unit, which is supposedly made by APC. I bought this unit for my server because I thought it was supposed to be more of an industrial strength UPS. The problem with was that every time there was the slightest power glitch, it sent the signal to the software to say “the power is out, shutdown the system!” and Windows 2003 would start shutting down, even though the power was only out for a few seconds. The unit was still under warranty, so they send me a replacement unit, but I still had the same problem with it. I finally replaced that UPS with a Cyber Power unit which has been working fine.

    I have 3 working Cyber Power UPSes now and I am very happy with them. My only complaint about the Cyber Power units is that, when running on battery, they introduce a buzzing sound into the connected equipment. My speakers buzz, picture-tube monitors buzz, etc. That only happens when running on the battery though.

    My favorite UPS is an APC XS 1500. It is huge and powerful, and it does not cause the buzzing noise in connected equipment the way the Cyber Power UPSes do. So I use the APC unit to run all my audio/video recording/editing related stuff.

    Rick