Issue 27.16
In the computer sense, UPS does not stand for United Parcel Service. It stands for Uninterrupted Power Supply. Many people do not have one of these or even know what they are – but they should.
Also known as a Battery Backup, these units are about the size of a large brick and about as heavy. They consist of a battery, a power cable and a number of power outlets (usually 6 to 8). Of these power outlets, usually about half are marked Battery Backup and the other half are marked Surge Protected.
Why do you want one of these rather than the cheaper surge protectors? The first reason is that many of the glorified power plug bars on the market that are advertised as “surge protectors” do not protect you from any but the most minor power surges. When the power goes out or power lines are hit by lightning, it can create a momentary surge of power either from the lightning or when the power returns. These surges can be very powerful with higher voltage, but even more dangerously, extremely high amperage. I won’t get into discussion here of the difference, but suffice it to say – if either of those items hits your computer, monitor, flat panel TV, DVR, Satellite or dish receiver or even your refrigerator, it can damage key components and make them work strangely or shut them down altogether.
What a UPS does is that it supplies power to your equipment from an internal battery rather than from the wall plug. That power is regulated so that not only the voltage and amperage do not vary, but the power is “clean” which means that static, electronic noise and other things that can make your equipment run strangely are not part of the equation. The battery is simply continuously charged by being plugged into the wall. If the power fails, it ceases to charge the battery so eventually the UPS will turn itself off. However, you have some time (usually from 15 to 30 minutes) to shut things down normally and you are protected when the power comes back on regardless of whether than happens in two or three seconds, or two or three days. The amount of time the UPS stays on after a power failure is dependent upon how powerful the battery is and how much power is being drawn from it. A high end computer with two or three monitors and a printer will drain a UPS much faster than a laptop running by itself.
I recommend that every computer you have be plugged into a UPS on the battery backup side, especially this time of year when there are a number of thunderstorms, power outages and brownouts. The UPS is especially good when brownouts (voltage dropping because too many people are using their air conditioners at one time) occur. Normal voltage on house wiring runs between 115 and 120 volts. When that drops below 112 volts, many different types of control circuits can be affected and even damaged – especially those in computers. I also recommend you think seriously of plugging your flat panel tvs, dvrs, receivers, etc. into a UPS because, guess what? All of those items are run by small computers inside them that can also be damaged.
You can find these items at most electronics stores including Best Buy, Staples, Walmart and even Costco. Prices for the basic UPS start at $40 or $50 and go up to around $200 for the more powerful ones. It is a good investment, but remember that you will likely have to replace the unit or at least the battery inside about every three years – and remember to always have a backup of anything important.
Shaun McCausland has worked in the computer industry for over 33 years, 26 years of it locally with Bits ‘N’ Bytes and Musicomp and currently works as a computer consultant. If you have questions you can reach him at 435-668-7118 or shaun@musicomp.net.