Do use a UPS or surge suppressor?

Do you use a UPS or surge suppressor?

  • UPS

    Votes: 62 75.6%

  • Surge suppressor

    Votes: 20 24.4%
  • Total voters
    82
pendragon1 said:
its buried under my desk, it seems ok, even though i know i should have better...
cyberpowers used to be cheap crap, they have come a long way since the '00s. APC is what i usually recommend too.
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I remembered another thing about surge protectors.
There should be one of those neon-like bulbs that basically signal the fact the surge protection is still "good". I have one like that in the protector to which I have my UPS plugged into.
Once that light goes out, it means the surge protection is now compromised and needs servicing.
Attaching a photo of mine. Sorry for the quality, it's, like yours, stuck under a desk somewhere. The bigger light is your typical rocker on/off switch, and the small red eye is the supposed "protection good". I'm not 100% trusting it, however, because that surge protector is way old, and they typically don't last as long before becoming dumb power strips.

IMG_20230516_084912426.jpg
 
UPS all the way over here. Comes in handy if the power flickers, filters power and if the power it out for a long time, a way to charge devices! lol. They also act as great power strips and have enough connections for my PC and peripherals.

I generally run them down to 10% every 6 months as a test (and half sort of conditioning as they are lead batteries). I find I will get 3~4 years before the batteries start to go, but when they go, they tend to go fast. My local MicroCenter tends to have the replacements.
 
I used to use a UPS, but the power around here has been damned stable so I didn't bother replacing them last time the batteries died. I might get UPSs again someday. I know they're better, but it just hasn't been a priority. Ok, so I'm slacking. I do have some pretty solid lightning protection on my comms line though. Optical fiber between my router and core switch. So basically if anything other than my cable modem and router get zapped it'll be coming in over the power line.
 
I happen to make use of an APC line r1200 line conditioner and two Te respondieron en Apc Easy Bv1000i
 
Jumpem said:
I am curious what people are using for their PC. I noticed that the APC UPS that I am looking at is rated at 1080 joules, but some of their standalone surge suppressors are rated for a much higher number of joules.

I don't necessarily care about being able to run when the power goes out. I just don't want harm in the PC not being shut down properly.
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UPS is the safer option.
 
The more I learn about how SSDs react to power fail (even some with power loss protection) the bigger my UPS gets...
 
What annoys me is that there are no professional/expert comparisons or reviews of UPS options. Any comparisons you find online, even the ones not written by a bot, are clearly non-expert and are comparing purely based on the marketing of each product, which obviously isn't useful at all.
 
Yes, under and overvolt happens all the time in Texas, only phase is guaranteed by the power utility providers. When I did MV switchgear and industrial power ISO/QC work almost always used Eaton in the control rooms or buildings. Do not ask about price, all out of consumer budgets with their load requirements. We energized a bldg. that was built for the French (50Hz) when our 60 Hz power was accidently applied it was instant destruction.
 
I've been using Cyberpower pure sine wave units in almost every room for a decade now, with surprises and no dead equipment at the tail end of a brownout or blackout. I am to get about 6-7 years out of a battery.
 
We moved a couple weeks ago, and since the cluster computers are now all in the office, I bought two new BR1500MS's for everything in the office. The old BR1000 is in the room where my wife's computer is.

Apparently the line power in this area, or maybe this building, is garbage. The UPS's have already prevented two crashes due to power fluxes. Each crash would have taken down all 9 desktops. (I know, because I heard the cursing from the neighbors!)
 
PC-Only said:
What annoys me is that there are no professional/expert comparisons or reviews of UPS options. Any comparisons you find online, even the ones not written by a bot, are clearly non-expert and are comparing purely based on the marketing of each product, which obviously isn't useful at all.
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I remembered your post and came upon this youtube vid from Mr. Carlson's Lab.
Modern APC unit (post-Schneider electric)

cliffs:
- started making scary arcing noises,
- F2 / F4 error code and constant beep on turn-on,
- conclusion: the impressively heavy transformer apparently had aluminum windings, instead of copper, and the bonding between copper and aluminum was dodgy

So, yeah, just an example sample of 1 device model. I'm with you on the fact we need a reputable UPS reviewer.
 
michalrz said:
I remembered your post and came upon this youtube vid from Mr. Carlson's Lab.
Modern APC unit (post-Schneider electric)

cliffs:
- started making scary arcing noises,
- F2 / F4 error code and constant beep on turn-on,
- conclusion: the impressively heavy transformer apparently had aluminum windings, instead of copper, and the bonding between copper and aluminum was dodgy

So, yeah, just an example sample of 1 device model. I'm with you on the fact we need a reputable UPS reviewer.
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Wow. Really disappointed the transformer was terminated to the wire this way. How much did they save by soldering instead of a proper mechanical connection? Did they just not know any better? Either way it should never have been done.
 
mtrupi said:
Wow. Really disappointed the transformer was terminated to the wire this way. How much did they save by soldering instead of a proper mechanical connection? Did they just not know any better? Either way it should never have been done.
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Yeah, what annoys me is whenever we (users and reviewers) find where a manufacturer is cutting costs by sacrificing quality, and somehow strong-arm them to improve upon those areas, they quietly come up with another "bright idea".

Then there's the shady bait-and-switch they pull off by sending a souped-up unit for review, while the retail ones end up with - for example - thinner wires (like in the [H] PSU reviews - [H] [H]ad to source review samples from retail channels to obtain the real picture).

I guess now we need to add checking the transformer wiring to the list.

My list already contains some real "gems" I have to ask the manufacturer/reseller about. For example - is there even a transformer? :D
I had some el cheapo units that were transformerless. I know they can work just fine, but I find it worrying.

Silly bullet point 2: can the UPS be turned off? Without having to pull the plug? I need that feature - I don't want to leave stuff semi-active and unattended for some period I know I won't be able to oversee things.

Silly bullet point 3: "Sine-wave output while on battery backup" - How "sine"?
I connected some audio crap one time to an "approximated/modified sine wave" style UPS... BZZZZZZZZZ...
Swapped for a higher model (pure sine wave) - worked perfectly.

Silly bullet point 4: My UPS is called "Ever ECO PRO 700 AVR CDS".
Funny acronym city aside, you'd hope the "700" denotes true power. Nope, 700W apparent power.
Real power - 420W.

Silly bullet point 5: Can the UPS be turned on without being plugged in? If I need a power source I can use on the go for some measuring/inspection hardware - I have to make sure it can "cold start". Neat...

There are obviously more, but you get the gist.
 
III_Slyflyer_III said:
I generally run them down to 10% every 6 months as a test (and half sort of conditioning as they are lead batteries).
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I don't believe this is accurate. Lead acid batteries (unless specifically marked deep cycle) like to be topped off and stay there. The more frequently they are cycled down, and they deeper they are cycled down, the shorter their life tends to be.
 
OFaceSIG said:
I don't believe this is accurate. Lead acid batteries (unless specifically marked deep cycle) like to be topped off and stay there. The more frequently they are cycled down, and they deeper they are cycled down, the shorter their life tends to be.
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So I discovered this like a month ago... you do need to cycle them, but no more than 50% down or you cause it's life span to shorten. At the same time, never cycling causes the same problems.
 
OFaceSIG said:
Interesting, that's news to me. I'll have to do some research.
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Yeah, I read an article that said performing a 50% drain every 4~6 months can help some of the sulfation that occurs over time. The heat generated during the discharge and subsequent recharge can help with that. No clue if that is snake oil or not, I'm not an expert in battery maintenance, I only know the theories in how each type of battery works, but can't say I have dug into this past "Eh, worth a shot anyway as I like to test these every so often to see if they still work". I end up replacing batteries about every 3~4 years in my UPS devices it seems.
 
III_Slyflyer_III said:
Yeah, I read an article that said performing a 50% drain every 4~6 months can help some of the sulfation that occurs over time. The heat generated during the discharge and subsequent recharge can help with that. No clue if that is snake oil or not, I'm not an expert in battery maintenance, I only know the theories in how each type of battery works, but can't say I have dug into this past "Eh, worth a shot anyway as I like to test these every so often to see if they still work". I end up replacing batteries about every 3~4 years in my UPS devices it seems.
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I have a lot of UPS units and rarely pay attention to how long it's been when I need to replace the batteries. But 3/4 years sounds about right.
 
I've got two APC units. The SU-1000 for my computer and a Back-UPS 650 for my TV and router. Got them both around the early 90's and they still work fine although the SU-1000 has a slight buzz from the transformer. Once I source them it will be solder time!
 
Not really. I mean, I've used them here and there but I don't think they necessarily saved anything. I'm guessing their usefulness might depend on where you live.

If you're running a server where it's extremely important for it to not go offline in the case of a power interruption, then yea, a UPS would be necessary.
 
-zax- said:
Eaton makes great UPS units.
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That seems to be the consensus I read, but the problem is I keep reading that their line-interactive UPS models are loud due to cheap cooling design, whereas APC/CyberPower line-interactive models I don't read that complaint often. Of course, I see the complaint for all online / double-conversion models I have found so far regardless of brand. Are the Eaton line-interactive noise complaints legitimate?
 
PC-Only said:
That seems to be the consensus I read, but the problem is I keep reading that their line-interactive UPS models are loud due to cheap cooling design, whereas APC/CyberPower line-interactive models I don't read that complaint often. Of course, I see the complaint for all online / double-conversion models I have found so far regardless of brand. Are the Eaton line-interactive noise complaints legitimate?
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yes many of them are fan on full all the time vs fan only when on battery or at least reduced speed when not on battery.
That said they will operate at higher room temperatures without throwing an error.
In an industrial setting the Eaton will be running after the others error out.
 
Have you tried running something like home Assistant that's set to detect power outages and initiate shutdown before the ups runs out? Fairly straightforward to do heaps of guides out there too. Only ask as a UPS is only good if your near the PC
 
In Florida so I have always always used UPS. We get so many random flickers here.
 
-zax- said:
Eaton makes great UPS units.
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They do, but like many companies now they have entered the home market and those low end models share many common traits (and flaws).
If you truly need no break (0 transfer time), continuously conditioned power, you must use double conversion or ferroresonant models. And particularly with the latter, they have significant costs. Worth it if truly needed.
 
I know this is an old thread, but I'll put my vote in for a UPS with one caveat. You need to calendar your battery replacements. If you want to be overly cautions, once every 2 years. I would not go past 3 years though. If you wait until the UPS tells you to replace the battery, it's already too late. Most won't tell you until there's a power outage where both you and the UPS figure out the batteries are shot and you end having zero up time with just enough power to trigger the alarm.
 
In all my years in PC's I have never owned a UPS. Never seen the need for them in my usage. I always go with a quality surge protector.
 
Niner said:
In all my years in PC's I have never owned a UPS. Never seen the need for them in my usage. I always go with a quality surge protector.
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I was in this boat until one of the electrical lines in my neighborhood went bad, and we started having severe brownouts during storms. This fried some valuable equipment.
 
Power in my area is stable but I have a wife that doesn’t understand circuits and power budget. She routinely plugs her hair tools into the master bedroom outlets instead of the bathroom because the bathroom gets “too hot” our equipment closet is in the master bedroom and shares the circuit. Since I added the ups to the closet she only disrupts her own business instead of taking the entire house offline.
 
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