While not all UPS (uninterruptible power supplies) are created equal, the real question you should be asking is not ‘which is best?’, but ‘which is the best for you?’ In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know.
In a nutshell, an uninterruptible power supply is an electrical system that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source or mains power fails/is interrupted.
A UPS is invaluable in a commercial office setting for a number of reasons, namely:
If you want to remain consistent and reliable in your work no matter what, a UPS is an excellent addition.
So, which factors are most important when choosing the best UPS for your requirements?
You need to calculate the power required by each device that you will be protecting before settling on your UPS. Doing so can help you determine the necessary power capacity.
How much time do you need in the event of an emergency? For example, if you have a backup generator on-hand, perhaps 5-minutes of runtime from your UPS will be sufficient enough to fire up the backup generator?
Think about how many different devices you will need your UPS to support and then ensure that your UPS will have enough to meet both your immediate needs and facilitate future growth.
Another commonly overlooked factor is form. Do you need a tower model that sits on the floor or a desk? Or will a rack-mounted UPS be more appropriate for your setup?
And of course, what type of battery do you need? Would you favour more backup power in the same space, or a similar capacity in a smaller space? The type of battery you opt for will determine this.
Finally, you’ll need to think about which additional features you can benefit from. Do you want LCD screens displaying critical info such as battery health and current power conditions? What kind of software will you be using to maintain your UPS?
There are many UPS manufacturers on the market today, but the following three are almost certainly the current leaders:
APC by Schneider Electric has some awesome smart UPS systems that are worth exploring…
Eaton is a power management titan whose products can be found in over 175 countries. You can view Eaton’s product range here…
Vertiv has gone through many evolutions over the years, arriving at their impeccable power management products today. You can view the full product range here…
Everyone claims to have the best uninterruptible power supplies on the market. Again, what you need to do is determine which UPS is best suited to your requirements. You can view our full catalogue of UPS products here.
Below are some of the more frequently asked questions. If you can’t find the information you are looking for, please do not hesitate to contact us today and we’ll gladly assist you.
While a UPS does provide second-level protection against surges, it isn’t considered a ‘primary surge protection device’. As such, having a UPS and a surge protector installed together is often recommended.
This depends on a wide variety of factors, however, the average UPS can provide around 5 to 10-minutes after a power outage. Again, if you need more time you will have to choose your UPS system accordingly.
Yes. While UPS systems are typically used for computers in a commercial office setting, they can be used for other hardware such as printers, photocopiers, routers, medical equipment, and any other devices that are deemed as ‘essential’ and must continue operating with a power source in the event of a power outage.
Yes. Eventually, you will need to replace your UPS’ batteries (whether you’ve relied on the UPS often or not). The average lifespan is some 3 to 5-years.
A rule of thumb is to simply tally up the overall wattage of every device that you plan to connect to your UPS system—which will give you your load. Following that, multiply the load by 1.25 and voila, you will have determined your UPS capacity requirements.
Unfortunately, not. Lightning carries such a large amount of energy so quickly, that surge protectors and UPS devices are unable to protect against them.
Isaac Prakash
Author