BR1500LCD - Unit placement and use with power strip

[Anonymous user]

Hello,

I Just bought this fine UPS unit. A few questions before I set it up:

1) I know it is advisable not to place the UPS next to any serious electrical devices such as PC Monitor, etc. My question is whether it is ok to place the UPS on top of my PC tower?

2) Is it possible to use a decent extension power strip (such as this one: [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812120239]) in either of the following two ways:

i. Plug in the extension power strip to the wall outlet ==>> Plug in the UPS to the extension power strip == >> Plug in all equipment to UPS

ii. Plug in the UPS to the wall outlet ==>> Plug in the extension power strip to UPS ==>> Plug in all equipment to extension power strip

If both of these scenarios is possible, which is more advisable? Note that the extension power strip also offers very strong surge protection that is even better than the one offered by the UPS (extension power strip rates at 3540 joules!!!).

Thank you in advance.

David

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc]

David,

I would not place the UPS on top of the tower. Chances are the UPS weighs more than the tower, mainly because of the battery. If you can place them next to each other, should be fine, as that's how mine is setup currently with no interference.

As for question #2. Any non-apc surge protector whether upstream or downstream of the UPS voids the warranty and EPP as it introduces a problem of which manufacturer is liable for the surge.

[Anonymous user]

Thanks for your response.

OK, suppose I were to purchase an APC extension power strip. How would you now answer my second question?

Thanks again.

David

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc]

For an APC surge on #2, you'd want to use it downstream, unless you're only using the surge strip upstream for the UPS and nothing else. Downstream, if it goes into the battery backup side, make sure you don't exceed the VA capacity for the UPS. If on the surge side, there's no concern there.

If it's upstream of the UPS with other devices attached, they will all fight for power, increasing the possibility that the UPS goes to battery suddenly for no reason.

[Anonymous user]

Sorry, I must be daft or something, lol.

Could you please explain what upstream and downstream means exactly. And as per your earlier answer, which option did you suggest that I use? 2.i or 2.ii?

Thanks.

David

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc]

Upstream means between the wall and the UPS. Downstream means between the UPS and the load.

I didn't formally choose 2.i or 2.ii because I'm unsure of your setup. If you have other equipment that's going between the wall and UPS on that surge strip, I'd advise against it. If you're plugging that equipment into the UPS and want to use the surge strip, just don't exceed the VA capacity on the battery outlets.

[Anonymous user]

"I know it is advisable not to place the UPS next to any serious electrical devices such as PC Monitor, etc. My question is whether it is ok to place the UPS on top of my PC tower?"

UPS will annoy CRT monitors, because CRTs are incredibly sensitive to magnetic fields, more so than just about anything else. You can put it next to just about everything else.

On top... no. that's dangerous. It makes the computer top heavy that it might topple over.

Using a SURGE PROTECTOR on the output side of the UPS is not a good idea as the surge protector will try to absorb some power when the UPS goes on battery due to UPSs modified square wave output. It will reduce the life of your surge protector every time UPS goes to battery.

A powerstrip.. like this is fine to use:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3444827&Sku=T105-1260. This is what you want to do if you have a lot of wall warts for devices you want to be protected.

On the input side of UPS, despite what Notorious said, it's fine to use a power strip OR a surge protector.

"fighting for all the available power" is not a concern at all if you're using a power strip to power those low power devices running on wallwarts that takes up a substantial amount of space. It's a concern if you're going to connect your fridge, toater, microwaver, laser printer etc into it.

I have a router,a cable modem, external hard drives, a USB hub... each taking no more than 20W, but each one of them uses a wallwart, so I use a power strip to put them all under battery protection. Use a large power strip with spacing intended with wallwarts in mind or a power squid to power wallwarts. Don't plug them directly into the back of UPS as the warts might not fully and fall out.

Message was edited by: KVAr

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc]

>

A powerstrip.. like this is fine to use:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3444827&Sku=T105-1260. This is what you want to do if you have a lot of wall warts for devices you want to be protected.

On the input side of UPS, despite what Notorious said, it's fine to use a power strip OR a surge protector.>

The warranty on the UPS won't be upheld with that upstream of the UPS. It would have to be an APC surge protector.

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

KVAr said:

"Using a SURGE PROTECTOR on the output side of the UPS is not a good idea as the surge protector will try to absorb some power when the UPS goes on battery due to UPSs modified square wave output. It will reduce the life of your surge protector every time UPS goes to battery."

That can't be true! If that were true, many power supplies would go bad quickly when powered by an UPS. All the components found in surge protectors like "X" capacitors, "Y" capacitors, inductors and MOVs are also found inside many power supplies! The transient filtering stage componentes of a good power supplies are often better than those components found inside surge protectors, except the MOVs that come in bigger number on surge protectors, but that doesn't mean they'll start conducting energy when powered by stepped sine wave, or will they?? Please explain me why would an MOV stat conducting in this situation. If that is true, this shape of wave is not good for your power supply either, and nobody should use this kind of UPS anymore. If an UPS damages a surge protector, it WILL damage the PSU as well!

Btw, surge protectos do not absorb anything, they shunt overvoltages to neutral (which is grounded) and also to the safe ground (green - yellow/green) wire. MOVs do not absorve anything and those used on 120V surge protectos will only start conducting energy well above 120V. If an UPS is allowing more than 120V RMS while on battery, something is not right.