Can I maxout my UPS from time to time?

[BillP]

Hi,
sometimes the load of my PC goes up to 870W, it is rare but it may happen.
When pushing the graphics cards hard the average is 800-820W.

I'm using a BackUPS PRO 1500VA 865W.

Is this a problem for the peripherals or the UPS?

What happen if I put a load of 870 or 880W on my UPS?
Can I damage it?
Can the UPS damage the attached peripherals if I put 880W on it?

Thanks.

[Anonymous user]

If overloaded while running from the battery, the UPS will shut down. Damage to anything is unlikely. (You might lose any unsaved work, or have to run a verification routine on your file system if the UPS shuts down suddenly.)

It's best to keep your UPS loaded to within no more than 50-60% of its output capacity. That way you have room for future expansion, and you'll get longer runtime, longer useful lifetime of the UPS and longer battery life.

[BillP]

Isn't there a tolerance?
UPS must works until 865W as avertised by APC, will it shut down at 866W?

[voidstar_apc]

Yes, there are tolerances. An 865W UPS will provide more than 865W. Also, the SmartUPS and maybe the BackUPS can tolerate a brief overload to accommodate inrush current. But the exact margins can vary and shouldn't be relied upon. If you care about your load staying up, pair it with an appropriately sized UPS.

[BillP]

A minute of runtime is enough for me, I don't care about runtime.
I can save and close all in a minute.

With 870W load my UPS can give me up to 4 minutes of runtime, more than enough for me, as I said the runtime is not my problem, the problem is if the UPS can survive a spike of 870 or even 880W without damaging itself, my peripherals or shutting down itself for overload.

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Any Smart-UPS 1500, 2200, 3000 can be used in the home but you need to be aware of the power requirements. Any unit that is larger than 1500 KVA will require a circuit larger than the standard 15 amp house hold circuit (U.S. standards). The larger the load placed on the UPS the larger the load that is placed on the home circuit. 

Example: SMT2200i 230 V requires input connector IEC-320 C20, Schuko CEE 7 / EU1-16P, British BS1363A

Max Configurable Power (Watts) 1.98 KWatts / 2.2 kVA