View Full Version : Surge Protecter/Backup Question
SpottyFish
10-19-2005, 05:18 AM
So, I'm staring at a $1000.00 repair bill from the company that services our point-of-sale equipment at the restaurant.
We had a little issue with our computer last month, and lets just say we need a new surge protector with battery back up.
How do I go about shopping for one of these things? There's so many different kinds (brands, levels of electrical protection, etc). All we need to protect is 2 CPU's and 1 monitor.
Comments, Suggesstions?
no7ah
10-19-2005, 05:22 AM
best buy and circuit sity usually have good ones. ask around there. i just have my computer shut down when power goes out
PapaHerb
10-19-2005, 05:53 AM
check out newegg.com
Usually cheaper than Best Buy. Try APC as a trusted high quality brand they will warrant their product and your equipment up to a certain dollar amount depending on how high end you go. Just remember to fill out your warranty card.
The Voice
10-19-2005, 02:10 PM
I would say best buy, and for 3 plugs I would go with a 5 plug one just in case!
SpottyFish
10-19-2005, 05:45 PM
What would you recommend as far as volt-amperes (VA) protection? I see a lot of different levels of protection and I'm not sure what's best for one monitor and 2 CPU's.
no7ah
10-19-2005, 05:52 PM
newegg is a hassle if it doesnt work though. i always used to buy from them
The Voice
10-19-2005, 06:22 PM
Well, it really doesn't matter if it's 6 computers and 3 monitors, it's how bad weather is around you.
The higher ratings are for higher surges (lighting strikes nearby)
Lower are for basic surges (power outage due to rain)
You probably want to look for one rated 200-400 joules...ask the guy at the store he will know which ones are.
Maybe a little more expensive than $5, but at least your computer won't crash!
Also keep in mind your going to want one with a indicator light!
SpottyFish
10-19-2005, 06:40 PM
Ahhh....okay. We don't get a whole lot of lightning around here, but it has been known to happen.
Thanks for all your help guys!
The Voice
10-19-2005, 06:55 PM
Yeah go with the 200-400 then, if your close to lighting you would go with like a 600
i did POS work for advanced auto parts and all Limited Brands store. i only trust Triplite and APC. Triplite cost more and they are always my first choice. Their battery backups are awesomely reliable and the backup power supply last longer then what they say for the models. APC also has good quality equipment, but they also make low end home user stuff too. Just buy the bigger and more expensive one if you go with APC. also read the box to make it will do everything you need to do. both companies also make sweet surge protectors. for a good trustworthy one that will actually protect your POS equipment, look to spend at minimun of 50 dollars each. the cheap 10.00-20.00 dollar ones are a joke and serve only as an extention cord. read the details about the equipment, take your time and choose one that fits your needs.
this is what i order for our stores.
http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=17
http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=142
http://www.apcc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=PRO8
SnowGeek
10-19-2005, 11:51 PM
You might also try CompUSA. The people there seem to be more knowledgeable than Best Buy. There's also a Fry's in Wilsonville if you want lots of choices.
I've also been happy ordering from Newegg. Their site has lots of information and reviews, and they ship pretty fast.
jason
10-20-2005, 04:02 AM
You are getting mixed recommendations. If you in fact need a battery UPS, don't mistake it with a simple surge suppressor. Just as important as the load you will be placing on the device is the desired runtime on battery. If you only need a few minutes to safely power down the computers then you can get a smaller UPS and if you need lets say 20 minutes of run time you’d have to go bigger. Give APC a call and they’ll be able to tell you exactly what the load is. Or you can go on their website where you can calculate the load yourself. Basically you’ll want to read the Amperes off the back of each device that you plan on plugging into the UPS and for each device, multiply the Amperes times the voltage. Some power supplies operate from 100-240 volts but power to your outlet should be between 100-120. After you calculate the volt amps (V x A) then add them together and you will have your total load. To choose a ups, lets just take any unit like lets say a 1000VA (1kVA) and we have calculate the load to be 500VA. Assuming the device has a full load time of 6 minutes you would have roughly 12 minutes of run time. Here’s a chart to help. It shows your full load run times as well as a nice matrix listing estimated run times under different loads.
http://apc.com/products/runtime_for_extendedruntime.cfm?upsfamily=165
I just put in an APC Symmetra 16kVA system in our server room and we are drawing around 7.3kVA. It’s really a sweet system!
Oh and make sure if you by chance go with a larger UPS around 1.5kVA+ that you have an outlet on a 20 amp breaker vs. 15.
SpottyFish
10-20-2005, 04:51 PM
If you in fact need a battery UPS, don't mistake it with a simple surge suppressor.
Uhm....yeah, I'm not *that* stupid.
jason
10-20-2005, 05:47 PM
Uhm....yeah, I'm not *that* stupid.
I only mentioned that because of the following post.
Well, it really doesn't matter if it's 6 computers and 3 monitors, it's how bad weather is around you.
The higher ratings are for higher surges (lighting strikes nearby)
Lower are for basic surges (power outage due to rain)
You probably want to look for one rated 200-400 joules...ask the guy at the store he will know which ones are.
Maybe a little more expensive than $5, but at least your computer won't crash!
Also keep in mind your going to want one with a indicator light!
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