Emergency backup with UPS

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ronaldrc

Senior Member
Location
Tennessee
Re: Emergency backup with UPS

Originally posted by ronaldrc:
[QB]
Originally posted by mikeackley:
[qb] Better mousetraps never come easy Ronald. ;) I'm still wondering about the possibility of accidentally back-feeding the UPS with commercial power. My guess is, if someone plugged the UPS output cord into the wrong receptacle (back-feeding the UPS), one of several things might happen, with the best case being either blown fuses or diodes...diodes often win that race. Using one dual-voltage receptacle with different socket/plug configurations would be a safety feature I would consider. Here?s one example I found in the Leviton catalog, # 5844.

Mike don't get mad or upset but everything in my house is ivory and I couldn't find your device in ivory just brown.

But I did find this old recpt. in my garage yesterday when I was cleaning it out.

Don't ask me where I got it but I'm going to check around I know I got it over the counter.

I don't like to have to order stuff and wait on it.

If anyone can help the cat. No. is 1453-52-HV
I think it is a Leviton product but I'm not sure
I think The HV stands for Horizontal and vertical but don't quote me on that.

Heres what it looks like.

;)
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
M

mikeackley

Senior Member
Location
Washington
Re: Emergency backup with UPS

OK Ronald.....here's a color coordinated combo in Ivory.

However, there is one thing I should mention about this one. The slot on the face plate screw points "upwards". :D


Combo.jpg
 
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ronaldrc

Senior Member
Location
Tennessee
Re: Emergency backup with UPS

Mike did you say these are two tone? What colors do they come in?

I don't really care about that slot feature as far as adjusting the hieght it want be seen anyway.

Ronald :roll:
 
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mikeackley

Senior Member
Location
Washington
Re: Emergency backup with UPS

Gezz Ron....Don't give up so fast. I was out in the garage painting one for you: Flamingo pink with a key-lime green faceplate. :p
 
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ronaldrc

Senior Member
Location
Tennessee
Re: Emergency backup with UPS

I no what you mean Mike I must have spent an hour and a half this morning in the garage cutting the bottom part of recpt. off before I turn it and glued it back on side ways then after that had to scan it theres got to be an easier way?
 
R

ronaldrc

Senior Member
Location
Tennessee
Re: Emergency backup with UPS

I no what you mean Mike I must have spent an hour and a half this morning in the garage cutting the bottom part of recpt. off before I turn it and glued it back on side ways then after that had to scan it theres got to be an easier way?

Sorry about the double post I hit something by mistake before I was done and it did that.

Ronald :roll:

[ April 06, 2003, 03:41 PM: Message edited by: ronaldrc ]
 
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mikeackley

Senior Member
Location
Washington
Re: Emergency backup with UPS

ronald: Back to that screw-ball receptacle you found in the garage. Could you have picked that up at an electronics/computer store? I know I've seen them, possibly at Comp-USA, Staples, or Office Depot. That configuration and others I've seen permit two 3-pin low-voltage transformers to be plugged into a duplex receptacle. I'll have to check at Office Depot next time I run into town.

[ April 06, 2003, 05:10 PM: Message edited by: mikeackley ]
 
dereckbc

dereckbc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Plano, TX
Re: Emergency backup with UPS

Ron, I am getting in this late, but what kind of UPS are you shooting for? Static or standby? :confused:

A staic UPS is online 100% of the time. There is no interuption of service and completely isolated from input.

Standby UPS has a relay which connects the input to output during normal operation. When power fails the output relay is switched to inverter. They are used where momentary interuption can be tolerated, while the relay switches.
 
R

ronaldrc

Senior Member
Location
Tennessee
Re: Emergency backup with UPS

Hi :) Dereck

I didn't no there was a difference I guess they need to be static then.I didn't want any drop out on it.

My main concern is are the outputs designed to run 100 percent of the time or several hours?

I'm not that familiar with UPS units I have a 500 va on my computer and the reason I wouldn't want to use one like it is it has no cooling fan and would probably burn up at a prolonged use.

I think the larger units have cooling fans?

Ronald :)
 
don_resqcapt19

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
Re: Emergency backup with UPS

Dereck,
Aren't there standy type of UPSs that use solid state switching and transfer fast enough to keep a computer from crashing?
Don
 
dereckbc

dereckbc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Plano, TX
Re: Emergency backup with UPS

Don, yes. It is still called a static UPS. I was just trying to keep it simple. Static UPSs fall into two basic designs.

1. Rectifier/Charger: Sometimes called a double conversion unit. Where the line is rectified to dc. The DC is used to charge batteries and continuously operate the inverter.

2. Line Interactive: Or single conversion. Utility power is not converted into dc (actually it is, but only to charge batteries). It is fed directly to the critical load through a magnetic transformer. When power is lost the battery/inverter takes over and feeds the magnetic inductor or transformer. The term ?Line Interactive? means the inverter interacts with the line ac to buck, boost, or replace the incoming power.

UPSs get more complicated than what has already been mentioned like "parallel redundant" and "isolated redundant". Topic for another day :D
 
R

ronaldrc

Senior Member
Location
Tennessee
Re: Emergency backup with UPS

Hello Dereck

I have worked around all types of UPS units just have never taken any interest in them other than knowing how to throw the manual bypass switch in case of ups failure.

I always assumed the name implied it funtion Uninterruptible Power supply I was not aware some units had a power dropout on transfere that would cause problems or shutdown of electronic gear.

Are any of the smaller units say below 1500 VA capable of running long periods of time without burning out?

Ronald :)
 
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hurk27

Senior Member
Location
Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
Re: Emergency backup with UPS

I think a good system would be UPS for critical circuits that could not sustain a electrical drop out of power, I.E.:computers,some lights.TV's that would have a memory problem, then a stand-by generator to pick up the load after a few minutes. this would insure longevity if a prolonged electrical outage would occur. UPS units are expansive and are hard to maintain and don't take to well running for long periods of time. battery's tend to loose effectiveness after a while too. so to depend just on UPS for power backup would not be cost effective. I have run inverters for power before and had a good system setup when the snow storm hit in march 1998 we were out of power for two weeks. I had two 3000 VA units set up in the garage with 12 deep cycle battery's powering them and a set of cables going to my work van that had an auto start bull-dog system that would automatically start the van if the battery's got below 11.5 volts but I could only run a few lights and the furnace and refrigerator apart and not together as it would be too much on the inverters and we couldn't watch the tv as the cable was also out as with the internet.

In the van it worked great as I never needed to lug a gen-set around and didn't have to carry extra fuel for it. with just five batterys and a 3kw inverter and a built up alternator (180 amp) I could work all day and the van would only start once to charge the batterys.
 
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