To begin with, a brief explanation of how an uninterruptible power supply (UPS or UPS, which is more familiar to us) works. If there is electricity at the input, the uninterruptible power supply transmits it to the connected devices on its own, and some models also provide high-quality voltage stabilization. If the power fails, it instantly switches to battery mode and continues to power the equipment. When the external power supply is restored, the source will automatically switch to network transmission and charge the batteries in parallel. A powerful uninterruptible power supply is the best alternative to a generator: it starts instantly, protects household appliances and electronics from voltage fluctuations, requires no maintenance and refueling, runs quietly and is environmentally friendly.

How to choose an uninterruptible power supply for the home

Suitable for a large number of household appliances, TVs, computers, washing machines, etc. It is difficult to imagine a modern home without it. Almost all of this equipment is subject to power surges. The easiest way to protect household appliances from electromagnetic interference and voltage fluctuations is a network filter. However, it does not protect against power outages. Devices that are more sensitive to the quality of the power supply, such as a computer or external hard drive, are better protected with uninterruptible power supplies for computers. Its internal battery provides power during power outages, leaving time to store valuable information in the event of a power outage.

A classic explanation for needing a UPS is when the computer shuts down due to a home power outage and you lose valuable files that you didn’t have time to recover. However, their usefulness is not limited to computers. UPS is also an advantage. In the case of burnout, the cost of new equipment can be measured in tens of thousands of hryvnia, and the supply of uninterruptible power supply will be much cheaper.

So, first you have to decide For which devices do you need an uninterruptible power supply?. After all, a UPS for a computer, a boiler, a heating pump, a refrigerator and other household appliances is not suitable.

For the right choice, you need to decide on the answer to 3 questions:

• What exactly needs an uninterruptible power supply? – a separate household appliance, a group of appliances or the whole house. The answer to this question determines the power and the average load. Calculate the required power available in each device with the information.
• battery life. It is necessary to calculate the battery capacity.
• Input voltage quality. It can be both high-quality and stable, and low-quality, that is, reduced, increased or “jumped”. In the first case, inverters are recommended, in the second case voltage stabilizers or an online UPS are required.

Which ones

• The simplest and cheapest options are offline uninterruptible power supplies for a device or inverters. They have no stabilizers and if your home has constant power surges, it will constantly run on battery, which will shorten its lifespan. It can work with solar panels.
• Considering the best options linear interactive UPS with voltage stabilizer. Basically these are offline inverters with a built-in low accuracy stabilizer.
• The online UPS has the maximum possible voltage stabilization, filters out all network interference and voltage spikes, but may require installation in an isolated room as they make noise from the cooling fans. It is used for the most sensitive equipment (medical, server) with a low-quality input network, and in the presence of household appliances and premium electronics.

how to choose power

To select the power of the UPS, you need to know the power of the equipment connected to the UPS and select a UPS whose power is slightly greater (by a margin) than the maximum power of the load. It is desirable that the excess was about 20-30%.

Energy consumption is calculated in watts by adding the appropriate number from all devices you will connect to the UPS. This information can be found on the chargers or on the devices themselves.

Working time

The uptime the UPS provides power is the most important issue. Backup time depends, in each case, on the capacity and equipment being protected.

Working hours can begin Reach 5 minutes and 20 or more minutes. There are also options that can support up to several days of operation (with external batteries).

Display UPS

All uninterruptible power supplies inform the user, for example, of switching to battery-operated mode with the help of sound signals. In addition, the UPSs are equipped with LED indicators that indicate various statuses, for example, when the battery needs to be replaced. A UPS with an LCD screen gives all the information on the screen and this can be much more convenient.