UPS + surge protector?

[D749]

So I'm in the market for a UPS. I'm leaning toward an APC Smart-UPS (980 Watts & 1440 VA - that should cover the PC in my rig) but the one thing I don't like about the APC UPS units is the low surge energy rating most all of their units exhibit. I tried to find a good explanation on the APC forum in regard to the low surge energy ratings but did not get very far.

Naturally one would turn to a quality surge protector (e.g., Brickwall, Surge-X, Panamax, etc.) to address this deficiency. However, everything I read says NOT to use a surge protector either before or after a UPS.

So is this a load of crap or what? The more technical the explanation the better!

Thanks.

[jdrom]

My guess would be that since the UPS can provide power, it uses that to help minimize surges and then the actual surge protector circuit is just a secondary measure.

[SpazBoy357]

Using a surge suppressor AFTER a UPS is pointless; assuming you are going to buy a quality UPS. The output power of a good UPS should be free of harmful surges. (And why bother buying a crappy UPS?:D)

As for using a surge suppressor BEFORE a UPS, I have no idea why the manufacturers stick to that old line about not doing it. None of them have ever been able to explain it to me either.

On my last job, I installed PC-based voicemail, IVR, and telecom systems. I always used Panamax surge protection and plugged the UPS into that. All my equipment then got plugged into the UPS. In more than 10 years, I never had a failure related to a power surge, even through lightning strikes that smoked other equipment in the same room. I did replace a few burnt out Panamax units, but that's what they are there for.

Obviously, YMMV and there are probably people with experiences that are the opposite of mine that will tell you to never do what I did, but it worked fine for me.

[Serra]

This is the reason and unless you plan on plugging some other high-draw equipment into the surge protector (or buy some really cheaply made surge protector) it's pretty thin...



Plugging a surge protector into your UPS: Surge protectors filter the power for surges and offer EMI/RFI filtering but do not efficiently distribute the power, meaning that some equipment may be deprived of the necessary amperage it requires to run properly – causing your attached equipment (computer, monitor, etc) to shutdown or reboot. If you need to supply additional receptacles on the output of your UPS, we recommend using Power Distribution Units (PDU's). PDUs evenly distribute the amperage among the outlets, while the UPS will filter the power and provide surge protection. PDU’s use and distribute the available amperage more efficiently, allowing your equipment to receive the best available power to maintain operation.

However, please note that the UPS is designed to handle a limited amount of equipment. Please be cautious about plugging too much equipment into the UPS to avoid an overload condition. To understand the load limit of your particular model UPS please consult the User's Manual, or visit APC's Product Page at www.apcc.com/products.


Plugging your UPS into a surge protector: In order for your UPS to get the best power available, you should plug your UPS directly into the wall receptacle. Plugging your UPS into a surge protector may cause the UPS to go to battery often when it normally should remain online. This is because other, more powerful equipment may draw necessary voltage away from the UPS which it requires to remain online.

[Speederlander]

Plugging your UPS into a surge protector: In order for your UPS to get the best power available, you should plug your UPS directly into the wall receptacle. Plugging your UPS into a surge protector may cause the UPS to go to battery often when it normally should remain online. This is because other, more powerful equipment may draw necessary voltage away from the UPS which it requires to remain online.
This assumes other items are drawing off the surge protector. I would guess that if you got a high joule surge protector and had only the UPS on it, to make up for UPS lower rating, it would be fine. As far as I can tell. :shrug:

[SpazBoy357]

Plugging your UPS into a surge protector: In order for your UPS to get the best power available, you should plug your UPS directly into the wall receptacle. Plugging your UPS into a surge protector may cause the UPS to go to battery often when it normally should remain online. This is because other, more powerful equipment may draw necessary voltage away from the UPS which it requires to remain online.

In other words:


Unless you are a complete moron who is going to plug your surge suppressor and UPS into the same outlet as your microwave, refrigerator, washer, dryer, and curling iron (all at the same time), you should be fine. But our lawyers say we gotta cover our asses because idiots are everywhere.