Power Protection and UPS Blog

It’s interesting that people assume the electricity that comes out of the mains power supply is as pure as distilled water. It isn’t. It is contaminated by all sorts of ‘nasties’ that can lead to sags, surges, brownouts, harmonics, flicker, frequency deviations, interference, interruptions, distortion as well as complete blackouts. In turn, these problems can have dire consequences. Firstly, they will shorten the life of equipment by causing wear-and-tear and they can also cause complete breakdown.  

With computer systems, these problems are magnified as equipment tends to be sensitive to fluctuations in voltage current. They can result in data corruption or loss, which for many companies may be devastating in terms of business continuity, reputation and customer service. In extreme cases, harmonics for example, has been known to cause fires.  

What can be done?  

UPS is the answer. Not only does it protect equipment from complete mains power failures, it also contains filters and conditioners that keep the voltage current to within an acceptable level and cushion against many of these problems. This can be helped with a little insight and research into which power problems are most prevalent at your site, their magnitude and frequency. This information will enable you to choose the right solution for you. Large sites may benefit from power monitoring, a service offered by specialist (like Riello UPS) to record disturbances over a specific time period.  

For more information about power problems visit Riello’s website.

‘Tis the season to be jolly – and why not?  You’ve worked hard all year; you deserve to ease off the peddle in December. Trouble is, that’s when people often become less vigilant and succumb to the distractions of the season; parties, shopping, planning the holiday, tying up loose ends and so on. It takes the focus away from power continuity and power protection and it is then that Murphy’s Law dictates something is bound to go wrong. So, here are a few simple steps to ensure your season goes with a bang but that you don’t end up powerless:  

• Now is a good time to test your UPS system under load conditions to ensure it is working and can provide the capacity you need to keep critical systems up and running.
• Check cables and connectors for wear-and-tear and replace any that are worn or loose.
• Check that all critical equipment is connected into the UPS feed and that non-essential kit is not (remember: printers should not be plugged directly into any UPS as they can cause a surge on start-up and are usually categorised as non-essential).
• Check and test UPS batteries and battery strings and if necessary refresh with new ones.
• Check all other consumables such as fans and filters.
• If an alternative power supply (Diesel generator, fuel cell of flywheel) is on-site, include it in a test scenario, check fuel supplies and replenish if necessary ensuring there is plenty in store (fuel prices sometimes increase in winter and it may be difficult to source supplies particularly over the holiday period).
• If you have remote monitoring software installed, make sure it is the latest version and test communications equipment and cables. Check messages can be sent and received. 

 The Power Protection Guide covers all aspects of operating UPS systems including testing and maintenance.  Merry Christmas!

It is so important to make sure that your UPS and generator (where installed) are ready to work when they are called on in anger. Many people do carry out simulated tests. We came across this page from the Information Services team at Nottingham University. Even though their UPS (not supplied by Riello) and generator passed the simulated power failure, they uncovered some issues that they intend to work on.

One thing we have recently launched is a new range of hire services for load banks and generators. Load bank hire is proving particularly effective for customers who want to test their UPS off-load during preventative maintenance.

There are situations where UPS have failed earth loop impedance testing. There are good reasons for this and we have prepared a Technical Questions Answered Page on the subject.