UPS & or Surge Prot suggestions/recommends

today | me

[discostu]

Whatever is at Ace Hardware has always been good enough for me. Unless you live in an area with really flaky electricity, the tech of a surge protector really isn’t that exciting and more expensive gains you nothing. Plug design and outlet layout, those matter.

[rarestia]

APC UPS provide both battery backup AND surge protection. They offer a $1M warranty if any equipment is fried while plugged in to a properly functioning UPS.

I have dozens of them and give them as gifts to family and friends. When the batteries go out, just go to a local purveyor of batteries, trade in your old for new, and it just keeps going.

[CGASMIA68]

also surge only is OK because the PC is no longer on an RJ45 feed, wire less.
All I care about is my PC.
I will protect the Cable modem for a power hit but not the RG6 feed in.
I rent that.

[Justa]

I use the APC BX1300G. For longevity be sure the UPS’s batteries are the standard 12V bricks sold by Amazon, etc. for around $17 a piece. When they go it’s much cheaper to replace them than buying a new UPS.

[Drago]

Have used APC in the past, current have a Cyberpower similar to this:

https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/promotions/pfc-sinewave-ups/

No problems with it over a couple of years. I think the build quality is the eq. of APC w/o the higher price.

[mad_as_he$$]

Go APC and don't look back. I have 30 of them at work and not one problem in 10 years. Of course the battery(s) need to be replaced every 5 years or so.

[Cold Heart]

After a couple years the battery in my UPS went bad. I took apart the “No User Serviceable Parts Inside” case and replaced the gel battery. I got a few more years out of it until the electronics went bad.

Now I have a surge protector (recommended by IT guy) protecting my electronics. I put my standby power system separate. I have a deep cycle Interstate battery on trickle charge and a 1000 watt inverter in a box waiting for use.

I designed my system for long term power outage. Generator to recharge battery as needed.

[daltec]

For surge protection, there are some good-quality Made in USA options available, but they will cost you. High quality, though, and of a different technology than the MOV surge protectors that are what you find nearly always. Example: Zero Surge. 10-year warranty, and limited degradation that you get with MOV surge protectors. They aren't designed to blow themselves up protecting your stuff, in other words.

If that is more than you wanted to spend, then just get the highest joules and lowest response time, at the price you are willing to pay. I have always had good luck with Tripp Lite Isobars. Over 3000 joules, under 1 nanosecond response time. About $60 for 6 outlets. I use them for home and for my office where I am the "IT guy."

You may wish to invest in a good-quality UPS, also. As with surge protection, you can get made in the USA units, but they will cost you. Eaton is a good example of that, but beware, some of their units are made in China, and some of their units (even TAA-compliant ones) are "assembled in USA." Also, the batteries themselves will almost certainly not be made in the US, for any unit you might wish to buy.

That being said, at home I use Tripp Lite online dual-conversion UPSes (not the rackmount versions). At work I use rackmounted CyberPower dual-conversion units, because I could not justify the cost of Tripp Lite rackmounts. Dual-conversion UPSes provide battery power and protection greatly superior to "normal" stand-by UPSes (especially in an area like mine that is susceptible to brownouts and sags). But they come at a price. They cost substantially more, they are much larger and heavier, and they are noisy.

However, if you have critical or sensitive equipment downstream, that depends on clean, stable power, a dual-conversion UPS means that equipment will never even know the mains power has fluctuated (until the battery drains, that is). With stand-by UPSes, even if it only takes a few milliseconds for the battery to engage, some equipment will react poorly to the interruption in power.

If that is not a concern for you, then a decent 1500-va UPS can be had for $150-$200 or so. APC and Tripp Lite are fine. As with MOV surge protectors, there isn't much difference between them, at this price point.

I hope this helps!

[Drago]

Forgot to mention, the “best” are “line interactive” and sine wave.

[matt04]

I have used APC and TrippLite. For me I use a MacBook Pro so really didn’t need a high VA as I only wanted to run my modem and router. I splurged and got one with a larger wattage battery so I could have internet for about 2-3 hours in a longer outage, luckily I have yet to test that for that long.

The manufactures usually have a online calculator where you can plug in your load and it will recommend a unit.

[mass55th]

Sorry to hear you have to deal with all those storms that come your way. I live in Central New York State, and other than a thunderstorm or two, we don’t get the weather you get down in Florida.

[CGASMIA68]

My APC was taken out by a Summer T-Storm in Ct 2 years ago.
Never replaced it till now. PC is wifi now so just protecting the 110 side, may go UPS for another 50/75 bucks.

I do like these Zero Surge guys may call them Monday and see what hey recommend for just my iMac and cable modem

[CGASMIA68]

Yes

[PIF]

You get what you pay for. APC is a good brand, Belkin not so much anymore. Getting one with a high Joule rating is best. Also consider battery backup.

[mass55th]

Good luck. I hope you’ll be able to get what you need, and want, without going broke.

[PIF]

ZeroSurge 8 outlet units are around $250-300

[IAMIUBU]

With a little research, one will find the million$ warranty is not helpful.

[trebb]

I have an APC - been trouble-free for close to 2 years now.

[CGASMIA68]

I have heard that for a long time.