Uninterruptable Power Supplies

An uninterruptable power supply, or UPS for short, acts as an emergency back-up power source in the event of a power outage, giving you enough time to safely shut down computers, servers, and other devices.

What's an Uninterruptable Power Supply?

Put simply, you can think of an uninterruptable power supply as a big battery bank. When everything's working as normal, as UPS will pass power from the wall through to whatever's plugged into to, like an extension lead, all while charging its internal battery. If the power were to cut out for any reason, the UPS would then instantaneously swap over to battery power, ensuring that none of its device shut off unexpectedly. The most common devices to hook up to a UPS are non-battery-powered devices, such as desktops and servers, which can't weather a split-second power loss like, say, a laptop.

Why Do I Need an Uninterruptable Power Supply?

Uninterruptable power supplies are, for the most part, targeted at businesses. As you can imagine, even a momentary lapse of power can wreak havoc depending on the task at hand. In data centres, for example, UPSs are practically essential as the fallout from a server losing power could result in hardware failure and, in turn, irreversible data corruption.

That being said, it's not as if you can't use an uninterruptible power supply in the home. While a surge protector may protect your hardware from physical damage when there's a power cut, it won't give your devices the time to power off properly. This could cause an important document you were in the middle of working on, or even your device's entire operating system, to corrupt beyond repair. It's worth picking up a UPS for the same reason you'd back up your data to an external hard drive. You may not need a UPS 99% of the time, but when you do, it's a lifesaver.

What Should I Look For In an Uninterruptable Power Supply?

Capacity

Like any battery, the batteries of uninterruptible power supplies don't last forever. When the power goes out, a UPS will only be able to provide power to its connected devices for so long. You shouldn't expect to run a high-wattage computer off a UPS's battery for a whole days' worth of work. A UPS is very much an emergency back-up power source, one that'll buy you enough time to either get the power back online or save any important work and shut devices down in a safe, controlled manner.

The capacity of an uninterruptable power supply could mean the difference between only having a handful of minutes or a breezy half-hour to sort your power situation out. Of course, the runtime of a UPS's battery will depend on what's plugged into it. A UPS will last longer if it's only got to support a single low-powered computer and a basic monitor, for example. So, make sure to buy a UPS with a large enough capacity to support all your devices. It's recommended that the total power draw of your set-up shouldn't exceed more than 80% of a UPS's capacity. The extra headroom will help to account for transient power spikes and the like.

Form-Factor

There's two categories of UPS: tower and rack-mounted. Of the two, tower uninterruptable power supplies are the more user-friendly. They feature a free-standing design similar to a tower computer case. As a result, you don't need to install a tower UPS, it can just slide underneath your desk and sit right alongside your desktop. Plus, tower UPSs tend to feature a few more quality-of-life features compared to most standard rack-mounted UPSs, such as an LCD display to show how many minutes of charge the UPS's battery has got left. As the name implies, a rack-mounted UPS is installed in a rack cabinet, acting as an emergency back-up power source for servers and other rack-mounted devices.

Outlets

Also, you'll want to consider how many power outlets you need on your uninterruptable power supply. There's UPSs which boast stacks upon stacks of power outlets, ready to support a complete set-up. Small UPSs are also available, which are ideal for performing a single yet critical function. However, do note that on some models, not all the power outlets are connected to the battery. Rather, they're just surged-protected outlets. This allows the user to hook up non-essential peripherals and accessories, like a secondary monitor, without them draining the battery.

Uninterruptable Power Supplies at Ebuyer

Here at Ebuyer, we stock a wide range of both tower and rack-mounted uninterruptable power supplies from leading brands, including APC, Eaton, and more. You'll also find all the accessories you need to make the most of your UPS, from hot-swappable batteries to power distribution units. Spread the cost of your purchase with our flexible finance offers. And if you need your new UPS by tomorrow, next-day delivery is also available.