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Nov

4

Electrical Conundrum

Filed Under General | 8 Comments

Electricity has been very unstable recently due to the weather. I used to have a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) attached to my computer, but since that thing gave out, all that’s standing between my computer and the naked socket is a voltage regulator.

But since Voltage Regulators just, well, regulate, I’ve had to buy a new UPS so that I can protect my already struggling 5 year old computer from shutting off when the power flickers.

Ok, so this is my set up. From the naked socket a voltage regulator is plugged. The UPS is then plugged to the voltage regulator. The computer is then plugged to the UPS. Should be fine right? I test it by closing the voltage regulator. The UPS kicks and in and beeps. But the computer is unaffected! It’s still on! I turn the voltage regulator back on.

Now the electricity flickers again for a split second. It shouldn’t affect my computer right? But inexplicably, the computer shuts off. The UPS acts like nothing happened. It didn’t flash any battery lights nor did it make a sound.

OK you techie guys out there. How is this electrical conundrum possible? Because I’m ready to take a sledgehammer and break things here.

Comments

8 Responses to “Electrical Conundrum”

  1. R.E. de Leon on November 4th, 2009 12:39 pm

    Hi Gerry,

    Ran into a similar problem a few years back when I was still with UPLB, and didn’t understand the technical explanation back THEN, either. I knew I should have paid attention in High School electrical shop class.

    But anyway, I was told by our tech people not to connect that particular UPS to that particular AVR… something about the capacity of the AVR. I remember asking if it was possible to get an AVR that had a higher capacity (I suspect he was talking Amperage), but all I got was a quizzical look because he seemed to know I wouldn’t be able to understand the explanation anyway. He asked me why I wanted to connect the two together, and his solution was… to give me an extension cord so I could plug the UPS onto naked power, as you call it.

    “You’ll be fine,” he assured me. But then of course I was just handling conference presentations at the time. I wasn’t exactly doing art.

    But perhaps you should casually ask an electrician about the amperage and voltage capacities of your AVR and UPS?

    - RE de Leon

  2. macoy on November 4th, 2009 3:59 pm

    you could try upping the sensitivity on the UPS (if it has variable sensitivity)…

  3. Ferres on November 4th, 2009 6:25 pm

    Bad battery, if it happens all the time. But sometimes, there is a rare kind of power fluctuation that UPS can’t handle.

    Also, don’t use the AVR anymore, it’s not good for the UPS. The UPS has it’s own AVR built in.

  4. Gerry Alanguilan on November 4th, 2009 8:46 pm

    Thanks guys! Getting rid of the AVR now.

  5. mico suayan on November 4th, 2009 11:39 pm

    I also have some problems with my UPS. It doesnt work anymore…it doesnt turn on when its plugged. Whats up with that? Sorry Gerry samantalahin ko na chance na may tumolong din sa kin :D

  6. Ferres on November 5th, 2009 3:45 am

    Mico,
    Could be a dead battery. UPS battery life runs between 1 to 2 years depending on type of UPS.

  7. Francis Lim on November 7th, 2009 9:33 pm

    I agree with all the previous inputs. So all I have to contribute is that the capacity of UPS may simply not be enough for a really large CPU, a IBM server perhaps.

  8. kc cordero on November 9th, 2009 10:19 am

    try checking the ‘FUSE’. in electric troubleshooting, usually a ‘dead circuit’ is due to a busted fuse caused by the power surge. there is a fuse socket in the UPS casing (or voltage regulator), try to locate it and replace. it is a must to have a replacement fuse(s) handy for instances like this.
    CAUTION: before trying to locate/replace the fuse, make sure that the UPS or voltage regulator is unplugged to avoid electrical shock.