Dirty Power can be SHOCKING!

"Dirty power" is the industry term for changes, variances or disturbances that occur during normal usage of utility provided power. A perfect sine wave of normal utility power can become system-shocking "dirty power" without notice, without warning and inevitably will cause extreme damage to computers, networks, LANs, WANs, telecommunications and other critical electrical devices.

IBM reported recently in a study of power sources, that a typical processor encounters around one hundred and twenty-eight (128) power problems in only one month! Disaster can result from as little as 4 milliseconds of "dirty power" attacking a computer and causing outages, crashes and loss of irreplaceable data.

Whether caused externally by brownouts or load switches or grid problems at the utility, or internally by subtle disturbances from sources such as copiers, fluorescent lights, faxes, or even vending machines and network line noise, such disturbances wreak havoc with modern communications and computing equipment. Spikes, surges, sags, harmonics, gaps, electrostatic and electromagnetic interference attacks your delicate electrical environment on a daily basis (nearly 300 time per year).

Blackouts, brownouts and lightning are the most obvious but least frequent causes of system disturbances. Often the only evidence of these subtle shocks is the full blown crash of computers, networks or phone systems.

...And then it’s too late!

A UPS is necessary insurance against such power disasters. By providing a sustained flow of power and giving back-up times ranging from minutes to hundreds of hours, UPS's are unsurpassed for insuring against such power shocks.

The Yankee Group reports that almost half of the corporations researched estimated downtime costs at upwards of $1,000 per hour, with nearly ten percent reporting costs up to or more than $50,000 per hour. So, what are your risks? If yours is a typical business, more than fifty percent (50%) of your computer, LAN or communications system problems can be traced to power disturbances.

Scomptec can help take the mystery out of determining which device is best for your applications.

All computing and telecommunications devices have a voltage and current rating and requirement. Typically, such information is printed on the back planes of systems (near serial number and product model info) and is also included in the Users Manual. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems are rated in Volt Amps or "VA." It’s a simple task to determine the VA requirements for your systems.

• Single Phase: Volts times Amps = VA per device
• If only Watts are given: Watts x 1.35 = VA
• VA times 1000 = KVA

Merely add up the total VA ratings of all devices and peripherals to determine the total power requirements of your system(s). The computer load should be approximately 60% of the UPS KVA rating. In network environments, devices in close proximity may economically share the power of a single UPS. The other determining factor is the length of back-up time desired or necessary for your applications. Typically 15 to 30 minutes will allow enough time to systematically and safely perform an orderly shutdown of a network and prevent disastrous data loss. Longer times are uniquely available from TSi Power through its exclusive Battery Extensions.