thetoxicmind said:
Since my comp (thro' the UPS) is connected to a power outlet supported by the inverter, it obviously draws powers from the same.
Now the fact that the UPS switches to backup mode for a second and then back to mains(i.e supply from inverter) is what worries me !
Will it affect my UPS in the future.
In this case I think the UPS will draw power quickly from Inverter in case of main power shutdown ie. the operation time of Inverter will fall drastically.
These days most of the Inverters have a built in UPS which negates the need of additional UPS.
HailStonE said:
I wouldn't blame APC. if you see the manual then it clearly mentions input voltage for the said UPS model. Above which it will definitely blow.... It was a silly mistake on your part to connect the UPS to Generator. All generators start with a surge... Any electrical equipment can catch fire when they get higher than supported voltage. This can occur anytime without warning. Nobody can guarantee if a fire would start or not for such equipment under these circumstances....
This APC UPS also states that comes with a surge protector, its almost understood that it takes care of fluctuations.
blr_p said:
Well something is not right here. Earlier someone mentioned you needed a servo controlled stabiliser from the genset.
Are you saying you had one, think not, so question then is why other sensitive equipment in the past was not affected ?
As genset will have been giving surges right from day one each time it came on.
No, I haven't installed a stablizer as of now. Today I came to know that the fault was actually with the Electricity department as they were carrying out repairs to the transformer which supplies us power. So, it wasn't our generator's fault, the culprit was State electricity board.
In this case, how can one judge that they would be transmitting such high voltage that would destroy equipment prior to damage! That means there's no way one can take precaution by switching off as you never know when the next power surge is coming!
adder said:
well connecting a ups to a 25year old genset is abuse,since the apc manual/ specs clearly say operating voltage of 0 to 320v only,with gen sets giving voltage of 400v its no suprise that it went up in smoke,so u can't say the apc is not caliberated for indian household.apc would have definetly not recommend to use their ups to a 25year old gererator.in huge companies they do use generators,but they have a built in power conditioners.so u don't get those insane voltages.
now i am not sure whats the so called sensitve equipment that withstood the voltage surge from ur generator,any ups or invertor will not withstand if u give it 400v.u must also know that apc ups are very sensitive since it senses a high voltage within 2 cycles and gives a correction and in india we get 50cycles in 1 second.unlike some rival cheap ups brands and even some well respected companies like HP ups which i have seen them giving high voltage briefly,or do not switch to back up fast inuff.so u should be thankfull that the apc didn't take anything else with it.
I don't see any merit in your statement, being old doesn't negate/take away any thing. Remember old is gold & this particular genset is still in pristine running condition because its old, newer gadgets/equipment is not built to last(poor quality). We have 2 newer gensets too but both are usually out of order or on repairs. Now, which one is better!
APC being newer here should have launched products keeping in mind Indian conditions where electricity surges are an order of the day. Earlier also someone told me that APC UPS doesn't run well on generators, old or new.
Finally, as I have pin pointed the problem which was at State electricity board's end, takes the load off the generator. In such case only the products which can withstand such power situations are worthy, others are not meant for our Country & the ones using such equipment should be warned against failures & accidents.
As I already stated, our local/Indian inverters also ran on similar power which went to APC, but lived through well. While APC smoked!
Think about it, a big company or an expensive product should not be the criteria while buying, which we Indians usually do! Our homemade products are bad, rather are more used to/familiar with our power conditions & perform well/better. Others like APC be damned!
Moreover look at APC's policy, even within gurantee/warranty period, they only supply refurbished products, why not new???? I'd say pathetic policy!
On a diff. note, I couldn't find good stabilizers in my City, will try from Chandigarh now.
