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It May Be Time to Think About a UPS Installation

Whether at home or in the office, when the lights go out, not because it is time for bed or to close the business for the day, but because of a power failure, it may be a nuisance. At its worst, however, an unexpected power failure could spell disaster in some cases. Of course, a backup generator and automatic switching system could avert such a disaster, but this is a costly solution, and one that, in many instances, might amount to overkill. By contrast, a UPS installation can be surprisingly inexpensive, and yet still provide a home or business with all of the protection that might actually be necessary to avoid problems that might occur due to power outages.

As a home PC user, you may have been advised to fit some form of anti-surge protection in order to mitigate damage to your device as a result of fluctuations in the power supply, such as those which can occur during a thunderstorm. While the loss of power may be less likely to cause physical damage to your equipment than a sudden surge, it could play havoc with any data operations in progress at the time. Imagine what might happen if, whilst in the middle of an automatic backup of files and family photos, the power were to fail. Without a UPS installation to protect against such contingencies, files could be lost or corrupted, and precious family memories perhaps lost forever.

The number of people who now work from home, either for their personal convenience or because of a need to create their own informal employment, has grown considerably in recent years. For remote workers such as these, a power outage could result in loss of data belonging to paying clients with even more far-reaching consequences. However, whatever those consequences may be, when compared with banks, insurers, and finance companies, whose clients may number in the millions, a suitable UPS installation could be all that stands between these institutions and a major financial disaster.

The three-letter acronym stands for uninterruptible power supply, and which particular variant of this device may be required will depend on the size and nature of the business it is intended to protect. Up until this point, the focus has been on preserving personal and commercial digital data. There are, however, many other applications that are, at least, of equal importance and, in some cases, far more so.

For example, consider the consequences to a patient who may be undergoing open-heart surgery, or someone sustained by life-support equipment in an intensive care unit. In the medical environment, a UPS installation is not only a means to protect against mains failure. It can also ensure that specialised electrical equipment always operates smoothly and safely, and poses no threat to patients and staff.

Certain industries, such as oil and gas, as well as vehicle manufacturing are crucial to the South African economy, and power failures pose a threat that is best avoided with the use of a suitably robust, uninterruptible power supply. These units often need to be of a design that is resistant to the potentially harmful effects of the dust, dirt, and chemicals that are frequently present in the industrial environment, and are able to meet the much higher, three-phase, power requirements. To meet these and most other requirements, there is certain to be a UPS installation that is just right for the task.

There are essentially five types of uninterruptible power supplies, each with its own performance characteristics. Making the correct choice is essential to ensure that protection is adequate in any given situation, and it is as important as the quality of the equipment selected. Therefore, it is wise to seek expert advice. For quality products, sound guidance, and a professional UPS installation, discerning South Africans choose PacB Power solutions, a member of the PacB Group.