Surge Protection

HyperSonic

HyperSonic

HyperSonic

Associate
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
564
Location
Lincoln
Hi guys.

Recently my pc has been under attack from the rubbish electical supply in my house and i've decided that I need some sort of surge protection, however i'm unsure as to how much I need to spend and exactly what I need to spend it on.

The problem is that every now and then the pc will just go off and then immediatly turn itself back on (it's not an o/cing thing i've checked it whilst underclocked and it still happens). It can go al day without happening then the next day it can happen 4-5 times in an hour.

I've been searching and come up with the following as my options:

APC Back-Ups Es 700Va 230V
£67.43

APC Performance SurgeArrest - Surge suppressor ( external ) - AC 230 V - 8 Output Connector(s) - United Kingdom
£29.95

APC Line-R 1200VA - Automatic voltage regulator ( external ) - AC 220/230/240 V - 1200 VA - 4 Output Connector(s)
£31.25

Now i'm sure I don't need all 3 but I would like your opinion on what I should go for.

Cheers.
 
the belkin surge protectors are great i have two 6 socket ones with a good payout if they fail, i also have a monster 10 socket one ..... if i had the option to buy again i would get one with its own switch for each socket;) as im a sod for pullking them out without switching the source off :eek:
 
I'm not sure wether the cause is lack of electricity ie. a brown out of sorts or a spike in the system, or both.

Occasionally the RCD trips in the circuit box but it does not trip every time the PC dies so it could be both.

If I get a UPS will it cover large spikes and surges or would i need a surge protector strip too?
 
A lot (5 times in one day if its bad - maybe more) sometimes it's fine all day though.

It's rented accomodation (through the armed forces) so if you want to suggest wiring faults and can give me anything to base an argument on that would be cool :D Especially as I have one of their reps coming round soon to view the state of the house.

I think it's something to do with my economy7 boiler or the fact that i'm an end terrace.

I noticed that at half time in the villa manu game today it ko'd my pc twice... tea anyone?
 
when the rep comes round try and hammer the eleci so it goes ...man that sucks tell them it is due to bad wiring and they need to pay for a sparky to have a look for a fault ,do some homework how old is the accomadation ? some old wiring and components need replacing by law as they could be obselete ..... it could result in fire / death. just blag them but make sure they understand your concern they pay for a electrician or a ups.
 
Just wondering if i'd need someting as robust as that in terms of battery life, i only run a basic athlon system with a small flat screen and speakers.

I've seen a few others (all APC) rated at 420VA, 620VA and 750VA. I know i'd be getting better cover as I go up the scale but I don't need to go completely ott here.

Is there any particular number in the specs of these UPS that I should be looking at?
 
knockonwood said:
when the rep comes round try and hammer the eleci so it goes ...man that sucks tell them it is due to bad wiring and they need to pay for a sparky to have a look for a fault ,do some homework how old is the accomadation ? some old wiring and components need replacing by law as they could be obselete ..... it could result in fire / death. just blag them but make sure they understand your concern they pay for a electrician or a ups.
Click to expand...

The MOD has contract with leccys and builders etc so it would cost them nothing anyway - i'll just make sure i mention it when they're here.

On another note why are all the UPS in the OcUK shop out of stock? And is the Belkin one any good?
 
HyperSonic said:
I'm not sure wether the cause is lack of electricity ie. a brown out of sorts or a spike in the system, or both.

Occasionally the RCD trips in the circuit box but it does not trip every time the PC dies so it could be both.

If I get a UPS will it cover large spikes and surges or would i need a surge protector strip too?
Click to expand...


I have a Belkin 1200va and it does a few things:

1 battery backup, so when the power goes off the ups kicks in instantly, think its something like 2ms delay, so your pc doesnt notice the change over to battery

2 A surge protector, my ups can withstand either 6500,000 or 4500,000watts surge, or thats what the figgers say:eek::confused:

3. AVR, Automatic voltage regulator. Basically means if your mains voltage drops below 187v the ups will kick in to bring the voltage back up to a safe level, and if the voltage goes higher then 264v the ups will kick in and untill the voltage has dropped to a safe voltage level

So the ups is constantly monitoring the incoming mains power, and only sending clean and constant power to your pc equipment.
 
When they're not in use they make an almost silent buzz usually, then when they kick in they become a bit louder but no louser than a standard PC from my experiance.

How's this one guys?

Belkin Universal UPS 1200VA with USB & Serial Interface
Price: £104.73 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK

Price seems good and i'm sure it will cover my needs easily.

Just a thought here, would a UPS help with overclocks? As it supplies a more stable voltage which can only make the system more stable, right?
 
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There's a slight buzz, but only noticeable about 1-2' away. Fan kicks in when in battery or charging mode, which is quite loud.

With the feedback about Belkin gear I'd rather not touch them..
 
tchan_4 said:
Do UPSs run silently?
Click to expand...

My belkin 1200va ups is totally silent recharging or monitoring the power but when the battery kicks in, like when the mains power goes off it does make a buzzing sound but not very loud at all. But other then that its totally silent, plus theres no fans that you get on some ups.
 
badbob said:
There's a slight buzz, but only noticeable about 1-2' away. Fan kicks in when in battery or charging mode, which is quite loud.

With the feedback about Belkin gear I'd rather not touch them..
Click to expand...

If not Belkin then I have to go APC really, they don't have one at around £100 that I can see but do have these 2:

APC Smart-UPS 750VA USB & Serial - UPS ( external ) - AC 230 V - 750 VA - UPS battery Lead Acid - 6 Output Connector(s)
£132.78 (Energy Rating 340 Joules)

or a cheaper one

APC Smart-UPS SC 420VA - UPS ( external ) - AC 230 V - 420 VA - UPS battery Lead Acid - 4 Output Connector(s)
£76.38 (Energy Rating 320 Joules)

Since I don't really need it to keep my PC running for any long periods of time I was thinking the 420VA would be suitable as it has almost the same level of protection just a smaller battery life.

Would anyone like to point out a flaw in my plan? :p
 
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