What is an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)?
Uninterruptible Power Supply, aka U.P.S., devices are a great idea. However, like most things, they require planning and forethought.
Things to consider when buying a UPS:
- What is the power consumption of the device I would like to provide with uninterruptible power?
- How long does it need to run with grid power for?
UPS Gotchas:
- The VA (voltage amperes) and the Wattage ratings for UPS's is important! If your device uses MORE than the UPS can provide, it won't work. I used to think it would work, but for a shorter period of time, but it doesn't.
UPS Reminders:
- Before you go out and buy a UPS, do some research. You will be glad you did.
- Find one that has a USB supported by linux. That will allow you to do much more than you ever imagined. :-)
The UPS I use is an APC. I'm glad with the purchase because debian has a .deb package for an APC monitoring daemon: apcupsd-cgi.