Ideas are flying though your finger tips as you type away on your keyboard. You are oblivious to what is going on around you. All of a sudden, the lights go out, your computer monitor goes black and your computer dies. With the death of your computer goes all your work you have busily been typing. This all could have been prevented had you been using an interruptible power supply for your computer.
If you try to shutdown your computer without going through the proper sequence, you usually get a warning about losing data. An unscheduled shutdown will not give you this warning. You just may loose everything you had been working out. The importance of an interruptible power supply for your computer is not hard to measure. Yes, they do cost money but how much time and effort will be spent re-creating your data from scratch will it cost you. An interruptible power supply for your computer looks pretty cheap when this happens.
How does an interruptible power supply work? They provide power to your computer and monitor when your electricity is no longer available. This isn’t an unlimited supply of power but a limited amount that provides adequate time to save your data and safely shut down your computer. The length of time available depends upon how much power you will need.
An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) also protects your systems from power fluctuations. You know those little flickers of the lights. Those little flickers can wreck havoc on the sensitive built-in electronics of your PC. Your UPS will monitor the line voltage and will activate when it senses any changes in voltage fluctuations. These are usually measured in milliseconds. A good UPS will quickly make the change from your direct current to its power supply. It has to happen quickly to prevent any data loss.
A UPS is basically container of batteries that has an on-board system that monitors the power going to your PC. Your computer and monitor is plugged directly into the UPS. The UPS is plugged into the wall outlet. The UPS happily keeps itself charged when not in use. You have a full charge to use when needed. When the power comes back online, the UPS will re-charge itself and be ready for the next use.
Data centers uses interruptible power supply to protect their servers and network equipment from power fluctuations. System administrators understand how important it is to keep the data safe and the equipment from the ravages of uncontrolled power spikes. These power spikes can permanently damage the servers and may require expensive repairs or complete replacements.
Buying a UPS is not as expensive you might think. The cost of UPS has dropped over the years as the price of batteries and technology to control the UPS has become cheaper. For the personal computer, one could spend less than hundred dollars on a small UPS. Remember, you must keep in mind how much power you will need when the lights go out. Remember the purpose of the UPS is to save your data and equipment. With this in mind, the price of a UPS should not be your only consideration. Will fifteen minutes give me enough time to shut my computer down safely? Will the UPS react quickly enough during power fluctuations to save my equipment? Armed with these answers will help you make an intelligent decision on purchasing the right Interruptible Power Supply for your computer.