On 11/17/10 11:37 AM, Daniel Clark wrote:
> Looking for a UPS system that:
>
> 1. Runs off of US 115V / 20A
> 2. Can handle frequent extended power outages while continuing to
> provide power to computers and HVAC systems (so amp spikes will be
> common)
> 3. Preferably is expandable (I'd prefer stackable to rack mount, but
> not a big preference)
> 4. Isn't insane-loud
>
> Anyone have anything they like?
>
> I'm sort of tempted to do http://www.dansdata.com/diyups.htm but if
> there is something COTS that is somewhat price-competitive with that
> I'd prefer it for safety reasons.
>
> But in general just general recommendations would also be great, as I
> haven't dealt with UPS systems larger that 4u units in the past, and
> the ones I did use I wasn't really impressed with (insert horror story
> about spending hours and waiting weeks to get replacement batteries
> for MGE UPS units here.)
>
> Happy Hacking,
> --
> \|/ Daniel JB Clark | Activist; Owner
> FREEDOM -+-> INCLUDED ~ http://freedomincluded.com
> /|\ Free Software respecting hardware
Two issues with your question. You've given very general requirements, but not
specific
requirements. How many computers? What size room? What size HVAC system? How
frequent and how long
are the outages?
I would really be hesitant to put the home brew UPS on a server that mattered.
I would also not want to put an HVAC system on the same UPS as my servers.
If the outages are not terribly long and the heat load in the room is not
terribly high, I would be
inclined to forego putting the HVAC on UPS. The temperature might go up, but
unless the outages were
really long or the room was really small or overloaded, it wouldn't go up fast
enough for long
enough to be an issue. The HVAC would pull it back down when power returned.
If you really experience long term outages frequently, and you really need to
be up all the time,
then you should have a generator as a fall back for the UPSes. Set up a system
that kicks in if the
power is off long enough to eat into the up time for the UPSes. That would also
get your HVAC back
up and running if you needed it.
I've never known UPSes to be noisy at all. It's the servers and their fans that
are noisy. A
generator would be outdoors, or in a basement or utility room with an outdoor
exhaust.
As far as any servers go, I would put them on APC Smart UPS of an appropriate
size. You can scale
those for whatever time period you want to stay up and running (larger UPS,
extended run model,
added battery pack, etc.) They are significantly better than the APC Back
UPSes, which are more
consumer grade.
We had an episode where the building power feed was being reworked, and our
entire building was put
on a tractor trailer sized outside generator while the feed work was being
done. When they switched
over to the generator, they had done something wrong and fired a pulse of
upwards of 200 volts over
the 110 lines throughout the building more than once. Laboratory equipment
without UPS protection
was damaged, equipment "protected" by Back UPSes was damaged, and the Back
UPSes themsleves were
damaged. But, the Smart UPSes protected the equipment and ended up shutting
themselves down because
of over heating. The equipment experienced a power outage, but there was no
damage and the circuit
was disconnected by the Smart UPS. The insurance company for the electrical
contractor had to pay
out huge sums of money, but my servers were just fine.
I have no idea how that home brew UPS you linked would have performed in a
similar situation.
--
---------------
Chris Hoogendyk
-
O__ ---- Systems Administrator
c/ /'_ --- Biology& Geology Departments
(*) \(*) -- 140 Morrill Science Center
~~~~~~~~~~ - University of Massachusetts, Amherst
<[email protected]>
---------------
Erdös 4
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