i own the current pc in my signature and am currenty waiting on an RMA for a replacement powersupply which only lasted a year cause i found out this house doesnt have grounded wiring so i am replacing the wiring in the room where my computers are at and yes i do live at home not gonna redo the whole house just my room but anyways......... is a surge protector with a battery backup really needed or just get a nicer surge protector and if i would need one what size would i need for my tower it has a 750watt psu so would need to run that and my 23inch lcd monitor long enough to shut down if there is a power outtage
you mean a PSU? mine died in 2004 and i have updated my rig about 6 times and none of them give me errors with bad shutdown and here energy cuts are normal 1-3 time a day lol
no >.> a battery backup is a surge protector that charges up and if there is a power outtage u get 5-10minutes to safely shut down ur pc so nothing gets damanged from a sudden loss of power
UPS* sorry, btw modern pc components dont get damaged that easy, there are too much security things that makes your rig almost invulnerable to sudden power loss
Only you can answer to whether you need one or not. A couple basic things to consider, do you live where power goes out often enough to warrant a couple hundred dollars worth of UPS; do you often do things that are critical and one missed save would sink you?
well i live in louisiana and every couple of years we get hurricanes but we dont lose power too often other than that i just think its a hassle cause every pc i have ever owned i have had to replace the power supply and i came to find out it was due to the wiring not being grounded that is why i am getting somone to redo that for me
Ooh, yeah, gotta have a good ground. In a pinch, you can make your own ground til a pro can fix it for you.
If safety ground was causing supply damage, then he said what part inside was damaged and why a missing safety ground caused that damage. Safety ground is primarily for human safety. Also addresses other lesser functions including ground loops and other noise problems. But does nothing to protect a supply from damage. Battery backup (a UPS) outputs power so dirty (in battery backup mode) as to even threaten power strip protectors and small electric motors. All electronic have power supplies that are robust. So robust as to make 'dirtiest' power from a UPS into ideal power for electronics. If a UPS does surge protection, then you posted numbers that cite that protection. Good luck. A UPS typically has protector circuits so tiny (hundreds of joules) as to be just above zero. Near zero is just enough above zero as to be 100% protection in advertising. Every honest answer also provides numbers. Advertising spins lies by making subjective claims - no numbers. If receptacles do not have safety ground, then a computer must be powered via a GFCI. Anyone making recommendations from electrical knowledge stated that GFIC need up front. Required by code for human safety. Many without basic electrical knowledge will simply blame a missing safety ground without any reason why. A number of reasons could explain repeat supply failure. Missing safety ground is not on the list. Missing safety ground means a computer must be powered via a GFCI.
"cheap" power supplies can fail rather easily from arcs, voltage spikes, etc....and can damage other components in the process. lol.... Electrical code for most, if not ALL jurisdictions in the US, require any "new construction" to be wired using 3-conductor, insulated wire. There is no alternative. You can't simply throw in a GFC outlet to avoid proper wiring. Also, most...if not ALL jurisdictions require a proper ground to earth. In most, if not all jurisdictions, the house must comply with building and electrical codes based on the period of building, unless the house was condemned and requires a new electrical inspection. Houses built in the 1970's, in some jurisdictions, were built using Aluminum wiring. In some jurisdictions, if a house requires a new electrical inspection, it can be required that the aluminum wire be replaced with proper 3-conductor, insulated, copper wire. The common ground or "earth" wire is used to prevent arc'ing when plugging electrical/electronic devices into recepticals, both to protect people and the electrical/electronic devices as the arc'ing can result in fires and electrical shock. There currently is no "code" in the US that requires a computer to be plugged into a GFC outlet if the house isn't properly wired.
Read the code: Article 406.3(D) If a computer has a three prong plug, then it either must have a safety ground connection, or be powered by a GFCI. Code defines what provides power. Don't know why you are adding so many other irrelevant facts such as new construction, arcing, aluminum wire, earth, etc. All irrelevant to the topic. OP's computer must be powered by a three wire circuit, or a two wire circuit that includes a GFCI. Missing safety ground does not explain power supply failure and does not cause supply failures. All that other stuff is irrelevant to the OP's problem or why a supply failed.
I use a AC FILTRATION system from PANAMAX (5100) . 90 % of PSU and hardware failures are due to voltage spikes and dropouts more-so than power outages IMHO ............Ive been using filtration ever since I lost an entire system in 2000 and haven't had ANY hardware failures since that time. Its the most underrated investment in the PC world by a long shot......IMO battery bbu are a waste unless you are editing and such and should be saving constantly anyways.....
Wow, you really should learn how to read...or at least provide an actual source. That Article refers to Electrical code for "2-wire alternatives"...and is for Iowa City.... It also says nothing about computers. So, you're trying to claim that Iowa City electrical codes are enforced nation wide, while I listed codes that are in fact enforced, nation wide...
Let's just say that all computing equipment (and the fridge and freezer, due to the value of their contents) in my house run on UPS. I simply cannot afford not to (and it took some expensive learning to come to that conclusion). //Svein
depends, here in South Africa, we get outages and surges every week virtually. i am getting a ups to give me an extra few minutes for the pc to shut down properly. Dont feel safe with a direct plug in the wall so to speak. Its not the outages that scare me, its the spikes and surges when it comes back on...
Most modern file systems does not cope well with a few hundred megabytes of unflushed cache... And most modern electronics does not handle transient voltage spikes well (Can you imagine how your expensive GPU would deal with a voltage boost of 1000 volts?) Transient spikes can reach lightning-intensity voltages (but luckily at a lot fewer amperes), and has a track history of ruining almost as much hardware as ESD per year (for pretty much the same reasons). Even a sudden increase/decrease in load on a circuit (such as an aircondition kicking in, or stopping) side-by-side with your expensive computer can give you unhealthy voltage variations. A modern line-interactive UPS is really a good investment (take a look at Eatons line, they're actually quite a lot of UPS for the money) //Svein
You really should learn how to read ... facts rather than read google searches out of context. Electricians are required to learn and wire per that code. It does not apply only to Iowa City. It applies everywhere in the nation. Misreading a google search would come to your conclusion. From code, his computer can be powered from a three wire circuit or from a two wire circuit via a GFCI. Context is defined by first learning technology; not by spinning text. Why you are adding so many other irrelevant facts such as new construction, arcing, aluminum wire, earth, etc. - all irrelevant to the topic? Because you are reading google searches out of context rather than learning what text really says. Posting relevant means defining why a missing safety ground causes power supply damage. It doesn't. Or how a UPS protects a supply. It doesn't. Even voltage variations from a nearby air conditioner are only noise. Made completely irrelevant by circuits already inside every computer's supply. Even a UPS in battery backup mode may create larger spikes. What spikes are made irrelevant by circuits inside supplies? Even 1000 volts. You are also confusing a UPS with power backup power system (ie a generator). A UPS outputs power from an internal battery. Power often so 'dirty' as to be ill advised for electric motors - fridge and freezer. A typical UPS does not provide power necessary for a fridge and freezer let alone the whole house. That much power comes from a backup power system. Filtration in a Panamax is typically inferior to that which already exists inside every supply. Panamax filtration is so tiny that the same filtration exists with or without a Panamax. View its specification numbers. Tiniest filtration can by hyped into the world's best filter when advertising claims are subjective. Power restoration does not create spikes and surges. Due to the load, power restoration creates a slowly increasing voltage. This is ideal for all electronics. But can be harmful to motorized appliances. Power restoration is a greater threat to appliances such as refrigerator and air conditioner. Is perfectly ideal for electronics. In fact, some electronics contain circuits to duplicate that slow power restoration - to increase electronics life expectancy. Spikes and surges that might precede and cause a blackout may be harmful to electronics. If electronics damage is more likely created before a blackout. Not by power restoration. OP's power supply failures are not averted by a UPS. A UPS connects a supply directly to AC mains when not in battery backup mode. No protection. Can create 'dirtiest' power when in battery backup mode. Power so 'dirty' as to be potentially harmful to motorized appliances and power strip protectors. But ideal power to electronics and computers due to robust circuits required inside every supply. UPS is for protecting unsaved data; not for hardware protection. Blackouts do not cause electronics hardware damage as was even required by 1970 International design standards. Why would I know design standards that long ago? Professional design experience. Why is the OP suffering supply failures? An answer starts by defining what inside each supply failed. Only better educated techs or even simple numbers from a multimeter can provide those answers. Most common reasons for supply failures? Manufacturing defects, supplies that are missing essential functions, a supply without a long list of manufacturer technical specifications in writing, or a market with many computer techs who do not even know how electricity works. For example, how much power does a computer draw? 200 watts. Maybe sudden peaks of up to 350 watts. Why do so many computer techs recommend 750 watt supplies? Find a good tech who can actually say what inside the supply was damaged. Or buy a $1000 UPS only because it was recommended by someone who did not even know what the electrical code is. Many options are defined.
So, the entire country follows Iowa City's electrical code? That is the ONLY search result that applies to electrical wiring when searching for your code section. I guess you should learn to use Google. Also, I'm well aware of my local electrical codes. Also, being that arcing does in fact damage electrical devices....and according to the electrical engineer next door, "power restoration" does in fact result in power surges. I'll take his 50 years experience to your google search.... How much more pure BS are you going to post? You are aware that every UPS maintains power management circuits, right? You claim to have knowledge on this....even cheap power supplies have some form of power management circuitry, even when supplying AC power....
Do not understand why this is so difficuilt. Article 406 is from the National Electrical Code. Defines how to safely wire buildings in every state. A google search on Article 406 found it applies in Iowa City? That proves the National Electrical code only applies to Iowa City? Please. UPS is not a solution to the OP's failing supplies. Misrepresenting the electrical code (and other irrelevant facts such as new construction, arcing, aluminum wire, earth, etc) also subverts the thread. Does not answer any OP's questons.
Ok kiddo...let me explain this in plain English since you have no idea what you're talking about. The reason Aluminum wire is no longer permitted for use in home wiring is due to a few simple issues. 1. As the building settles, the connections have a tendency to become loose or the wire broken. 2. Aluminum wire has a tendency to corrode, resulting in increased resistance, which can present a fire hazard. Both of these cases can and have been proven to damage electronic devices. Arc'ing..... Undesired or unintended electric arcing can have detrimental effects on electric power transmission, distribution systems and electronic equipment. source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_arc New construction wiring codes also pertain to electrical repairs in cases where wire replacement is necessary. In cases of a house built using "2-prong" outlets, it can be required to add an "earthing" ground to the house, which is a steel rod placed into the ground and connected to the breaker/fuse box, in the event that wiring is "upgraded". New construction houses are required to have this in place, whereas older houses built using "2-conductor" wiring were not required to have it. As for your "Article 406"....this is what comes up when I search for it: http://www.icgov.org/site/CMSv2/File/housing/genInfo/wiringAlts.pdf Which is the Iowa City Electrical code for replacing outlets for non-grounded systems. In the state of Virginia, there is no requirement for a GFC outlet for a computer under any circumstances as the Electrical Code makes no exception for specific devices utilizing any outlet. In fact, Electrical Inspections are only done when an Electrical Permit is issued. Houses using "2-conductor" wire can't pass any current electrical inspection, nor can a house using "2-prong" outlets. Electrical code specifically states that "3-conductor" wire and "3-prong" outlets utilizing a common ground circuit must be in place. GFC outlets must be used in the bathroom and above kitchen counter tops near plumbing, except in cases of appliance specific outlets. In the case of a UPS. Any brand name UPS is going to have power management and regulation circuits in place for both A/C power and the Battery backup to ensure a clean power signal. In the case of PFC compatible power supplies, the regulation circuit will have stricter management to ensure the cleanest power possible from the unit. In the case of older (circa 1990's) UPS models, you may be correct. But you're wrong about current products. A UPS, in the case of "dirty" power from an outlet, can correct the power signal through the use of power regulation circuitry. BTW....here's just 1 example of what can happen when a "proper" ground circuit doesn't exist, and a simple arc occurs.... Thread: http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=327544
Westom, you're in over your head here. These guys are right. A GFCI still requires a ground circuit, it's just a circuit breaker closer to the appliance, and trips before the branch circuit does, typically. By looking at your system description in your avatar, there's a lot of "unknown" in there, that does not inspire me to believe what you post here about electrical and electronics knowledge. Just sayin'.
