The Shocking Truth About Electrical Power
So much attention is directed at devices and systems and yet the very lifeblood flowing through them to keep them operational – steady and clean electricity – is often overlooked or taken for granted. Power protection is critical to assure protection of people, facilities and assets. Find out why and how.
A UPS provides complete protection from all power problems, including battery backup, keeping security systems functioning during a power outage. A standby UPS is the most cost-effective solution and these systems are typically utilized in small capacity applications such as a four or eight-channel DVR. A line-interactive UPS incorporates automatic voltage regulation (AVR) along with battery backup capability. The AVR kicks into action when voltage drops or increases beyond a usable range without switching over to battery backup mode. Line-interactive UPSs are utilized for more mission-critical systems that require larger capacities than a standby UPS.
An on-line UPS is essentially an “electrical firewall” that takes the incoming AC signal and then converts it to DC, which eliminates any type of power anomaly. At the output, the DC signal is converted back to AC, which then supplies the attached equipment with pure, clean power. Online UPSs are generally used in highly mission-critical applications with large load capacities.
One further consideration regarding UPSs is how long the campus wants their security system to be up and running during a power outage. Most power outages are fairly short, but there are times when outages extend from minutes into hours. Many of the higher-end UPS products have the ability to connect battery packs that can extend battery backup times well beyond the typical 10 to 15 minutes. Battery packs can be daisy-chained together, allowing for backup times to extend to two, four or even eight hours and beyond. Obviously, the more mission-critical the application, the longer the requirement for keeping things fully functional, even during an extended power outage.
It is vitally important that the right size UPS be selected and installed. Undersizing a UPS or putting too much load on the device will cause it to be overloaded and the UPS will not function properly or provide adequate battery backup time when the need arises during a power outage. In order to determine the right size of UPS, the power supply rating (watt
s or amps) for each device to be connected to the UPS should be calculated.
Once the entire load is determined, the right size of UPS can be selected. A valuable tool can be found at SizeMyUPS.com, providing a wide variety of security manufacturers and equipment power listings, allowing simple system configuration. Once the full load is determined and put into the configurator, the appropriate UPS models are displayed along with various battery backup time options.
Backup Power Improves System Performance
For end users, having a comprehensive power protection and management plan will lead to more reliable operation of the security system, even when power anomalies hit hard. Studies have proven that equipment lasts longer when power protection solutions are installed. Few manufacturers cover electrical damage in their warranties such as might occur from a surge or spike. This can lead to an unhappy end user, especially if they learn it could have been prevented with some type of inexpensive power protection product. If a power outage occurs and the security system continues to do its job, the campus benefits through peace of mind, while legal liabilities also are reduced.
Including power protection solutions in every security system sale benefits all parties and should be a standard component when specifying a solution. Many resellers have adopted the strategy of not selling and installing a security system unless the customer agrees to include power protection, which not only protects the reseller, but also protects the customer. Other resellers require customers to sign a waiver if they choose not to include power protection.
That said, who can say no to improving protection for employees, students, patients, assets and facilities?
You might also want to read:
- Will Your Generator Hold Up During an Emergency?
- How to Maintain Security When Electricity Fails
- Joplin’s Mercy Hospital Rises from the Rubble
- Lightning on Campus: Your Vulnerability Might Shock You
- Protecting Your Security Systems from Lightning and Surges
Bill Allen is Marketing Director for Minuteman Power Technologies. He can be reached at ballen@minutemanups.com.
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