FAQs
The Nobreak was designed to protect computers from damage caused by power failures. Unlike the voltage regulator, the Nobreak provides backup power when the power supply is interrupted. This allows to avoid damage to the PC and your data does not run the risk of being lost. The purchase of a Nobreak is an excellent investment, as it saves expenses derived from damage to computer equipment. It also avoids the loss of working hours with this protection Therefore, a Nobreak is a security device of first necessity. The voltage regulator can be used to protect your audio/video equipment or some peripheral of your computer equipment (printers, scanners, etc.).
Like the Nobreak, the UPS (Uninterruptible Power System) provides electrical energy in the event of failures in the energy supply of the commercial network.
The aforementioned differences make the UPS an essential device to protect computer equipment and networks like no other device that supplies electricity. In addition to the above features, the UPS includes in the operation process the double conversion of electrical energy (alternating current is transformed to direct current and then to alternating current again). This double conversion allows to eliminate all kinds of disturbances in the electrical energy that it supplies to the equipment it protects and the voltage variations are eliminated.
What should I consider when choosing a Nobreak or a UPS?
1. Is the equipment to be protected a PC or are there several? The size and type of monitor. A Nobreak, as mentioned above, is ideal to protect from one PC up to 6 or 8 or to protect a small server (similar to a PC). For the protection of computer networks or sites, the technology of a UPS is adequate.
2. The application of the equipment to protect is a PC that is not used all the time? Or is part of a process that cannot be interrupted; is it a server or a telecommunication equipment?
3. The backup time. The backup time to consider for the selection of Nobreak or UPS is based on the importance of keeping the equipment to be supported in operation and the frequency and duration of disturbances and interruptions in the supply of electrical energy.
4. The investment budget. This point is very important. A Nobreak or UPS with a long backup time can represent a higher investment than the equipment to be protected. So a good analysis of the first three points can help us find the balance in the cost/benefit of the investment.
The Nobreak is necessary in those moments in which failures occur in the electrical energy supply of the commercial network (it has an internal battery). Mainly if you are doing a super important work on your computer. If the electrical power fails, the following damages can occur:
• The work you are carrying out is lost and therefore the hours used in carrying out the work
• The hard drive in your computer can suffer damage ranging from data loss (due to sector damage) to total damage.
• The power supply of the computer can be damaged (it is the part that receives the electrical energy in the PC).
• The motherboard may be damaged
The aforementioned damages are usually more expensive than the price of a Nobreak.
The problem with energy…
In order to protect your business from power problems, you need to know what you’re up against. Power problems range from subtle keyboard lockup, to data loss, to the complete destruction of your business unit. According to a survey by the Yankee Group, half of the corporations say that the value of having their systems down is around $1,000.00 and up to $50,000.00 per hour.
Human Error 3.2%
Software Compatibility 4.5%
Earthquakes 5.3%
Floods 6.7%
Virus infected Software 8.2%
Fire explosion 8.2%
Wear 9.4%
Ventilation 2.3%
Other causes 6.7%
Energy Problems 45.3%
Main power line problems
Excessive point voltage
Electric shocks from lighting, monitors, fluorescent lights and laser printers. Damage boards, bios and other critical operational components.
Line noise
Electric motors, point printers, cell phone towers, radio stations, and all kinds of electrical equipment. Line noise is always present in various magnitudes. It damages the memory, the microprocessor, the hard drive controller, you have pervasive data loss, keyboard crash and discontinuation of operation of the operating system. A quality suppressor with in-line noise filters using capacitors with high DB filtering capacity.
Low tension/Sags
Small gauge wiring is insufficient to provide a constant 120VAC distribution network. Produces poor distribution and turbulent loads excessive heating in all electrical products due to low voltage, damaging power supply to motors and to restart (loss of data). A quality wide range input voltage regulator with (>20%) and (< <10% of 120VAC) will alleviate these problems.
A no break is an electronic protection device, designed to provide electrical energy, when interruptions or sudden variations in voltage occur in the electrical energy supply of the commercial network, to computer equipment and those others that due to their function and/or value, must operate all the time. Among the equipment that can be protected by a Nobreak are:
• Personal computers
• Small servers
• Telephone switches
• Closed circuit TV equipment
• Wireless phones
• Audio/video equipment (TV, home theater, radio, minicomponents)
• Cash registers
• Point of sale terminals.
Nobreak without voltage regulator (stand-by):
• Nobreak without voltage regulator (stand-by): This equipment only provides electrical energy (backup) when the commercial electrical supply network is interrupted. IT DOES NOT REGULATE VOLTAGE VARIATIONS. They usually only include a device to suppress voltage spikes.
• Don’t break with voltage regulator. This equipment provides electrical power (backup) when the supply of the commercial electrical power network is interrupted. Within these interruptions we can mention blackouts and voltage variations, etc. This type of Nobreak REGULATES VOLTAGE VARIATIONS, SUPPRESSES VOLTAGE PEAKS IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING ENERGY BACKUP FOR SEVERAL MINUTES.
• Nobreak with/without Monitoring Software. The above two categories may or may not include monitoring software, therefore they have a communication port (USB or DB/RS232 port) and the communication cable. The software allows you to manage the battery charge. Good battery management produces two benefits; the possibility of extending its life and always maintaining reserve energy in the event of frequent (in a single day) power interruptions from the commercial network.
The first thing we must determine is the energy consumption of the equipment(s) to be protected. All electrical and/or electronic equipment indicates the amount of energy they consume. This information is normally found on the back. It is a plate or a label where you can find information such as:
• Supply voltage. The unit of measure is the Volt (V)
• Energy consumption. The unit of measure is the ampere (A)
• Frequency. The unit of measure is Hertz (Hz)
To know the minimum power of the Nobreak or UPS to acquire, it is enough to multiply the Volts by the Amps. The result is the apparent power in VA. For example:
If we have a PC with a 15″ monitor that is powered with a voltage of 127 Volts of alternating current (Vca) and consumes two amps, the apparent power is 254VA. With this data we can select the Nobreak model for this case, the smaller Nobreak (400VA/240Watts) may suffice.
Nobreaks are not designed to be connected to motorized equipment, so we recommend you avoid this as it can void your warranty.
Each Nobreak has a specific backup time, this will depend on the model and the load connected to the equipment, to know more about this, you can consult the Consumption Table by clicking here.
It is possible to use a Nobreak to operate an electric gate, but we recommend for this, equipment of 2000VA or higher, however, we suggest BEFORE CHOOSING A NOBREAK, consult a professional so that he can help you choose the correct capacity, since it can vary the power of each brand of Electric Gate, if you need help, contact us.
The answer is no, since the refrigerators work with a motor, which, as we said, it is not recommended to connect motorized equipment to a Nobreak, it would void the guarantee and would not fulfill the function
The answer is no, since this type of printer works with a motor, which, as we said before, for equipment with a motor it is not recommended to connect them to a Nobreak, the guarantee would be canceled and it would not fulfill the function
The recommended charging time for the first time is 8 continuous hours before connecting the load to the equipment.
The definition of KVA is kilo (1000) volt amperes.
The Kw are real power or active power (it is the same) to refer to apparent power, it corresponds to VA or KVA (which would be 1000VA).
What is deduced between one power and the other is not a percentage but the power factor (cosine phi or reactive power).
Real single-phase power (Watt) = voltage x current x cosphi.
Single-phase apparent power (VA) = voltage x current
Since the cosine of phi depends on the reactive characteristics of the load, whether inductive or capacitive, and is always less than 1, the real power is always less than the apparent power.
The KVA are used much in the invoices to establish a calculation of the reactive power (cos-fi= KW / KVA)
Each UPS will supply power to a load (such as a PC, telephone switch or medical equipment) if the main power fails. It can also regulate power and prevent spikes, brownouts, interference, and other unwanted issues from reaching supported equipment.
Yes, it is highly recommended that you do this every time you go on a trip, even unplug it from the outlet.
Most UPS have a useful life of at least 5 years. We advise changing the batteries every three or four years. In a larger team (and the most important investment), the useful life of the equipment increases. We maintain a team that is twenty years old and still fully fulfilling its purpose.
There are three simple methods:
1. Never overload your UPS
2. Never connect household electronic devices such as: cooling fan to your UPS. This may cause your UPS to malfunction.
3. Discharge the battery at a constant interval. The best way to do this is once a month or once every two months. The simplest way to discharge is to turn on the UPS without the need to connect to the electrical network.
In this type of UPS, the primary power source is the main utility power line and the secondary power source is the battery. The battery charger is using line power to charge the battery and the battery and inverter are waiting “on standby” until needed. When line power fails, the transfer switch switches to the secondary power source. When line power is restored, the UPS switches over.
Line interactive UPS under normal smoothing state and to some extent regulates the AC voltage input by a filter and changing tap transformer The bi-directional inverter/charger is always connected to the UPS output and uses a portion of the AC power to maintain the battery charger. When there is a power outage, the inverter turns on automatically and the power is supplied by the UPS from the batteries with the correct voltage and frequency. Its typical efficiency is 90~96%. This type is currently the most common design in the 500VA/5000 VA power range.
A watt is a measure of power, it is widely used in all electrical equipment. In effect, the Watt (as someone correctly defined) is the product of the Current times the Voltage (V x I). To try to clarify this further, an electric motor in Mexico or the USA indicates on its data plate 1 HP or CP (horse power), this indicates that the motor has a power of 746 Watts (This is the equivalent of power HP to Watts 1HP= 746 watts.
Watt. Unit of power of the International System of Units, it is represented by the capital letter W, it owes its name to the Scottish James Watt.
The watt is a unit of power that is equal to 1 Joule per second (1 Js.). I mean the work of moving a kilogram, a meter in a second. One horsepower is equal to 775 W. Expressed in units of electricity, one watt is the electrical power produced by a potential difference of 1 volt and an electrical current of 1 ampere (1 voltampere).
AVR or Automatic Voltage Regulator, is a hardware device used to maintain a specific voltage in electronic devices.
Unit of intensity of the electric current according to the International System, symbol A, which is equivalent to the intensity of a constant electric current that, when flowing through two parallel conduits of infinite length located in a vacuum and separated by 1 meter, produces an out of 2-10–7 newtons per meter.
The ampere, also called amp, is the unit of the intensity of constant electric current, charge per unit of time that a material travels, which, being maintained in this way, in two parallel, straight conductors, of infinite length, of circular section and located one meter from each other in a vacuum, they produce a force equal to 2 x 10-7
As a consequence, the ampere is an integral part of the basic units in the International Measurement System, as is the case with the meter, the second and even the kilogram, and has received such a name in honor of Andre-Marie Ampere, a mathematician and physicist. French that gained relevance in the nineteenth century, after for example discovering the mutual actions between electric currents, demonstrating without a doubt what we mentioned above, that two parallel conductors through which a current circulates in the same direction, will attract each other unfailingly On the other hand, if the directions of the current are opposite, they will repel each other.
On the other hand, the symbol with which the ampere is represented in the capital letter (A), this is so because in the units established by the International Measurement System if the unit has been named with the proper name of an individual, such is the case of the ampere, the symbol will be the first letter of the proper name in question and will be written in capital letters.
Power factor, f.d.p., of an alternating current circuit is defined as the ratio between the active power, P, and the apparent power, S. 1 It gives a measure of the capacity of a load to absorb active power. For this reason, f.d.p. = 1 on purely resistive loads; and in ideal inductive and capacitive elements without resistance f.d.p. = 0
Power Triangle
The so-called power triangle is the best way to see and understand graphically what is the power factor or cosine of phi (Cos) and its close relationship with the other types of power present in an alternating current electrical circuit.
As can be seen in the triangle of the illustration, the power factor or cosine of “fi” (Cos) represents the value of the angle that is formed when graphically representing the active power (P) and the apparent power (S), that is that is, the relationship between the real working power and the total power consumed by the load or the consumer connected to an alternating current electrical circuit. This relationship can also be represented mathematically by the following formula:
The result of this operation will be “1” or a fractional number less than “1” depending on the power factor that corresponds to each specific piece of equipment or device, depending on whether it contains an inductive or resistive circuit or a combination of both. That number responds to the value of the trigonometric function “cosine”, equivalent to the degrees of the angle formed between the powers (P) and (S).
If the number obtained as a result of the mathematical operation is a decimal less than “1” (such as 0.95), said number will represent the power factor corresponding to the difference in degrees between the intensity of the electric current and the voltage or voltage in the alternating current circuit.
The < However, an inductive circuit in no case reaches a power factor equal to “1”, even if capacitors are used to completely correct the phase difference between active power (P) and apparent power (S).
Contrary to what happens with inductive circuits, in those that only have active resistance, the power factor will always be “1”, because we have already seen it before, in that case no phase difference is created between the intensity of the current and the tension or voltage.
In inductive circuits, as occurs with motors, voltage transformers and most devices or appliances that work with some type of winding or coil, the value of the power factor is always shown with a decimal fraction less than “1” (such as o.8), which is the way to indicate the delay or phase shift produced by the inductive load in the sinusoid corresponding to the intensity of the current with respect to the sinusoid of the voltage or voltage. Therefore, an AC motor with a power factor or Cos = 0.95, for example, will be much more efficient than one with a Cos = 0.85.
The power consumed by a computer equipment is expressed in Watts (W) or Volt-Amperes (VA). The power in Watts is the real power consumed by the equipment. Volts-Amperes is called the “apparent power” of the equipment, and is the product of the applied voltage and the current that circulates through it.
Both values have a use and a purpose. Watts determine the actual power consumed by the equipment. The value in VA is used to correctly size the cables and protection circuits.
In some types of electrical appliances, such as incandescent lamps, the values in Watts and VA are identical. However, in computer equipment, Watts and VA can differ significantly, with the value in VA always equal to or greater than the value in Watts. The relationship between Watts and VA is called “Power Factor” and is expressed by a number (example: 0.7) or by a percentage (example: 70%)
Thus, taking a PC as an example, its consumption value in Watts would be 60 to 70% of its value in VA.
Protection Level
The following information is for <Suppressors, regulators, white line regulators, UPS (interactive and Online)
Smartbitt has 5 levels of protection:
• Level 1: Power “cut”
• Level 2: Voltage ”Spike” suppression
• Level 3: Voltage protection
• Level 4: Voltage regulation
• Level 5: Energy Backup
These levels are categorized from Level 1 to 5. Each level adds the features of the previous level. Below you can see a graphic image of the levels described.
