Your explanation is better and more thorough. On Wed, 12 Jul 2023 at 13:35, Scott Allen <mlxxxp@gmail.com> wrote:
On Wed, 12 Jul 2023 at 12:37, Karen Lewellen via talk <talk@gtalug.org> wrote:
How expensive are UPS units, and how do they work?
I was typing this when Don Tai replied but I'll post it just in case anything additional I've said is helpful:
UPS stands for Uninterruptible Power Supply, sometimes also called a "battery backup" unit. It's a piece of equipment that contains a rechargeable battery, connects to your building's AC power (usually by just plugging it into a standard AC outlet) and has AC receptacles on it that you plug your equipment into instead of plugging them directly into the wall. You could think of it as a big power bar with a battery in it.
The battery is kept continually charged by a built-in battery charger while it's plugged in. If the power fails, an DC to AC converter (called an inverter) switches to the outlets and continues to provide AC power to your equipment. When mains power is restored, the battery is switched out and the AC is switched in and the battery is again charged. Thus, it provides "uninterruptible" AC power to your equipment. Like power bars, most UPSs also provide surge protection and sometimes also other line conditioning.
The cost and size of the UPS you require will depend on how much power the equipment you want to keep running draws and how long you have to keep it running. For your requirements, the size could vary from about 12 inches square to the size of a large suitcase. Cost could be from maybe $75 to many hundreds.
-- Scott