Am I doing something Wrong?

You do not need to have a surge protector hooked up the UPS. The UPS already has a surge protector built in, as well as a backup power source, the battery.

A surge proctor on the other hand has NO backup power source (battery). That’s the main difference between the two. In short, you don't need a surge protector if you have a UPS.

Also, you don't need to turn the surge protector off as that's defeating the purpose of having it hooked up in the first place... to protect.

Turning it off doesn't protect you from electrical surges unless you unplug from the outlet… and if you're going to do that... why have a UPS, or surge protector in the first place.

My two cents.

Hello sygnus21,
If you turn the surge suppressor off, doesn't that disconnect the line voltage from the surge protection circuits and the outlet strip? I hear but I readily confused.
Thanks
glennc

Good Day Fumz,
So you're stating that the disconnection of line voltage occurs after the gadgetry of the surge protector or are you speaking of the UPS surge protection?
glennc

Fumz said:

What I'm saying is that a good UPS has 3 basic features: automatic voltage regulation, surge supression, and battery backup. You cannot turn on or off these features independently: either they're all on, or they're all off.

If the unit is plugged in and turned on, then you have the benefit of all its features. If you turn the unit off, you have the benefit of none.

If the UPS is turned off, and lightning strikes your house, or the telephone pole/cable box/hookup (if above ground) next to your house, you're at risk of damaging your computer. If the unit is off, the UPS provides no surge protection. Voltage can run through the lines in your house (electrical, telephone or cable) to your machine.

This is why in heavy lightning, the only real protection is to physically unplug devices.

Fumz,
On my UPS there is a surge protected side that operates with the power to the UPS turned on or off. I thought that was unusual. The battery/surge suppressors appear to work only when I turn the UPS on.
glennc

grimreaper said:

glennc said:

Hello grimreaper,
I appreciate you adding your knowledge. That is some UPS you've got there. Since I'm only concerned with line regulation and a auto nice shutdown I think/hope I'm going to be o.k.
To all, if I find out that my UPS doesn't charge when off, would it be bad to add a surge protector of of it within wattage ratings for the availability of an on/off switch and some additional surge protection? I'm talking about just the monitor and computer? Is that considered that dangerous within output wattage rating. I'm just concerned that the UPS I have seems to line noise fault when I power it up. The extra surge protector would be solely for convenience. Appreciate your opinions.
I can see why some, but if the wattage wasn't overdrawing the output, then that potential danger would be eliminated and it would just be the issue of a second probably larger surge protector circuit off the built in one.
glennc

Thanx for the compliments, I choose this UPS for the sole fact I knew I had a ton of electronic gear to protect in case of the obvious reasons.
It's better to have a UPS that has more juice available then what you're plugging in.

With regards to your question, I cannot stress adding a surge protector to your UPS is wrong, and as a matter of fact in the manuals, this is mentioned also not to plug a surge protector to the UPS.
I can only tell you what I think, it's up to you now to make your own choice if you want to plug in a surge protector to your UPS.
Good luck my friend:)

Didn't see this till now. Thanks for the information and your response. Yes, I am the one who gets to choose to destroy my new system or maybe not. Responsibilities, angst, anxiety. Right know I took the Surge Protected Power strip for peripherals and plugged into the wall outlet. Wait for five minutes, it may change.
Vacillatingly Yours
glennc

Phone Man said:

You have the same family of UPS I have only mine is the next larger size. Are you looking at the Current Status page. That is where the Load Bar is located. From what I see on the APC site your UPS with Software ver 2.2 should show the Load Bar and also have the self-test.
Also your unit WILL charge when plugged in even if you turn it off.

Jim

Hey Jim,
Yeah I am looking at the Current Status Page. No luck. My Battery runtime climbed a minute.
Question fellow APC User's, according to my Status Indicators Sheet, when I turn on the UPS I get Beeping approx 4 times every 30 Seconds. This indicates that the UPS is supplying battery power. Alarm Terminates When: UPS transfers back to Power ON operation.
I think I know what that means, I just can't see the reason for it. As you noted PM, the unit is being charged whenever it is connected to utility power with the switch in the on or off position.
Any ideas on this one. We seem to be closing in on it!
glennc