Hi Guys, I have a 6 plug power strip. Right now I have connected to it a back up battery, my Lexmark Printer and my speakers & sub woofer. My Monitor and new computer are connected to a wall socket. I want to connect my old computer to the power strip. Will I be able to do that without blowing something out??. I can't find anything in all the manuals I have how much power a computer needs. HELP!!!!

 

The only problem I have with your setup is all those things you have connected to the UPS. Bad news... As far as power consumption goes, though, computers use nearly no power.

 

Worldbuilder, you misread his post. He does not specify what he has connected to the "back up battery". The "back up battery" is one of the items plugged into the power strip.

However, this begs the question. What do you mean by "back up battery"? Worldbuilder undersatdns that to be UPS. If it is a UPS, then why are your computer and monitor connected to a wall socket?

The issue is not what you can oput on this circuit. What you are describing are not power hungry devices. The impornant question is, what else is on this same circuit in the house?

 

Yeah, you're right, racraft.

I, too am wondering why the computer and monitor aren't plugged into the UPS. As far as power consumption, rlodriguss I wouldn't worry. I have a lot more plugged into single outlets in some places! You're probably fine. The devices you've described utilize very little power.

Chris

 

Iam sorry Guys. What I mean by "a backup battery" is I have a MINUTEMAN POWER SUPPLY that is both a surge protector and gives me 20 minutes of power if the electricity goes off. My computer and monitor are plugged into this device. Just this morning my monitor was off. I unplugged it from the minuteman and plugged it into the stripe. Works fine. This MINUTEMAN POWER SUPPLY/SURGE PROTECTOR/BACKUP is going on 5 years old. I think maybe it has run out of gas. and needs to be replaced. What do you guys thing??. Wait a minute, I think the power strip is also a surge protector. But does not offer 20 minutes of power when the power goes off. I'll have MINUTEMAN checked out to see if it is dying or what.
Thanks for your information Guys.

 

The battery backup is probably fine (especially since you have already tried it). I don't like the idea of plugging a surge protector into a battery backup, though. I'd change that around.

Chris

 

After five years your battery has likely lost some or even most of it's capacity. This is normal, and eventually the battery will need to be replaced, perhaps that time is now.

Replacing the battery may prove more expensive than buying a new UPS. This is often the case, especially with the various rebates offered for the UPS units.

If you don't want to replace the battery you can continue to use the UPS as a surge protector. It just will provide little or no time of battery backup in the event of a power outage.

If you do decide to replace the UPS, you can keep the old one without the battery as a UPS for a TV or entertainment center. If you do this, please dispose of the old battery properly.

The protection offered by a UPS is usually far greater than the protection offered by those inexpensive (read cheap) outlet strips surge supressors, which are wiorthless as surge supressors.

 

I paid 60 bucks for a Cyber Power UPS. It only lasted me a year. Now it does not work no more. Don't you think thats a waist of money if it only lasts that long. We need to figure out UPS backups man. We need to make them all last 5 years. The fact that yours lasted that long and mine did not makes me sick

 

Just to let everyone know (and this is ONLY my opinion), if you don't buy an APC UPS, you're not buying a REAL UPS.

Chris

 

You should only have your computer and monitor into the UPS since there is no need to print or listen to music while on battery backup.
And you should get a surge suppressor with a warranty not a power strip.

 

Thanks for the information Guys.
I rreally appreciate you giving your time and expertise.