Rack UPS

[Octopuss]

Could anyone outline basic differences between "regular" and rack UPSes for me? Let's talk affordable ones, not the expensive ones obviously.
Since I will be moving the NAS to standalone PC, I will have lots of unused space in my (small) rack, and I thought a rack UPS might make sense.
Are the rack ones always noisier? Do they have larger batteries? That sort of stuff.

I don't think I will need a very powerful one for powering a PC that will basically only have a SSD and two disks, running on one of the older quadcore Xeons (maybe hexa in future - if at all), a router and a small switch, but I might want one that will last for reasonably long on case of an outage (that happens here few times a year).
I just don't want a turbine (my wife's desk is right next to the rack :D), and obviously I don't want to spend a fortune on that.

 

[danb35]

basic differences between "regular" and rack UPSes for me?

There aren't any inherent differences between rack-mount and other UPSs. A UPS doesn't ordinarily make any noise at all, though a higher-power one might have fans running when it's on battery. They may or may not have larger batteries than other units, and unfortunately, the marketing information won't really tell you. If the manufacturer gives a runtime chart (I know APC does), though, that will let you know if the battery capacity is relatively higher or lower than another unit you might be considering.

For some of the higher-end UPSs, you can also get external battery packs, to increase the runtime without increasing the VA capacity (which is rarely an issue in any event). Consider buying a used UPS and replacing the batteries yourself.

 

[Octopuss]

Hm, so are you saying the smaller rack ones are quiet while idling just like the desktop ones? I presume the big ones used for server rooms and whatnot have always on fans.
I was looking at something like APC Smart-UPS X 750VA LCD.

 

[danb35]

I have a pretty large (3 KVA) rack-mount UPS. It's silent at idle. And by "silent" I mean completely silent, not merely "really quiet". UPSs aren't normally noise generators. Now, when it's running on battery (i.e., when the power does out), cooling fans start up--even then it isn't particularly loud, but it's definitely audible. But otherwise? Nothing.

 

[Octopuss]

Good, that sounds (hah) promising.
I just need to pick something specific up now.

Empty rack would be a waste.

 

[danb35]

When you're shopping, you can pretty much ignore VA ratings; buy based on expected/needed runtime. If you don't know how much power you're drawing right now, a Kill-A-Watt is pretty inexpensive and will tell you. And then round up, as the charts are based on new batteries.

 

[Octopuss]

I really need to buy something.
I kinda forgot, and sure enough, wall sockets circuit went down yesterday, taking the server down.

I'd prefer second hand stuff, but it also shouldn't be 20 years old mammoth, and it should be supported by ESXi.
I was looking at Eaton 5PX1500iRT, but I don't think these show up on Ebay used. And they are pretty damn expensive (about twice as much as I would ideally like to spend).

The server doesn't use much - like 70W during normal operation (I'll add few more VMs in future though). Xeon E-2136, 3x HDD, SAS HBA, that's about it.
I just want something that will keep it up for at least 15 mins (considering the power draw, I'm hoping for a lot longer) without costing an arm and a leg.

 

[ethereal]

i would recommend cyberpower - they are cheap and should work with freeans - see my signature for the one i use.
i've had it 5 or 6 years and haven't had to replace the batteries

 

[Octopuss]

Looks like I'm going to be choosing between https://www.cyberpower.com/eu/en/product/sku/PR1000ERT2U and https://www.cyberpower.com/eu/en/product/sku/pr1000elcdrt2u.
The first one seems to be better, but the fan noise is horrible. So I don't know.

 

[Octopuss]

My rather expensive desktop APC UPS I only had for four years died on me and the guy in an authorized service centre told me APC didn't sell spare parts to ANYONE, so I am done with this brand. I can't afford to risk this.

I was looking at Eaton, but those units (the 5P line) seem to have fans running 24/7, so that's out of question for living room rack.

I was also being warned against Cyberpower (by the tech guy), saying the PR line is full of problems even Cyberpower doesn't know how to fix, and that the build quality and quality of components just isn't there.
That leaves me with exactly zero choices...

 

[subhuman]

There's still Tripp-Lite.
I personally don't have any of their products, but don't take either of my prior statements to be either an endorsement or condemnation of their products. I'm just stating they do exist, but I have no idea if their UPS products are any good or not.

 

[Spearfoot]

There are few, if any, manufacturers of quality products left in today's world. So APC, CyberPower, etc., are probably no worse (or better) than the lesser-known companies.

I bought one of these APC units on eBay a couple of years ago for my rack:

APC SUA2200RM2U Smart-UPS System for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for APC SUA2200RM2U Smart-UPS System at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

For my office, I use a CyberPower 1500PFCLCD.

Both work fine. So far...

 

[no_connection]

I was looking at Eaton, but those units (the 5P line) seem to have fans running 24/7

Any on-line ups is likely to have fans running 24/7 since inverters are always working, and even at high efficiency 5-10% is still converted to heat.
Although maybe smaller UPS could be fanless.

Line interactive/offline don't have any active conversion taking place so less heat generated when idle.

I have used several PowerWare UPS for many years, they where bought by Eaton and the Eaton UPS I later got was similar to PW. I guess I have only positive to say about both. Batteries lasts forever too.


Another option is to make your own. There is no shortage of solar/wind/water stuff around so plenty of ways to get AC to DC to AC. And you could even stick a solar panel somewhere outside to decrease utility power consumed for NAS. Might even be cheaper than a real UPS.

Or if you are adventures you could run computer on DC. Ether from 12V made one. Or 115V (or whatever voltage is applicable). I saw on TV many years ago one company did that to run all servers on DC instead of having UPS. Guess that works if you know what you are doing.

 

[Elliot Dierksen]

I have an APC Smart-UPS 5000 RM DL4 (DL5000RMT5U) and I have been reasonably happy with it. It is kind of a hassle replacing the batteries since it is a bunch of small batteries chained together. They sometimes swell over time, so it is difficult to get them to slide out. I have had better luck with the Duracell replacement batteries than the APC branded ones.

 

[no_connection]

I wonder if that is due to overcharge or bad battery management. As I mantioned in another thread I have had Smart-UPS 1500 charge batteries to damage and what could have been fire. Not sure I have seen any of my other batteries swell when in use, but they do swell and crack months after being discarded but waiting for disposal.

 

[subhuman]

Or if you are adventures you could run computer on DC. Ether from 12V made one. Or 115V (or whatever voltage is applicable). I saw on TV many years ago one company did that to run all servers on DC instead of having UPS. Guess that works if you know what you are doing.

If Intel's 12VO* power supply spec takes off, I expect this will become much more commonplace, and a lot easier.
If you think about it, what we do now is really inefficient.
The UPS takes line voltage, converts it to DC to charge batteries/run an inverter, converts it back to line voltage to send it to the PSU, which converts it back to DC.

*(12VO= 12 Volt Only) as the name implies, the PSU only outputs 12V and nothing else

. I have had better luck with the Duracell replacement batteries than the APC branded ones.

Good tip. I recently put a pair of:

Amazon.com: Power Sonic 12V 9AH SLA Battery Replaces CP1290 6-DW-9 HR9-12 PS-1290F2-2 Pack: Automotive

Buy Power Sonic 12V 9AH SLA Battery Replaces CP1290 6-DW-9 HR9-12 PS-1290F2-2 Pack: Batteries - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

In a Smart-UPS RS1000. They've only been in a few months, but at $40 for the pair I figured they're worth trying. So far, all I can say is they work but I have no idea what the longevity will be. I guess I'll have a better idea in a few years.
There's also some LiFePO4 ones on the market which are starting to look promising for the long lifetime and high charge/discharge cycle rating compared to SLA. However I haven't seen any with a high enough max discharge current rating to work for a UPS... yet.

 

[Octopuss]

Next up I started looking at APC again, but I can't figure out whether SMX line does turn the fans off. I heard unconfirmed claims the SMT does (well, the tower one I had did, but no idea about rackmount)...