Question about UPS
pcnerd
Contributor - Level 3

I have a 55" Samsung TV & a FIOS STB Not the TV One but the "Q" STB.

I have an APC UPS rated at 480 watts. I bought it 6 months ago & already it's failing.

Anyway, today it started clicking. I bought it at Batteries & Bulbs in January 2019. Today, I took it back to Batteries & Bulbs. The battery was tested. It's fine. One of the people told me to try plugging stuff into the UPS to see if it would click. I tried & it didn't click. Their theory is that the UPS is overloaded. The TV is 166 watts & the FIOS STB is 42 watts. That's 208 watts, less than half of its maximum. My theory is that once the load on the UPS exceeds X watts, the UPS starts clicking. By the way, this is the second APC UPS to fail on me prematurely.

One of the employees told me that when FIOS installed his equipment, the tech told him that the equipment should not be plugged into a surge protector or a UPS. The equpiment should be plugged directly into a wall outlet. I want my TV & STB at least plugged into a surge protector if not a UPS.

Have you heard of such a thing? Does FIOS recommend plugging the STB directly into an outlet? I bought my TV in March of 2014. It & the STB have always been plugged into a UPS. I have only 2 outlets near my TV. I need more than 2 outlets to plug in the TV & STB & soundbar & subwoofer. So, I need at least a surge protector. What is your opinion?

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Re: Question about UPS
Edg1
Community Leader
Community Leader

I can't imagine the STB being plugged or not being plugged into the surge protector any issue. It's always good to have your electronics protected and a whole house surge protection wired to the panel if possible. 

I have heard of cases where the coax connected to the surge protector caused RF signal issues. If you are concerned you could plug STB into the outlet directly and use the other one for the UPS to plug in your other devices. 

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Re: Question about UPS
clem21
Community Leader
Community Leader

The clicking in the ups is it sensing a power failure and it going to battery backup. Or if it's a voltage leveling unit, it may be trying to correct for slight voltage fluctuations. Have you checked the outlet its plugged into? Try it on another circuit and see if it still clicks. Does it show a fully charged battery? They probably didn't load test the battery, it too could be still failing. Personally I wouldn't use a ups for my TV, I prefer a Brick Wall surge suppressor. Regular MOV based surge suppressors are designed to self destruct to absorb surges, and may not indicate failures. Been there and payed the price. I really don't think at 208 watts, you are exceeding the limits of the ups.

Re: Question about UPS
clem21
Community Leader
Community Leader

I forgot to add, I see no reason Verizon would recommend against their equipment being plugged into surge suppression. I even have my ONT plugged into one, have for 12 years and haven't had any issues.

Re: Question about UPS
Edg1
Community Leader
Community Leader

I can't imagine the STB being plugged or not being plugged into the surge protector any issue. It's always good to have your electronics protected and a whole house surge protection wired to the panel if possible. 

I have heard of cases where the coax connected to the surge protector caused RF signal issues. If you are concerned you could plug STB into the outlet directly and use the other one for the UPS to plug in your other devices. 

Re: Question about UPS
pcnerd
Contributor - Level 3

The brick wall is expensive! I read about MOVs. But you've got me thinking.

I bought the desktop APC at Batteries & Bulbs. They tested the battery. It was at 100%. So, the electronics failed.

It makes me mad. In January 2019, I paid $120 for an APC desktop UPS. Six months later it fails on me. I might as well flush $120 down the toilet! I have my computer, monitor, FIOS STB & TV plugged into an APC tower. I haven't heard a peep out of it in 2 years. Yet another UPS from the same brand fails 6 months after I buy it. I read online that APC has a reputation for premature failures. Needless to say, I'll never buy another APC product! I'll stick with Cyberpower. OK, I'm off of my soapbox!

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Re: Question about UPS
clem21
Community Leader
Community Leader

Yes, the Brick Wall is relatively expensive, but so is the equipment you are protecting. I have no financial interest in the company, but after 20 years in the film production world,  I swear by them and at the MOV based protectors. I've had top of the line MOV based protectors burst into flames on set, short instead of open circuit and let surges through, had a UPS basically explode. Then I put a Brick wall in front of EVERYTHING,  first device in the power chain, and never had another surge related problem. You also have to be careful piggybacking MOV based devices as a surge can oscillate between them. Anyway, short lesson in surge protection..

Re: Question about UPS
pcnerd
Contributor - Level 3

I see the importance of surge protection.

I don't completely understand all the technical mumbo jumbo - joules, voltage passthrough.

I did read online that the MOVs wear out over time.

I read, I think on the Cyberpower website, that if the MOV fails, the UPS won't pass voltage thru to the device plugged into it.

I want both surge protection AND battery backup. If I'm watching TV & there's a power failure, I want to be able to shut off the TV & STB. If I'm on my computer & there's a power failure, I want to have time to shut down the computer & monitor. I know that the UPSs come with power management software but the software is only for Windows. I have a Mac.

You swear by the BrickWall. But suppose that there's a power failure. Do you plug some kind of UPS into the BrickWall?

The UPS manufacturers guarantee to reimburse one for any damage done to connected equipment. But what must one do to file a claim?

I'm retired & living on a fixed budget. I want to protect my TV & computer.

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Re: Question about UPS
clem21
Community Leader
Community Leader

@pcnerd wrote:

I see the importance of surge protection.

I don't completely understand all the technical mumbo jumbo - joules, voltage passthrough.

I did read online that the MOVs wear out over time.

I read, I think on the Cyberpower website, that if the MOV fails, the UPS won't pass voltage thru to the device plugged into it.

I want both surge protection AND battery backup. If I'm watching TV

You swear by the BrickWall. But suppose that there's a power failure. Do you plug some kind of UPS into the BrickWall?

The UPS manufacturers guarantee to reimburse one for any damage done to connected equipment. But what must one do to file a claim?

I'm retired & living on a fixed budget. I want to protect my TV & computer.


Yes, I plug a UPS into the Brick wall. That way your UPS is protected from any surges. The Brick Wall works very differently from an MOV surge protector, you can place an MOV based protector after it, which you shouldn't do with MOV based protectors.