What Kind of Battery Backup Do You Need?

A Backup Article Contributed by Melissa Larose

Uninterruptible Battery Backup

You can eliminate the inconvenience of losing data by using an uninterruptible battery backup source. A battery backup system can protect your system from electrical disturbances that can happen at any time. The damage done to a computer during an electrical outage happens when the computer is re-powered after the improper shutdown caused by the outage. In order to prevent this from happening a battery backup can prevent the improper shutdown and give you the time to properly shutdown and disconnect your computer.

Battery Backup Protection

Most battery backup products provide surge protection for all of your electrical outlets as well as phone and modem connections. Many companies keep your budget in mind when creating products and will offer a variety of choices with varying benefits and prices.

Most battery backup supply houses offer a basic power supply product. This product works well for home computers and offers software for safe powering down and data saving during power loss. A step up from the basic battery backup is an enhanced version that allows for a longer runtime and an advanced shutdown with a voltage regulator that helps to eliminate out of sync voltage conditions. Even more advanced products offer these abilities with better power filtering.

Backup Battery Size

Here are some ways to determine what size battery you might need. First of all most backup battery products will plug into any grounded 120V wall outlet. You are sizing up the right product to provide surge suppression and battery backup for your computers and external computer equipment. This can also be done for the other electrical equipment in your home such as DVD players and home entertainment systems.

Walk through your office or home and note the equipment you want to plug into an uninterrupted battery backup source. In a computer area you will count the computer, the modem, and the monitor and any other peripheral devices separately. Each one of these devices will have a nameplate that lists its power requirements. These requirements will be listed as amps. Add up the amps of the group of devices you wish to protect. This is per backup battery so if you have computer equipment in two different locations then add these separately because you will need two battery backup systems.

Once you have the amp total multiply it by 120VA. This math will give you the requirement you will need your battery backup to supply for that group of devices. Now you can choose the product that supports at least this total.

Battery Backup Reminders

Include in your estimated VA total the possibility of additional equipment at a later date. Add a few amps to your amp total before you multiply and you can be assured of protection for those new devices.

The bigger the gap between you requirement and the capability of the battery backup produce means a longer battery run time. Now all of this may sound encouraging but remember that any product that has a tendency toward excessive power drawing because of heating and cooling requirements, such as a copier or a laser printer, should not be plugged into a backup battery for obvious reasons.