In the middle of the hurricane season and with forecasts that warn of the appearance of up to 25 tropical storms from now until November 30, it is important to be sure that our home and information will be safe in the event of any potential storm. Generally, we try to have a reserve of food, water and to secure windows and doors, but what happens with investments such as our appliances, laptops with which we work or even our information?

At a time when the “new normal” forces many to work and study from home, it’s important to keep our most important current assets safe.

“”The important thing is not only to replace electrical energy with a plant or inverter, it is also necessary to protect equipment and data,” said Rafael Alexander De Los Santos, APC’s Elite Partners Account Manager – English Caribbean

“Uninterruptible Power Systems (UPS) allow everything connected to electrical current to be protected. Any application, be it audio, video, computers, a lamp, game system or cameras for the protection of homes and offices, are investments that we must keep safe,”

To prevent any sudden disturbance in connectivity, a UPS provides protection against high voltage peaks and fluctuations that can occur, which can happen when lightning strikes near the house. In addition, a UPS ensures constant voltage regulation so that everything connected receives stable current, regardless of what happens.

It is recommended that you verify the average number of watts needed to connect to the UPS. That information, labelled at the back of each device, will help determine the type of UPS needed.

Also, take into account which of the three types of UPS available…

1) Standby, which receives the electricity supply, charges the battery and at the same time transfers that electricity to the connected component

2) Interactive Line, which adds voltage regulation and offers greater protection, and the more robust

3) Double Conversion Line, which allows the connected equipment to be supplied 100% from the UPS battery and never from the electrical supply that comes from outside.

Once a UPS is already installed, it is a good idea to periodically take stock of any changes in the IT environment as the IT load will likely have increased, which might means that a larger UPS, additional batteries or units may be needed to support increased load and maintain desired runtime. Batteries should be when necessary and most units signal pending failure.