Hey everyone, I was hoping to find a UPS I can use with one of our STARs that will be doing a lot of overnight processes and wanted to see if anyone had any recommendations or share what they’re currently using.
Thanks!
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I use APC-1500 units, about $600/ea. Decent size for use on benchtops, or tucked into an instrument cabinet or behind some other equipment. I am usually just bridging the <1min gap between loss and emergency generator power, so if you’re looking for enough capacity to run the system from battery alone, you’ll need to size-up. I might get 15-20min of runtime out of mine.
I have found every time that I have asked this question to a vendor, its always “we don’t have recommendations, you do what’s best for you”.
We have used APCs in the past for a variety of liquid handlers, and while we didn’t have problems, the general consensus seems to be that their quality has been slipping(hardware/customer service) over the years.
We have also used Eaton branded UPS backups as well (such as the 5P3000 model) for various liquid handlers, which has a better reputation overall.
In either case, you’ll have to plan to buy replacement batteries every 3-5 years. The APC and Eaton are similarly priced, with the Eaton replaceable batteries costing more overall. There’s not really any “maintenance” that you need to do on these. Note that changing the batteries is a little easier with Eaton devices compared to some APC devices.
We also looked into using something like an EcoFlow Delta 2 MAX as well. That is a similar price to the APC or Eaton devices (often cheaper on a sale), and uses a lithium iron phosphate battery, which has a much longer shelf life (10 years), but does require that you fully discharge/recharge the batteries every 3-6 months. They also don’t regulate voltage or protect against power surges like an EPS do, and have a overall longer transfer time (1000 ms compared to 4-8 ms for the Eaton or APC).
For any new ones that we need, we have been going with Eaton brand ones. You could probably save money by buying a APC one, but it will be more of a headache if you have issues. Hope this helps!
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Yeah this helped a lot, thank you!
It’s hard to select which UPS works well and the right amount of run time as well. Did you have any specific models that worked? I reached out to Hamilton to see if I can find the load of the STARs
You’ll need to figure out which configuration that you have. But you’ll need to check each UPS vendor to see what Wattage or VA rating the UPS is listed for.
You’ll need to make sure the UPS can:
- Have enough input plugs for all devices that you want to plug in. Check to see if any integrated devices require their own power supply (i.e. not plugged into/powered by the liquid handler), and account for those plugs. Don’t forget about the PC plug as well (monitor can be optional particularly if you expect emergency generator power to come back fairly quick).
- Add up all of the electrical loads together (may have to convert to all the same expression of power using Watts = Amps x Volts · Amps = Watts / Volts · Volts = Watts / Amps). This information can often be found in manuals or directly on the device somewhere. Most of the time you will be using standard 120 VAC.
- Confirm that the electrical load for all devices is exceeded by the UPS of choice. Generally speaking you want to go with 20-25% more than your maximum input.
- Confirm what the runtime is based on your expected load and see if that will meet your needs. For example, for Eaton, on any page you should see a “See runtime graphs link”. Here, if your load is 600 VA, then adjust the slider to 600 VA, and you’ll see what your expected runtime is. If you don’t know what your needs are, ask someone on your Facilities team what the maximum transfer time is between a power outage and backup generator power being restored. If your run time exceeds that, you are good.
Don’t forget to consider other devices that your platform needs to operate:- PC, monitor, pump(s), BCR etc. depending on your configuration some of these may be minor loads, others not so much.
Consider how often do you loose power, and for what duration. Your local power authority may be able to supply you with a power reliability report - scope the size of the UPS accordingly.
Forget asking the instrument manufacturer most, in my experience, don’t have a clue; instead reachout to a specialist UPS reseller and stay away from unknown brands.
Lastly, UPSs act as excellent power filter devices; the mains power in most labs is usually pretty noisy and UPS are able to clean-up the incoming power extremely well.
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