Common Power Problems

Here are some of the most common power supply problems and their likely effect on sensitive
equipment:

Power Surges
A power surge takes place when the voltage is 110% or more above normal. The most common
cause is heavy electrical equipment being turned off. Under these conditions, computer systems
and other high tech equipment can experience flickering lights, equipment shutoff, errors or
memory loss.
Possibile Solutions: Surge Suppressors, Voltage Regulators, Uninterruptable Power
Supplies, Power Conditioners

High-Voltage Spikes
High-voltage spikes occur when there is a sudden voltage peak of up to 6,000 volts. These
spikes are usually the result of nearby lightning strikes, but there can be other causes as well.
The effects on vulnerable electronic systems can include loss of data and burned circuit boards.
Possibile Solutions: Surge Suppressors,Voltage Regulators, Uninterruptable Power
Supplies, Power Conditioners

Transients
Transients are potentially the most damaging type of power quality disturbance that you may
encounter. Transients fall into 2 categories.

Impulsive
Oscillatory
For more details about transients view our newsletter archive here.
Possibile Solutions: Surge Suppressors, Voltage Regulators, Uninterruptable Power
Supplies, Power Conditioners

Frequency Variation
A frequency variation involves a change in frequency from the normally stable utility frequency
of 50 or 60 Hz, depending on your geographic location. This may be caused by erratic operation
of emergency generators or unstable frequency power sources. For sensitive equipment, the
results can be data loss, program failure, equipment lock-up or complete shut down.
Possibile Solutions: Voltage Regulators, Power Conditioners

Power Sag

A sag is the reduction of AC Voltage at a given frequency for the duration of 0.5 cycles to 1
minutes time. Sages are usually caused by system faults, and often the result of switching on
loads with high demand startup currents. For more details about power sags visit our newsletter
archives.
Possibile Solutions: Voltage Regulators, Uninterruptable Power Supplies,Power Conditioners

Electrical Line Noise

Electrical line noise is defined as Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and Electromagnetic
Interference (EMI) and causes unwanted effects in the circuits of computer systems. Sources of
the problems include motors, relays, motor control devices, broadcast transmissions, microwave
radiation, and distant electrical storms. RFI, EMI and other frequency problems can cause
equipment to lock-up, and data error or loss.
Possibile Solutions: Voltage Regulators, Uninterruptable Power Supplies,Power Conditioners

Brownouts
A brownout is a steady lower voltage state. An example of a brownout is what happens during
peak electrical demand in the summer, when utilities cant always meet the requirements and
must lower the voltage to limit maximum power. When this happens, systems can experience
glitches, data loss and equipment failure.
Possibile Solutions: Voltage Regulators, Uninterruptable Power Supplies,Power Conditioners

Blackouts
A power failure or blackout is a zero-voltage condition that lasts for more than two cycles. It may
be caused by tripping a circuit breaker, power distribution failure or utility power failure. A
blackout can cause data loss or corruption and equipment damage.
Possibile Solutions: Generators

Basic Requirements of an UPS System

Lightning and surge protection. The unit should meet the requirements of IEEE
standard 587

Category A or B. These requirements require the unit to withstand surges of 6000 V

without
damage to itself, and preventing the surge from reaching the protected load.
Isolation. The UPS should have grounding and bonding provisions to reduce neutralto-ground
noise to zero, thereby preventing common mode noise from reaching the protected
equipment.
Line noise can cause possible malfunction to equipment.
Voltage regulation. Equipment voltage requirements must be maintained within the
limits
prescribed by the manufacturer.
Continuous, no-break power. A true UPS continuously serves the load through the
UPS support
battery, and the load never sees a power break when utility power is lost. Some
units are standby
power systems, whereby the load is transferred to the UPS only when utility power
is lost or
deviates from prescribed power quality parameters. A continuous no-break power
unit must be
used if no power interruption, even of a momentary nature, can be tolerated by the
load.
Output power waveform. Electronic equipment and computers are designed with
the assumption
that input power is an ac sine wave. All UPSs transform dc battery power from a
constant output,
straight line, to a variable output, sine wave, or a reasonable approximation of a
thereof. With
some low cost units, a "reasonable approximation" may be an abrupt square wave.
It is important
to adhere to the requirements prescribed by the manufacturer of the protected
equipment.

Load rating basis. More than 90 % of computer equipment employs input switchingmode power
supplies. The UPS load rating should be based on a switching-mode power supply
load, rather
than some unrelated load such as lighting or motors.