What is an APC unit?

An APC unit is usually a battery backup or UPS made by APC, a brand of Schneider Electric. People also use the phrase for APC surge protectors and power distribution units. The unit keeps your computer, router or server running during a power cut and protects it from surges.

About APC

APC stands for American Power Conversion. The company began in 1981 and became part of Schneider Electric in 2007. It is one of the best-known makers of power protection equipment.

Common APC products

• Back-UPS: for home PCs, TVs and routers.
• Back-UPS Pro: higher capacity for gaming PCs and home offices.
• Smart-UPS: for servers, networking and small business equipment.
• Smart-UPS Online: double conversion for critical systems.
• SurgeArrest: surge protectors with no battery.
• Rack PDUs and NetShelter racks: for server rooms.

What an APC unit does

• Switches to battery when the power fails.
• Gives you minutes to save work and shut down.
• Blocks voltage spikes.
• Corrects low and high voltage on many models.
• Sounds an alarm and shows status lights or an LCD.

Other meanings of APC

APC can also mean other things in other fields, such as armored personnel carrier or angled physical contact in fiber optics. In power and electronics shopping, it almost always means the APC brand.

How to choose

Add up the watts of the devices you want to protect, add 20 to 25 percent headroom, and pick a unit whose watt rating exceeds that number.