What is an APC UPS?

An APC UPS is an uninterruptible power supply made by APC, part of Schneider Electric. It contains a battery and an inverter. When the power fails, it switches to battery within milliseconds so your equipment keeps running long enough to finish work and shut down safely.

What an APC UPS does

• Provides backup power during outages.
• Protects against surges and spikes.
• Corrects brownouts and over-voltage on many models.
• Alerts you with beeps, lights or software.

Main APC UPS families

• Back-UPS: for home and small office. Good for PCs, routers and TVs.
• Back-UPS Pro: more capacity, voltage regulation, and an LCD on many models.
• Smart-UPS: line-interactive with pure sine wave output for servers and network gear.
• Smart-UPS Online: double-conversion design for critical equipment.

Reading a model number

APC model numbers usually include the VA rating. For example, a model ending in 1500 is a 1500VA unit. Letters in front show the family and form, such as tower or rack. Always check the watt rating on the spec sheet.

Which one do you need?

• Desktop PC and router: Back-UPS.
• Gaming PC or home lab: Back-UPS Pro or Smart-UPS with sine wave.
• Small server or network rack: Smart-UPS.
• Medical, industrial or data center loads: Smart-UPS Online.

Maintenance

APC batteries are replaceable. Replace them every 3 to 5 years, keep the unit cool, and test it occasionally. Many models work with PowerChute software for automatic shutdown.