UPS on your printer??

[JMDigital]

I was sitting in my office today looking at the cloudy sky and wondering. Can you put a battery backup on your Printer? I know that each printer is diffrent, but my CJ500 has no heaters or take up reel. so could a 1100va battery backup keep it going for a few min? not to save the print but to save the printer from a power fail but maby from a flash or brown out. and if power fails I could pause the print cancel it and save the printer from a failure?? what do you guys think? I have an 1100 va on my pc that does not really need it. I have an extra 500va I could put on the pc and use the 1100 va for the CJ 500 ??

I am in the hurricane season and unplug the printer from power (and computer) when it gets bad arround here.

So what do you think? Can an 1100va hold the printer for a few min so I can power down safely? or should I just not print in bad weather??

Thanks!!

 

[Pro Signs & Graphix]

JM,

Common belief is "yes", it does help. No guarantees. I have seen lightning do crazy things. I have lost a lot due to power and lightning. The biggest advantage (of a UPS) is that you will always keep "good" power levels - WHICH truly is the reason of most electrical failure.

Bottom line...KEEP insurance...don't have it, GET it......but it is always a good idea to unplug when the weather get harry, unless you are working - then you have to go for the money. A couple surge suppressors (always after the UPS) would not hurt either.

 

[iSign]

I bought a new UPS & had it here when the suppliers tech flew in to set up my Mimaki. I'm not sure why, but he said not to use it, so I took his advice & returned it. I have my server & design station plugged in to one, but that's it.

 

[jayhawksigns]

We run our printer on a UPS, and I personally think that it isn't a bad idea to at least run your printer through something that at least makes sure the printer is getting "clean" power.

I can understand not putting your printer on a UPS if you don't get one that is big enough. And what is big enough is a whole nother question. We ended up getting a 3kVa unit for our printer.

 

[Techman]

You have to have TWICE the rated power of the printer in UPS reserve.
For example A 300 watt power supply on a computer needs at least a 600 watt UPS. WHY? because UPS will wear down after time. PLUS 600 watts is the rated PEAK power,, not a sustained power rating.

 

[JMDigital]

I bought a new UPS & had it here when the suppliers tech flew in to set up my Mimaki. I'm not sure why, but he said not to use it, so I took his advice & returned it. I have my server & design station plugged in to one, but that's it.

That Mimaki is a big machine. Built in dryer right? I can see that being too much for a UPS..

 

[Pro Signs & Graphix]

....but keep in mind that the printer has a motor that runs the head. You should be able to see what the "wattage" requirements are, or what the amps are.

 

[Techman]

a lot of the bigger machine have line conditioners built into their own power supplies,,

 

[ahollow]

How about using a surge protector? I'm starting to look into that route.
I used to unplug my printer when not in use, but when I plug it back in, even with the switch off, I hear a "spark" as the plug connects to the outlet. So something in there is using electic even when the switch is off. Would it be to keep vacuum on the print stations?

 

[mark in tx]

I bought a new UPS & had it here when the suppliers tech flew in to set up my Mimaki. I'm not sure why, but he said not to use it, so I took his advice & returned it.

Because he wants up the odds on replacing a $1000 circuit board that will not be covered under warranty because of a power spike.

 

[Joseph Dunkle]

My recommendation would be to unplug the computer, printers/plotters ect... if A storm is coming.

Realistically I'm to lazy to do that. I would at the very min have a good surge protector with the equipment guarantee for like $35000 and make sure you register it for the warranty

 

[jayhawksigns]

Because he wants up the odds on replacing a $1000 circuit board that will not be covered under warranty because of a power spike.

Doug does live in Hawaii, forget replacing the card, thats a free expense paid trip to Hawaii, would you want to pass that up. :Big Laugh

 

[Cadmn]

well way back when I saw a surgesupressor with melted connectors at which took out three computers. If lightning hits & its plugged in more than likely its toast!!

 

[Pro Signs & Graphix]

The truth about lightning is that it will jump across something, in its search to get to ground. Surge suppressors are nothing but fuses and UPS' are nothing batteries and inverters.

Just picture a welder. If a welder had the same amount of "juice" that lightning had, you would be able to weld from many feet away. unfortunately, electrical prongs are not that far apart.

This is why people can get in trouble with "backfeeding" a genset IF they do not actually pull the main out. I am not against backfeeding, or connecting directly to the poles in the box, but the main should be pulled. I am not even thinking about the linemen - most wear protection - I am thinking about the electrical collision that can cause an explosion.

Anyway back to protecting the printer. The only true insurance (other than disconnection) IS insurance. Anything other than that is still a gamble, but does not hurt. The UPS will keep power levels up (they are not conditioners), preventing low voltage burn-out - VERY common, and the surge suppressors may try and slow the lightning, but no guarantee it will.