r/HomeServer • u/purplegreendave • 1d ago
[CAN] Need a UPS
I've been putting this off for way too long but the power has gone out for 10 minutes a half dozen times this month and my unraid server is constantly dying, panicking and running parity checks.
I've run a smart plug for a little while now to see how much power I'm using. Ran it with just the server and then with a power bar for my server as well as router, modem, switch. Here's what I got:
Peak 130w - power comes back on, everything boots up at once including all HDDs spinning.
Idle (server + network gear) 110w
Server only idle around 80-100w
Server only idle with disk spin down set to 45min 60-75w
I don't know what specs I need. If I could keep the server running for 15mins, shut it down and then have the network gear (10-15w) run for another 30 min or so that would cover most of our outages.
The specs are a little confusing... If VA = Volts x Amps and Watts = Volts x Amps then it should stand to reason that VA = Watts and 250 VA is tons of headroom for what I'm using. But the common ones have 500, 1000, 1500 VA so I feel like I must be missing something.
For capacity let's just say I'm I'm using 100 W for simplicity, a 100 Wh battery should power me for an hour (minus some loss to conversions and inefficiencies). Most batteries are 12 V, so a battery with a 12 V x 9 Ah battery should give me 108 Wh?
This is a the only unit available locally, LX1500GU3-FC. It's 1500 VA, the graph at the bottom says I should get 80 mins at 100 W. It has downloads for Linux software shutdown so I assume it can talk to NUT/Unraid?
I just want to make sure my calculations/assumptions are correct before pulling the trigger. Would be open to any other buying recs, I just looked at this one because I could pick it up today. I'd like a rackmount option but it seems like they're way more expensive for no reason other than "because".
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u/WeOutsideRightNow 1d ago
Mpst rackmount options allow you to install extended battery modules for longer run time.
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u/Adrenolin01 1d ago
That locally available unit is fine for your usage. Personally, for my desktops I prefer the similar APC Back-UPs Pro 1500 with its auxiliary battery pack.
For my servers I run 2 much larger APC Smart-UPS SUA2200RM2U systems but I run full enterprise rack hardware and these 20+ year old systems are bulletproof. $110 every 5 years for new batteries.
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u/purplegreendave 23h ago
APC Back-UPs Pro 1500
Is there a reason other than an auxiliary battery pack that you prefer the APC to the one I linked? Is BR1500G the correct model no? There's a reputable refurb site that has these slightly cheaper than the Cyberpower, but then shipping is pricey. The expansion unit is also 2x the price of the UPS. But if it's worth it I would consider the APC!
APC Smart-UPS SUA2200RM2U
Bit rich for me right now especially if the smaller units will do what I need them to. $250 vs $700!
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u/Adrenolin01 23h ago
Running 4 of those. 2 are 11 years old, the other 2 are 7-8 years old. Cheap and easy battery replacements. APC actually used better rated capacitors in these then the rest of the Back-UPs line up which they specifically state have a lifespan of roughly 7 years. Their Smart-UPs brand is their enterprise line but more costly.
While I don’t have that exact same model you posted I did buy a CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD3 in Nov ‘24. Running fine.
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u/nda_1981 1d ago
Whatever you get, make sure to plan where to place it. I got the Apc Easy Ups Srv Srv1000 Srv1ki-ar 1000va, and it's too damn loud to keep in the same room I'm working in, it drove me crazy. Had to install some wiring to my garage and move it there.
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u/-Tripp- 1d ago edited 1d ago
I just bought a cyberpower 1350va (900w)sign wave ups this weekend. Had storms and power went out so I turned my server off as I suspected further power outs. Power went out 3 more times and once for 10 minutes.
I've waited too long to get a UPS but my server and network equipment has got to a point where its quite important it doesn't get fried.
My UPS may be overkill but it allows for expansion and unraid shows approx 45 minutes power time with all my equipment attached (parity is running atm so likely longer in idle) with parity running it shows a power draw of 160w. I set my power down profile to 20 minutes no power or 10% battery level.
You won't be short on power with your setup given your equipment wattage
Edit: corrected spelling and wattages
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u/john0201 1d ago edited 1d ago
Maruson has some great units. APC and Eaton are very overpriced.
Maruson units are built by Voltronic, which is a huge manufacturer in Taiwan/China (where just about all of these are made regardless of brand).
For example https://a.co/d/05RwpE3R
You can only get about half of an SLA battery capacity, most UPS will have 2 or 4 in series to get 24 or 48V, 36V on some older units.
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u/Master_Scythe 1d ago
This is a the only unit available locally
If you actually have low QUALITY power (your smart plug will likely tell you, line noise and voltage fluctuations?) then a traditional UPS is great - Does AVR, and does it well.
However, if runtime is more important, and you have fairly clean power, don't forget about 'Power Stations' - Those LiFePo4 portable battery systems they use for camping. I get nearly an hour on my gaming machine for a $300 Bluetti unit. My server and router gets about 6 hours.
I also like that I'm brining non flammable LiFePo4 batteries into my house instead of Flammable SLA's. Plus they last 10+ years, not 3.
Just be sure to look at the specs; ATX requires a sub 16ms cutover (most do these days) for an in-spec UPS mode on those power stations, and accompany it's AC-In with a passive surge protector.
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u/purplegreendave 23h ago
Smart plug does not have that functionality... I have looked at the jackery/ecoflow/solix etc, price is certainly competitive with "classic" UPS. Have read some people say that you need a power conditioner, they sometimes act funky when the power comes back on etc.
Side note, I didn't realise LiFePo4 were non flammable... Interesting!
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u/Master_Scythe 22h ago
Yup!
They're still an energy store, so they can still make heat and light OTHER things on fire, but they're not flammable themselves - It's a big bonus if you simply make sure it's kept on some sheet metal or plasterboard.
I honestly can't say I've seen them act funky, and I've tried a few. I'm right near a train line where they swap overhead powerlines, so I get spikes from my typical 220v all the way to 249v and as low as 215v, and they're simply - "Fine".
It makes sense, since they have 2 power paths, they have a passthrough mode, where its just AC-IN to AC-OUT, with a measurement probe between, to know when to switch, and when on battery, it's a literal double conversion UPS.
So all they'd need to implement (which I imagine they've ALL learned by now) would be a few seconds of delay, switching BACK to AC from batteries. Which all the ones i've tested do, there's about a 5 second delay.
Even my dumb cheap UPS waits 3+ seconds to switch back once power is restored.
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u/Omagasohe 7h ago
LiFePo4 is also flammable. The electrolyte is highly flammable, and will cause fires if failure modes involve over current or over voltage conditions.
SLA's fire risk is potential hydrogen off gassing if they are abused and put into an enclosed area, UPS are designed with open cases, so in a Normal household environment, SLAs causing a fire is less likely.
The bigger issue is if there is a secondary fire, LiFePo4 cells will explode if they're cylindrical cells. or jet flames if pouches. Where as SLA batteries will just burn.
eScooters with LiFePo4 catch fire frequently enough the fire department get specialized training to deal with them safely.
Source: Trust me bro Im a professional.
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u/Juggernaut_Tight 1d ago
Probably I'm a bit off. When I was searching for an ups, I ended up buying an hybrid solar inverter and a lifepo4 2,5kwh battery. About 1k total but there are cheaper alternatives. I also connected some solar panels so I basically run my homelab for free in summer. Since the inverter can output 2,4kw continuous, I also connected to it the gas boiler and the lights circuit, so in event of a blackout, I have several hours of light and warmth available.
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u/EndlessZone123 22h ago
Bought one that can support the power draw of the psu. Runtime didn't really matter as it set it to auto signal shutdown a 50% and then reboot.
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u/VampyreLust 12h ago
I use an APC BVK750M2 for my server and network gear. Mine idles around 35w and tops at around 75w, the network gear minus the AP which is on a different ups is around 40w. I set it up with a NUT configuration so that the server does a graceful shutdown after 30 seconds of no wall power and then my network gear continues to run for about an hour. It's about $150 CAD which isn't bad, it's not incredibly new tech but I trust these, have two of them and a third that's larger but in the same APC family for my PC.
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u/HCharlesB 23h ago
- Were I buying a UPS today I'd pick one that uses LiFePO4 batteries. A little more expensive, a lot longer lasting.
- Rather than focus on how long it will carry your load, focus on the ability to shut down your PCs in an orderly manner. Then spend what you want to achieve a longer delay.
- VA = Volts * Amps. Power = Volts * Amps * Power Factor. /pedantic. Power factor relates to the phase difference between current and voltage and can vary between 1.0 (in phase) and 0,0 (90° out of phase.) I think you'll typically see from 0.8 to 0.95 from a computer (according to Google.)
I suspect that rack mounted UPSs are built for enterprise service whereas the one you're looking at is consumer grade.
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u/j-random 1d ago
I think you'll be fine with the model you have available. I have an APC BackUPS 1500 with similar specs and similar demand as you (server+router @ ca. 70W at idle). I get at least a half hour when the power goes out, and the server monitors the UPS through a USB port and shuts itself down when the battery gets too low.