There are three (3) basic types of UPS's:
1.) Online-An online UPS provides power to the load equipment
through the UPS continuously, thus there is no switching to
battery when electrical power is lost. Typically Online UPS's are
more costly but they are more reliable.
2.) Standby- A standby UPS is off-line and switches to battery
back-up within a short period of time, when electrical power is
lost. Standby UPS's are lower cost, however do not offer good
protection for critical processes or sensitive equipment. These
are the types of UPS's, which are typically sold through
computer/electronic and department stores.
3.) Line Interactive- A line interactive UPS is a hybrid, which
combines a power conditioner with a UPS and a bi-directional
inverter. During normal operation AC power passes through the
power conditioner, which helps stabilize the voltage during
power sags and swells and then switches to battery when the power
drops below an internal preset point.
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