Have you ever been in the middle of typing up a project on your computer only to lose power and realize you didn’t click "save"? Or been watching the latest episode of your favourite tv show, then right before the big reveal, your lights go out, and you miss the unexpected ending?
We have all experienced these situations in our everyday lives, but how about working in your Mass Spec of Chromatography laboratory? Unfortunately, the repercussions of this happening with your analytical equipment can lead to much more severe and expensive consequences. However, the good news is, you can limit your risk of significant damage just by adding a UPS (uninterruptible power supply). Please keep reading to learn how a UPS works and how it helps keep your lab running.
Power Loss and Surges
Power loss and power surges are good reasons to have backup power, like a UPS, hooked up to your Mass Spec system. If a power loss occurs in your building, the UPS seamlessly kicks in to keep the equipment from shutting down for a short period so that you can save what you are working on and shut the system down in a controlled sequence.
If the machine is not shut down properly, there are many issues that it can cause. First and foremost is the loss of data. This situation is an inconvenience for the end-user and a loss of revenue for your company. Imagine a limited sample running in your method, and your sequence was shut down due to a power outage. On the other flip side, you would have to make time in your busy schedule to start again.
In addition to data loss and time, another likely issue is that the power event causes damage to expensive electrical components on your system. For example, a failed board due to a power outage or power surge may not be covered by your support contract. A UPS will allow you to worry less as it will help avoid costly damage to critical components.
Basic surge and power loss protection can be provided by an offline, or standby, UPS.
Clean Power
Another excellent reason to get a UPS for your Mass Spec systems is to ensure that they have a reliable source of "clean power" or, power that is free of sudden spikes or dips in its overall sine wave. This is more of a concern in some areas than others. Facilities that are located a long way from the plant that produces their power, places where brownouts are more common, or in densely populated areas where the sheer amount of electrical equipment in use generates "noise" in the electrical current. Find out more in our "10 Common Power Problems" article.
Systems that receive "dirty power" can suffer from faster component degradation or even total component burnout. Clean power (AKA power conditioning) capabilities are commonly found in online UPS units. An online UPS will cost more than a standby UPS, but the protection is well worth it in an area prone to inconsistent power.
If you need your system to run longer than the UPS can operate, we suggest looking into backup generator options to hook up to your UPS.
Drawbacks?
A UPS offers many excellent benefits, but you are probably wondering, "What are the drawbacks?" There are only a couple of drawbacks, and they are pretty minimal compared to the benefits. The first would be that your UPS will need some periodic maintenance. If you have your UPS cleaned twice a year and replace the batteries according to the expiration date stamped on the current set, your UPS should not have any issues. The other is the cost. While a UPS will not break your bank, it is an additional expense; however, if you consider the typical cost of expensive parts like turbos and boards for a Mass Spec could be £15k to £25k ($20,800 to $34,700) - far exceeding any UPS cost - an Online UPS doesn’t seem that much.
Whenever You’re Ready To Discuss Protecting your Mass Spec
If you don’t choose to fit a UPS to your Mass Spec system, it doesn’t mean you’re headed for an inevitable disaster, but your equipment is more open to a source of potential downtime and electrical damage. The question is, why skip the cost of protecting your equipment only to leave it vulnerable to even more costly damage and downtime? If you’re interested in finding out more, our team is happy to talk with you about what you need. If you need a hand with installing it, our manufacturer-trained engineers are available to help. Contact us here or give us a call to find out more.