Frequently Asked Questions Part 3: How Do I Go About purchasing a UPS?

When investing in a UPS, or uninterruptible power supply, there are numerous factors to take into consideration.

Each of these are pieces in the puzzle that help ensure that you have optimal backup for your electrical needs and you don’t experience a catastrophic power outage, lose vital data or damage sensitive equipment.

So far in this series of FAQs, we’ve covered how to calculate your load and understanding which UPS would best suit your needs.

In this short final part of the FAQS, we’ll explain how you can take the final step and purchase a UPS and work with a supplier that you can rely on.

Find a reputable supplier

When investing in a UPS system, you can become overwhelmed with so many companies vying for your attention and your business.  Like many industries there are so many companies competing it can be hard to identify the best, from the ones that claim to be the best.

So where do I start? Some things to consider when scanning the market place:

Research and Recommendation

Have you connections within the business or other businesses that currently use a UPS.  Can they provide you any information regarding the supplier and the equipment supplied?  Carrying out some independent market research can be very beneficial.  You are experiencing reviews and thoughts from independent sources.

Reviews

Have you looked online for Google or Trust Pilot reviews of potential UPS suppliers?  What do there ratings look like?  Have they provided positivie information regarding there interaction with the company.  If they didn’t, did the UPS supplier engage with the customer to resolve any problems.

What should a great UPS supplier be providing you?

A great product with a 12 – 24 month warranty, dependent on the size or type of the UPS.

Service support and packages tuned to your business needs.  Site maintenance visits on days and times suited to your business.  Reports and information relating to your UPS available to you when requested.

Stock holding for spares and repairs.  Are there any hidden costs associated with your UPS purchase, can the supplier obtain spare parts easily

Additional options such as on-site surveys, maintenance and 24/7 assistance are also a wise investment and will help you continue to run your business effectively, regardless of what happens with your power supply.

Choose your model

Do you know exactly what it is your are looking for?  Have you worked out the specification of the UPS you require?  Is visiting your site something that a potential supplier is offering as a service, to come and provide you with information relating to sizing your UPS and are they coming for free

As a result of calculating your load and your UPS requirements, you should understand the UPS system that would best suit your needs.  It is always best to take in to consideration any future expansion to your businesses servers or amount of desktop computers that may be requiring back up.

Your next step is to choose the model you require. Many reputable companies display a full range of their products directly on their website which include detailed specifications and information.

Take your time to understand what is on offer then if you see a model you like, you can request further information via a contact form.

If you’re unsure which UPS system would suit your needs, contact us on 0330 1230125 or  sales@constantpowerservices.com for further help.

Consider if you require extra services

Many UPS suppliers will talk of additional services, what are these exactly?

Remote monitoring software – do you need it?

Not necessarily, if you are able to regularly maintain and check your UPS and have access to it, you will be able to run daily diagnostic and status reports yourself but by having some remote monitoring in place you are able to connect the UPS to a computer and access the diagnostic information and have alarms in place should a problem arise.

Maintenance bypass – Do you need it?

When servicing or maintaining your UPS power can be switched from the machine in order for the service technicians to maintain it.  Without this in place you are unlikely to be able to fully service the system and may experience some downtime as the UPS is taken off line to service it.

Maintenance visits

Like a car, it is always advisable to have a maintenance package in place.  Being proactive and ensuring that your UPS and batteries serviced year on year will prolong its life time.  Can your supplier provide you with Maintenance visits from their own trained Service Technicians?

If you have any questions about getting a UPS or any other aspect of choosing an uninterruptible power supply, please do get in touch with us today on 0330 1230125 or  sales@constantpowerservices.com.

We’re here to help and guide you through every stage to ensure that you have the optimal UPS for your business needs.