Not really computer related but we have a portable a/c unit that draws 1010 watts for our server room and I was wondering if we could put a battery backup on it. I've seen some that will handle that many watts, but I just wonder if they can handle the load an a/c unit would put on it. Thanks ASUS A8N-SLI A64 3000+@240x9 2gigs OCZ Platinum EVGA 7800GT Enermax 535W Dual 80gig WD.

I wanted to add that when the power goes out here, it's never for very long. We just need it mostly for power flickers that we get during snow storms. ASUS A8N-SLI A64 3000+@240x9 2gigs OCZ Platinum EVGA 7800GT Enermax 535W Dual 80gig WD.

If you are thinking that the UPS unit would continue to run the A/C for any appreciable length of time after the power fails, forget it. A UPS to do that would cost a fortune and would need a couple dozen car batteries. Do yourself a favor BACKUP!

"we have a portable a/c unit that draws 1010 watts for our server room and I was wondering if we could put a battery backup on it." No. You could get a generator but a 1000 watt Honda needs fuel every 3 hours.

When the compressor kicks in it will draw considerably more power for a few seconds, to get it up to speed quickly. This will kill your UPS, as noted. There are UPS systems out there that will automatically shut your system down and then turn everything off. That might be the way to go. But, if you only lose power for a short time, maybe you don't need to worry about the AC. You could use fans to keep the air moving until the power comes back on. You have to determine just how long it's off and how much heat you can tolerate, for that short time span. If you are talking minutes then this will work. But, if you are talking, say, an hour or two, then you'd be better off doing a controlled shutdown, while on the UPS, and waiting until the power comes back on reliably. At least one of the automatic systems makes an image on the hard drive of everything in memory and shuts down. When the power comes back, it automatically restore everything back where it was. I have seen these work and they are truly amazing, tho not real cheap. But in areas where the power is unreliable they are invaluable. Another idea is an event recording system that automatically backs up all activity to, say, a DAT recorder. If the system dies for any reason it's all on tape right up to the moment of outage. You might lose the last few keystrokes, but that's it. I hope this helps. Bob A positive attitude won't solve all your problems, but it will annoy just enough people to be worth the effort.

It would be tough to put a battery back up on a AC... not because of the currecnt draw.... that could be worked out easy enough with a couple of car batteries and a nice power inverter. The problem is more the AC itself... when the power 'hickups', the ac compressor kicks out and can not restart under pressure. You must allow time for the pressure on the high and low sides of the compressor to equalize and settle before a restart is attempted (usually about 4 or 5 minutes). If an attempt to restart is made before this then a sensor within the compressor senses the incredibly high amprage draw of a 'locked compressor' kicks out the sensor for a few minutes. Getting a power inverter that will be able to cope with a 'locked compressor' amperage draw would be VERY expensive. In order to keep the price down on a power inverter, you would have to build some sort of delay into the system to give time for equalization.

Hey PC Bob. How many Japanese Geishas are you suggesting they should hire to wave fans around when the power is out? "You could use fans to keep the air moving until the power comes back on" I used to have a signature but it disappeared and I just couldn't be bothered writing another so please feel free to ingore this.