Power draw surge on elec. circit
jimcco
| Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on
We are in a mid 80’s rental until we can get new home built.
All our office & audio equipment is in the same bedroom being used as an office.
We probably have too much on the elec circut. It’s all on APC battery backup surge protectors. When we power up the laser printer it blinks the lights and activates the backups on the other equipment. I have pluged the laser in so it is now ahead of the APC’s
I am wondering if there is a capcator like piece of equipment that can go inline between the laser & the wall outlet to smooth out the start-up power draw.
Replies
Laser have a fusing element (heater) that draws alot of current when they first turn on and sometimes during the printing cycle.
My has a labeled current rating of 8.6 amps, but I think that the quick surge is much more, but I have not tried to measure it.
And yes, you don't want the printer on the UPS, unless it is a VERY, VERY big one. Most instructions are clear about not plugging the printer into it. Can cause the UPS output to shut down.
You might try other receptacles in the room. Depending on how the circuits are laid out and the configuration of the rooms sometimes you will receptacles on different walls on different circuit, but it is not common.
The problem is that, as desired, the UPC are much more sensitive than the power supplies of the equipment that it is powering.
That means that it will alarm on voltage drops that the computer power supply would ride rigth through.
A capacitor would not do any good.
A ferroresonant transformer, power conditioner, or constant voltage transformer might help.
Here is one well known brand that has plug in units.
http://www.solaheviduty.com/products/powerconditioning/mcr_mpcport.htm
My guess is that you would want to use this to feed the UPS and not to feed the printer. But I am not sure.
You might want to contact Sola tech support and see what they say.
I am not sure what the input of the typical UPS is, but many computer power supplies ar switching. And I am not sure what the current spikes on switching power supplies do to the constant voltage transformers.
My suggestion is to live with it.
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
The only way you are going to solve this is to run an extension cord from a different circuit in the apartment.
The key here is that anything you doo will need to get pulled when you move, and you are not able to run a new circuit in your rented apartment. There are a number of products that will help you run a cord from one spot to another, things that will allow you to run across walkways as a rubber bump or string in over and around doorways. If you had a different circuit available though a wall, I would carefully drill a 1/4" hole in the drywall each side and feed a cut extension cord though, then put a new head on it after you got it placed where you want. Wiremold makes raceways that follow walls to protect the wires.
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!