Can a home inverter be used as UPS for the computer?
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I’ll be short and simple. The answer is No. But there is a solution.
Inverter and UPS are almost same. Any 12V battery can be used in both inverter or UPS (car battery, inverter battery etc). They look same as well. The only difference is between their response time.
Inverter gives backup when there is no electricity. It takes about 1 second to start backup. Meanwhile, your computer will shut down, any unsaved data will be lost and you need to power it up again.
On the other hand, UPS doesn’t wait for electricity to cut completely. It monitor the voltage (which is typically from 220 to 230 volts in India). As soon as the voltage drops below the minimum required limit (say, 180V) UPS starts giving backup. So, there is no downtime at all. As the name suggests, it provides Uninterrupted Power Supply.
So, what’s the solution (which even I use)?
Buy an inverter with UPS feature. It costs 20–30% expensive than a normal inverter. You can’t tell a difference by looking at it. External batteries will be connected to it just like a usual inverter. It will provide backup even before the electricity is completely gone and your computer will keep running.
Warning: UPS will also cause power lag of several seconds if you put too much load on it. So, only put necessary appliances on the load of inverter/UPS according to its VA rating.
Suggestion: UPS use batteries aggressively. Buy tall tubular batteries with it for longer life. Pick AH capacity of battery as per your backup requirements.
Please upvote if it helped 😉
Edit: I have received request from many people to tell which inverter I use. Please check it below. Also keep reading to check cheaper alternatives.
My Inverter Cum UPS
I use Mictotek JMSW Inverter. I bought it for Approx ₹9500 from local Shop because it was very expensive online. I have attached 3 x Luminous 200 AH Tubular Battries to it which costed around ₹12,000 per battery. So, my total cost was Approx ₹45,900. At this price, I am getting power backup of More than 12 hours having my computer always on. This is far better than buying an expensive UPS worth ₹15,000 or ₹20,000 just for running your computer. Instead, power up your whole house. Life of this inverter will be around 5 years (or more if properly maintained), which is far higher than ordinary Computer UPS with built in batteries. So, cost of ownership is same if you are buying one computer UPS which lasts for 2 years worth ₹15000 OR one inverter for ₹45,000 that lasts for 5–6 years that powers up your whole house.
Notes:
I am living in 3BHK home.
I have not connected ACs & Heaters to my inverter.
All other appliances get power backup.
This inverter has a 2 battery variant also. You can get that as well if your backup requirements are limited. This way, you will save ₹2,000 on Inverter and ₹12,000 on the battery as only two batteries will be required (not three). So estimated 2 battery inverter will cost ₹31,500. A normal 3BHK home should get around 6+ hours backup with computer always on.
Response time of this inverter is so quick, you’ll not even realize that there is an electricity cut (fast response time is what we call a UPS).
I am not connected with Microtek or Luminous in any way. You can go with any other brand. Your inverter must mention UPS on it and batteries must be tall tubular above 150AH Rated Capacity.
I tried my best to explain it in simplest possible language keeping in mind that my readers may be beginners.
Edit 2: People asked should you buy such inverter if you have lesser backup requirements? Answer is yes. Your inverter should provide at least 2 times backup of what you usually require. Deep discharging decreases life of your inverter setup.