$50 APC UPS - doing its job.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Flint

Plus, everything is surge-protected (except my laser printer--if you get a UPS, do NOT run a laser printer through it--they need current directly from an outlet).

A UPS claims near zero surge protection. And when in battery backup mode, it outputs surges into adjacent appliances. Why do appliances not fail? Any protection provided by a UPS is already done better inside every appliance. Therefore spikes from a UPS (and most from AC mains) do not harm electronics.

That UPS has only one purpose. To provide temporary power with constant surges. Protection inside appliances makes irrelevant even surges created by a UPS.

A utility demonstrates waveforms from a UPS (when powered from its batteries) that can even harm a laser printer or other motorize appliance:
http://www.duke-energy.com/indiana-b...ech-tip-03.asp
Electronics are routinely so robust as to not be harmed by any UPS in battery backup mode.

[glatt]

Sounds like you are agreeing with Flint. Don't plug the laser printer into it, and it will work just fine with the computer.

[tw]

Originally Posted by glatt

Don't plug the laser printer into it, and it will work just fine with the computer.

Don't plug a computer into the UPS to have same hardware protection.