SMC & UPS

[dorrsr]

I'm completely rewiring my cabin and I have installed a Leviton structured media center (smc) in between the studs. I would like to run UPS power to this box, but I don't want power cords hanging out the box. I'm wiring surge protector outlets to the bottom of the SMC cabinet. I would rather replace those outlets with a small form factor UPS that I could mount into the wall cavity and be connected to the bottom of the SMC.

I have not found any UPS product on the market that is targeting to install in an smc.

My assumption is when the batteries need to be replaced, then I would need to move stuff around in the SMC to get at it again, but I'm okay with that every few years.

So how do the pro's do it? I can't believe people would like to see power cables running in and out of the smc to a UPS device.

Steve

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

I was at Fry's last week and noticed they had a lot of small form factor UPS units. Of course total size would also depend on VA rating (amount of backup time) you wanted.

Can you mount another box just below your smc box to house the UPS? Then all power cables can be hidden and you can just open the door to the unit below when you want to replace the batteries. Of course you might want to see how much air flow if any is required for the UPS itself.

Oh yea, welcome to CocoonTech.

 

[markthomas]

Well, most panel-mount equipment vendors have battery backup circuitry, and you just pop a little battery inside the panel (just about all alarms have this, and many other things as well).

Another option is the APC HS 500, which is designed to be used alongside structured wiring panels. It looks like it is surface-mount rather than stud-mount:
http://www.apcguard.com/PC_Workstation_BH500NET.asp

And of course, a "pro" (read:expensive) install would likely include at least some rack-mount equipment, so a rack-mount UPS (or more) would be used. And perhaps an external generator (propane or natural gas).

 

[Mike]

Just do the math on that unit based on how you are using it. For example, full load rates backup time of 4 minutes or so (at 300 watts). If it is to serve as surge suppression and UPS backup for short hiccups, it will be fine (and is kind of neat since it has a web interface as well, which can actually reset one of the plugs (at least one)).

I have one, the drawback being I am buying another UPS/battery backup solution for the cablemodem (around $50) because the APC one would cover only a short period (the motorola one for my cable modem is around $50 and gives between 5 and 7 hours of backup power if I remember correctly. This may not be an issue to you however.