11 Things to Plug Into Your Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

If you’ve ever experienced a power outage where the power in your house dips just enough to lose important work on your computer, you know that battery backup provided by an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) can allow sufficient time to save files.  It also helps in closing programsand powering down equipment properly so devices aren’t fried as a result of the power surge. 

Eaton’s new 3S battery backup provides sleek, savvy and sophisticated power protection right out of the box, making it the ideal solution for home or small office computers and accessories, networking, VoIP systems, and home entertainment devices. It’s an affordable solution ($79) that provides 10-30 minutes of time protect your home electronics using a reliable, durable, and compact system that is also energy efficient. 

I happen to have the Eaton 3S UPS with 10 outlets. 10 may sound like a lot but in the event of a power outage, here are the things that I would like to be able to protect by powering down properly and ensure are fully charged in the event that the power goes out for multiple days:

Laptop— A power surge can fry your laptop.  Plugging it into one of Eaton 3S UPS’ power surge outlets protects it.  Battery backup from the UPS also ensures that your battery is fully charged in the event that your power stays out for longer than expected.

Cell phone — Plugging in your cell phone charger into an uninterrupted power supply helps maintain the charge so your phone will be fully juiced when the power is out.  Call, text, access data, and update social networks wisely though since the UPS typically runs between 10-30 minutes.

Digital video recorder (DVR)— Nothing is worse than missing the very end of a favorite show because the power goes out!  Plug your DVR into your UPS to make sure that it keeps recording so you can catch that cliffhanger of an ending when the power comes back on.

Home cordless phone— Many are abandoning their landlines in favor of cell phones.  If your home phone is cordless phone, it won’t work without power.  When plugged into a UPS, the home cordless phone system will work for the duration of stored power in your UPS. This should be just long enough to phone essential family members to let them know your power is out and you aren’t really ignoring their calls.

Radio— Emergency radios transmit important news and developments regarding emergency situations.  Keep one on hand and plugged into your UPS so you can be in the know and share information with your friends and neighbors via word of mouth.

AA and AAA rechargeable battery charger— Batteries are needed to power your flashlight and other emergency communications devices.  Plug the battery charger into the UPS so all batteries will be fully charged in case of emergency.

Cable modem/DSL — Life without WiFi can be a nightmare for some but the nightmare only gets worse if your cable modem or DSL is damaged because of the power surge.  Keep it protected or prolong its’ life a little longer by plugging it into the UPS to maintain your internet connection for the life of the battery backup.

Backup charger for mobile devices— Plugging in a backup charger for your phone keeps you connected even when the initial charge runs low.  Devices like the iGo Charge Anywhere can charge 2 USB devices at a time when fully charged thanks to your UPS.

Floor lamp with a compact florescent or LED bulb— It’s Murphy’s Law that power tends to go out after it’s dark, leaving you scrambling for candles and flashlights in the pitch black.  Plug in a floor lamp that uses either compact fluorescents or LED lights (because they use less energy) and you’ll have a few minutes to find and light those candles and distribute flashlights. 

iPod dock— Music lovers who feel like the party stops when the music does will have a few more minutes to finish that last song before having to plug in a set of headphones to listen to their fully charged iPod.

eReader — Book lovers who don’t own headlamps or find it hard to turn pages while holding a flashlight will want to make sure their eReader is plugged into a UPS to continue reading by the light of the backlit display.  Due to the long battery life of eReaders, a fully charged one could probably outlast most power outages!

While some of the devices from the above list are not necessities in the event of a power outage, it’s always a good idea to plug technology into a UPS to protect them against power surges.

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