UPS FAQ
The questions our customers actually ask — answered by the engineers who attend the sites.
Sizing and selection
- q: How do I know what size UPS I need? a: Add up the power draw of everything that must stay on (in watts, from the equipment labels), add 25–50% headroom, and match that to a UPS rating. In practice we do this with a site measurement rather than nameplate maths — real loads differ from labels. That measurement is part of our free site survey.
- q: Line-interactive or online (double-conversion) — which do I need? a: Line-interactive suits office IT where a few milliseconds of transfer time is acceptable. Online double-conversion gives zero transfer time and also cleans up poor mains power — the right choice for server rooms, medical equipment and industrial control. When in doubt, tell us what the protected equipment does and we will tell you which class fits.
- q: How much runtime should I plan for? a: It depends on what happens during an outage: if you only need to ride through brief cuts or shut down cleanly, 5–15 minutes is enough. If operations must continue, you need enough runtime to start a generator or to work through the interruption — that is a load and duty question we answer during the survey.
Batteries
- q: How long do UPS batteries last in Hong Kong? a: VRLA (sealed lead-acid) batteries typically last 3–5 years in Hong Kong's ambient temperatures; heat shortens life. LiFePO4 lithium batteries deliver 2–3x the cycle life and tolerate heat better.
- q: Can I replace just the failed battery blocks? a: With VRLA, mixing old and new blocks in one string degrades the new ones and hides weak blocks — we recommend string-level replacement once blocks start failing, and we show you the measurement data behind the recommendation.
Service and support
- q: Do you service UPS you did not supply? a: Yes. Maintenance and repair of existing systems is a large part of our work, regardless of who supplied the equipment.
- q: How fast can you attend an emergency? a: Emergency calls are prioritised, and we can usually attend same-day in urban districts. Call or WhatsApp +852 6948 2197 with your location and the equipment symptom.
- q: Which brands do you supply? a: We select per requirement; EATON is our primary brand with a stable supply channel, alongside APC, Schneider, LEOCH, CSB, Santak and Vertiv. For requirements outside the catalogues, our own factory builds custom THTAK equipment.
More technical background is in our Chinese knowledge base — or ask us directly.