Odd Shaped Power Bricks and UPS
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So, we got dinged by the fire department the other day for having a power strip into a UPS.
I've been doing a little research, and it appears that the UPS manufacturers themselves recommend against this. (OF course, to sell more UPSes!)
Anyway. I was wondering what setups you all have for oddly shaped power bricks that would work great in a power strip, but take up too much room in a UPS.
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This is funny.
The few datacenters I've been in that had UPSs in the rack, had Power Strips running up the sides of the rack where the servers plugged into.
So are those doing it wrong also?
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@BRRABill said in Odd Shaped Power Bricks and UPS:
I've been doing a little research, and it appears that the UPS manufacturers themselves recommend against this. (OF course, to sell more UPSes!)
Daisy chaining any UPS, Power Tap, Surge Protector etc. Is always not allowed unless what's plugg into it has over current protection and even then it's frowned upon.
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@Dashrender said in Odd Shaped Power Bricks and UPS:
This is funny.
The few datacenters I've been in that had UPSs in the rack, had Power Strips running up the sides of the rack where the servers plugged into.
So are those doing it wrong also?
The powerstrips in data centers have overcurrent protection.
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The problem(s) I have is ...
- the current server room is poorly wired with access to electrical boxes
- some of the equipment I have in there has strange "the wrong way" power blocks
I could re-use an older UPS, I guess. I'm just wondering, as I said, what others are doing.
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What in the server room has wall warts? Most things use IEC cables direct or a Brick with an IEC to it.
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@BRRABill said in Odd Shaped Power Bricks and UPS:
The problem(s) I have is ...
- the current server room is poorly wired with access to electrical boxes
- some of the equipment I have in there has strange "the wrong way" power blocks
I could re-use an older UPS, I guess. I'm just wondering, as I said, what others are doing.
That's odd. We never got dinged for it at my last job. (Granted, we didn't use the $7 Dollar General special either).
And at my current job, we use power bars made specifically for use in server racks. (these, I assume have the overcurrent protection, etc, etc).
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@Jason said in Odd Shaped Power Bricks and UPS:
What in the server room has wall warts? Most things use IEC cables direct or a Brick with an IEC to it.
I have a couple of small switches in there with strange wall warts.
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@BRRABill said in Odd Shaped Power Bricks and UPS:
@Jason said in Odd Shaped Power Bricks and UPS:
What in the server room has wall warts? Most things use IEC cables direct or a Brick with an IEC to it.
I have a couple of small switches in there with strange wall warts.
I would replace the switches then..
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@dafyre said in Odd Shaped Power Bricks and UPS:
@BRRABill said in Odd Shaped Power Bricks and UPS:
The problem(s) I have is ...
- the current server room is poorly wired with access to electrical boxes
- some of the equipment I have in there has strange "the wrong way" power blocks
I could re-use an older UPS, I guess. I'm just wondering, as I said, what others are doing.
That's odd. We never got dinged for it at my last job. (Granted, we didn't use the $7 Dollar General special either).
And at my current job, we use power bars made specifically for use in server racks. (these, I assume have the overcurrent protection, etc, etc).
They haven't checked in a while, and I think maybe they were just looking to ding people.
I also got dinged for not having ceiling tiles in our wiring room.
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@Jason said in Odd Shaped Power Bricks and UPS:
@BRRABill said in Odd Shaped Power Bricks and UPS:
@Jason said in Odd Shaped Power Bricks and UPS:
What in the server room has wall warts? Most things use IEC cables direct or a Brick with an IEC to it.
I have a couple of small switches in there with strange wall warts.
I would replace the switches then..
A definite possibility!
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Or just find a better power adapter for the switch, one that will provide the correct power output, and fit in your UPS.
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@BRRABill said in Odd Shaped Power Bricks and UPS:
I also got dinged for not having ceiling tiles in our wiring room.
That is normal if you have a drop ceiling. It's for a fire(smoke)/air barrier.
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I wonder if something of this sort would be allowed.... It's not a power strip. just power cords that are about a foot long to allow connection to the adapters.
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I bet they would be. I'm sure the primary concern, as Jason rightly pointed out, was the overdrawn issue.
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@gjacobse said in Odd Shaped Power Bricks and UPS:
I wonder if something of this sort would be allowed.... It's not a power strip. just power cords that are about a foot long to allow connection to the adapters.
No over current protection. Also this type device in a commerical setting falls under extension cord restrictions, which OSHA only allows temporary use of. Now if they are UL Listed for being plugged into a power strip in that manner it would be allowed.. (hence how C13 extensions are allowed) but otherwise they would have to be plugged directly into a wall outlet.
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EX: https://www.amazon.com/Solid-Cordz-Female-Extension-Cords/dp/B00CG70K78/ref=cm_cr_dp_asin_lnk
These are UL listed but likely not for that use.
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Yeah these particular switches (workgroup Cisco SG-200-8) can't take that sort of plug.
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I'm assuming @gjacobse is talking about the black cord only.
https://i.imgur.com/oCkdbBE.pngI don't know OSHA law/rules, but there should be no need to check for over current in the black part, it's a 1 to 1 connection. Assuming you plug the 1 to 1 and it's plugged directly into a UPS port, not a power strip like this picture.
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@Dashrender said in Odd Shaped Power Bricks and UPS:
I'm assuming @gjacobse is talking about the black cord only.
https://i.imgur.com/oCkdbBE.pngI don't know OSHA law/rules, but there should be no need to check for over current in the black part, it's a 1 to 1 connection. Assuming you plug the 1 to 1 and it's plugged directly into a UPS port, not a power strip like this picture.
Correct. YOu would not use the power strip as you are using an UPS. Just use the cords to connect the adapter to the UPS as normal.
