UPS Clarification

Good day! This will be a quick and easy question but I have no idea where to ask it so here goes.

I will be replacing my UPS (Intex 800V) soon and as I was searching for a new one and check its specs, it says 700W. I also checked the higher capacity model of Intex and they have the 1500V and even though it is double the capacity of my current UPS, it is still cheaper to the 700W model I found in a hardware store.

My question is, should I be looking for a UPS based on V (I assume it's Volts) or W (again, Watts)?

I think you will find the UPS is rated as 1500VA which stands for volts x amps. This is not quite the same as Watts and in the spec you will see that it is rated as 600W. For an explanation of the difference between VA and Watts for UPS see http://www.power-solutions.com/watts-va.

As long as the items you are protecting with the UPS do not exceed 600W you will be fine with the 1500VA UPS.

Thanks for the clarification and the link! Let me just clarify, the Watts value is the "capacity" of the UPS? And the VA is how much it can "regulate"? I'm not sure if I used the correct terms hence the quotation marks.

As explained in the link, Watts measure the power and is exact. The VA is a measure of the apparent power based on the current used. The UPS must be able to deliver the power in Watts required by the equipment.

The use of VA is confusing but is important to know for design tolerances of components.

philc43 said:

As explained in the link, Watts measure the power and is exact. The VA is a measure of the apparent power based on the current used. The UPS must be able to deliver the power in Watts required by the equipment.

The use of VA is confusing but is important to know for design tolerances of components.

Got it! Many thanks!