Until a few years ago, UPS systems were only used to power the lights and fans since loadshedding was lesser. However, thanks to the increasing hours of power blackouts and the demands of our modern lifestyles, these days home appliances and other electrical equipment also need to be connected to the UPS.
To meet the electrical requirements of such equipment you need to know the maximum capacity of your UPS.
It might be simple enough for most engineering students, but for the rest, we have prepared a guide to calculate the appropriate wattage for your new UPS. You only need to add the wattage of electrical items you want to connect with a UPS so that you can buy one with the right power capacity.
Lets take a look at how much watts your normal electrical items consume.
Lights
- Normal Energy Saver – 20W-24W
- Small Energy Saver – 6W-13W
- Large Energy Saver – 33W-45W
- LED Energy Saver – 9W-15W
- Tube Light – 35W-45W
- Small Tube Light – 10W-20W
- Filament Bulb – 60W-100W
- High Wattage Bulb – 200W-500W
It’s a good idea to check the wattage mentioned on the packaging when purchasing your lights.
Household Equipment
- New Fans – 110W-120W
- Old Fans – 150W-200W
- Iron – 1000W
- Microwave – 400W-1500W
- Up to 27-inch LCD TV/Monitor – 45W-65W
- Large Screen LCD TV – 55W-110W
- Up to 27-inch LED TV/Monitor – 35W-45W
- Large Screen LED TV – 45W-90W
- CRT TV/Monitor – 150W-300W
- Room Refrigerator – ~150W
- New Refrigerator – 250W-500W (depending on its size)
- Old Refrigerator – 400W-700W
- Deep Freezer – 400W-900W
- Water Dispenser – 100W(Cooling), 500W(Heating)
- Small Water Motor – ~300W
- Large Water Motor – 500W-700W
- Air Conditioners (AC) – 1500W-2800W [2200W to 3700W when it starts] (Depending on size)
- Inverter AC – 250W-2000W (Depends on desired temperature and size)
- Electric Heater (Blower) – 800W-1000W
- Electric Heater (Lamp/Filament) – 400W per lamp
Gadgets
- Normal Phone Charger – 5W (when charging)
- Phone Fast Charger – 20W-25W (when charging)
- Laptop – 40W-50W (Normal usage)
- Gaming Laptop – 70W-120W
- Desktop PC excluding monitor– 100W-500W (depending on light or heavy usage)
- Router/Modem – 5W-10W
- Printer – 450W
How to Calculate
To calculate the amount of power you would be consuming via a UPS, you need to make a list of all the items you want to back up with it and add their respective wattages (hint: you can use the guide above or check the labels on the electronic items you wish to connect).
Once you get the total wattage, multiply it by 1.5 (to compensate for the theoretical VA mentioned on a UPS) and you will get the maximum UPS wattage you require. VA value is the basically the maximum capacity/power rating of a UPS.
For example:
You have a 32-inch LED TV, laptop, 5 energy savers, 5 new fans and a refrigerator. You can calculate using a similar formula by adding wattages for each item and multiplying it by 1.5 (the factor varies between 1.3 to 1.6 depending on the quality of the UPS). In this case:
Total UPS Wattage Required = (65W+40W+5×23+5×120+350W) x 1.5 = 1,755W
Therefore, you will need a UPS with a maximum wattage of over 1,755 Watts. Since a UPS of that size is not available, you would need a 2000 VA UPS.
Try to buy a UPS with more a higher power rating than what you require to be on the safe side and for less heating issues.