Uninterruptible power supplies are fantastic pieces of equipment when properly utilized. A UPS is a secondary power source that provides emergency power to delicate and highly valuable equipment such as TVs and Computers. They’re great for protecting hardware failure and other catastrophic incidences due to power loss.
Uninterruptible power supplies aren’t necessary as you can power your TV through the mains, but powering through the mains provides minimal protection from sudden power loss, therefore UPS systems are quite common with people looking for a secondary form of insurance. If you’re looking for protection from surges from voltages and currents, then a surge suppressor is needed instead.
The most common place you’ll find a UPS being used is with Computers or extremely expensive ones such as gaming PCs, and servers. These types of equipment can suffer data loss and even failure if power is suddenly cut. Here, an uninterruptible power supply can protect your hardware.
Can A Power Outage Damage A TV
A power outage will not damage your TV or other appliances excluding computers, however, preceding the power outage, there could be power surges that can fry internal components of your TV. Power surges can cause severe damage to capacitors, and once this happens, your TV will likely never turn on.
UPS Devices can keep your TV on during a power outage, it’ll last long enough for you to turn off your TV correctly, but during a power surge, a UPS might not offer such protection. It may suppress the power surge, but it should not be a primary level of protection as your TV can still get damaged. Surge suppressors may provide a better level of protection if you’re worried about power surges.
There are many ways to protect against power surges if that’s what you’re worried about. The best way to protect against a power surge would be to unplug any electronics during a storm where power can easily be interrupted. Also, inspecting any wiring for damage or low quality will increase the likelihood of a power surge. If you hear any buzzing or vibrations, it’s best not to use that outlet.
Can I Use A UPS For My Smart TV?
You can 100% use a UPS for your TV, UPS devices arent exclusive for computers and servers, you can use a UPS to power anything you want that can be plugged into an outlet. It just wouldn’t make much sense plugging a cheap device such as a toaster into a $300 uninterruptible power supply, they’re typically reserved for components that can be easily damaged or are quite expensive.
An uninterruptible power supply could make sense if you’re running a home theater, imagine watching a movie and the power cuts out in the middle. You’ll have to wait up to 49 minutes on average just to get back to watching your movie. A UPS can make it so you’ll never notice there was a power outage in the first place. Just make sure you plug in your router in case you’re streaming a movie from Netflix or any other streaming service.
Additionally, it’s probably smart to plug your expensive TV into a device that can potentially prevent it from permanent damage. Imagine you have an expensive $5000 TV, and suddenly you lose power and it causes permanent damage, this is where a UPS could come to the rescue. UPS devices can provide some level of protection.
How Long Can A UPS Power My TV?
Depending on the UPS, it can provide steady and clean power ranging from 14minutes to a few hours. A small 1000VA UPS will provide power long enough for you to safely switch off your TV. If you’re using a large 98inch TV, you’ll likely need a top-of-the-line UPS if you’re trying to watch movies uninterrupted amid a power outage.
To be sure how long a UPS will power your TV, you need to check the UPS power specifications and also find out how much power your TV draws. From there, you can find out how long a UPS will provide power, and pick up the best UPS for that TV. There are UPS Calculators online which you can use for a quick approximation.
You’ll likely need a decent UPS if you’re going to plug not only your TV but soundbars, receivers, and speakers. Plenty of uninterruptible power supplies on the market can provide a sufficient amount of power for these components. Some UPS devices can output up to 900W of power which Is way more than the typical TV uses.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you’ll likely need a UPS if you’re running a full home theater setup, this is because it can provide secondary protection for surges as well as keep the entertainment going till the power returns. A top-quality UPS can keep your TV powered for many hours and supply power to components such as soundbars, speakers, and much more.
Using A UPS For a $5000 TV is probably a good investment because it will provide clean and stable power because not all homes provide steady power. This can keep the components such as capacitors within your TV lasting much longer. It’s probably not a good idea to buy a $300 UPS for a cheap $200 TV. This wouldn’t be seen as a good investment as the UPS itself costs more than the TV.
Just a reminder, UPS systems are great for power outages but do not provide a great amount of protection for power surges that may occur preceding the outage. They may suppress the surge and save some components, but it isn’t guaranteed to protect your TV and other devices.
A UPS device isn’t necessary for your TV, you don’t have to go out of your way to buy a UPS for your TV to just work. It is mainly used for people looking to add extra protection to their expensive devices, also, if it keeps systems on long enough for a clean shutdown in case there’s any important information on the device.
