Working in the Comfort of Your Home
The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for many people. It has affected and claimed many lives. This event is traumatic for most people but there are some who were still able to thrive and pushed harder to work and keep living. During the pandemic, various small businesses and self-employed individuals have emerged. To maintain a stable livelihood amidst the pandemic, there are some companies that have implemented a work-from-home setup. Working in the comfort of your home or setting up an office for business at a residential place provides you advantages that may include: the ability to create your own work environment, a better work-life balance, and reporting to your corporate office isn’t required. But you also need to pay attention to protecting your computer from damage and improving your work efficiency. At this time, a SOHO UPS will come in handy.
What is SOHO
There is also a type of work setup wherein a small area is transformed into a workplace or an office. This term is called SOHO. SOHO is a shortened term for small office/home office. This is where people use their residential homes or small spaces for their work. Usually, this setup is used by micro-enterprises or companies with less than 10 employees.
There are a lot of essentials that you must arrange when setting up a SOHO. That includes your equipment, productivity tools or the devices that you use, an internet connection, and most importantly a power supply. You may have all the devices with advanced technology but all of them would be useless if you would have electricity issues or power failure.
If you have an office setup at home but live in an area where power outages frequently occur, then this is a problem that you might have to deal with. Working at home increases one’s productivity but imagine being in the middle of your work, then a blackout suddenly takes place. Sounds frustrating, right? However, with the help of battery backups, you don’t need to worry anymore!
What is A UPS Battery Backup for SOHO
A battery backup is a system that is capable of delivering enough power supply to your device during electrical grid outages. It is especially true if the battery backup supports a UPS function. It can supply continuous power for a certain amount of time – enough time to finish your interrupted work. For example, when the computer in your SOHO is plugged into a UPS, then a blackout suddenly occurs, the system will work instantly by switching from the grid to the internal battery of the system. With that, the computer will not switch off right away. Having this system not just helps you avoid the hassle brought by power outages but also protects your device plugged into it from any damage.
In addition, battery backups don’t just work as reserve electricity for your device. It also has a function where it can ensure that the electricity flowing in your device is clean and free from noises or electrical spikes. If your device does not have a consistent flow of energy, being in a pure waveform, damage may occur. Normally, not all battery backups have the UPS feature. However, there are companies that have integrated this feature into their battery backup. This can be considered a more advanced function where it can automatically switch the battery power supply in the blink of an eye ensuring a stable power supply for your device during a blackout.
How to Choose A SOHO UPS
In choosing the UPS battery backup for your small/ home office, you should also take note of its wattage capacity. If you have more than one PC, then it is suggested to have more than one battery backup as well. In a way, you’ll have more power and a longer time to carry on with your work even when you’re not connected to the grid. Otherwise, you may consider having a higher wattage and battery capacity. This ensures that all devices connected to the battery backup are well within the rated capacity and will have longer hours of usage. This also makes it more convenient for the user because it minimizes the plug in-plug out of the appliances just to transfer them to another battery backup.
UPS Battery backups come in different shapes and sizes but are normally rectangular and heavy due to the internal components that it has. The battery backup that you will purchase will depend on where and how you will use it. Bigger devices may require higher wattage and higher battery capacity. These things are worth mentioning when considering the right battery backup.
Common Problems that Occur in Using a Battery Backup for Servers
Having a server battery backup in your home office setup truly saves you from the inconveniences that power outages bring. But it does not mean that you are also safe from encountering difficulties. Here are some things to take note of:
- Device Failure
The most common problem encountered by users is damage to the device due to the improper use of the battery backup. When used incorrectly, a battery backup can cause damage to server. Furthermore, if failures occur frequently, your effort and money will be wasted. The first thing that you always need to ensure is if the battery backup is applicable to your setup. This includes the proper voltage and ampere rating, depending on what device you will use this for. Plugging in appliances not compatible with your device will definitely cause malfunction and eventually result in device failure. As a guide, you may refer to the manual that comes with your battery backup to be well-informed on how it could work.
- Battery Damages
Battery damages are sometimes caused by the temperature in the environment where your UPS is stored or located. Very high or very low ambient temperatures may cause failure to the battery of the UPS because its batteries are designed to operate at 20-25°C temperature. If it’s not within that range, it will slowly eat away the battery capacity and will deteriorate the batteries at a faster rate. To prevent this, you have to take note of the placement of your UPS and the temperature if its suitable according to the specifications of your unit.
To avoid these risks, make sure you get the right battery backup for your needs and use it only when necessary.
Benefits of Using A SOHO UPS
Having a battery backup that has a UPS feature at your small/ home office would help you a lot. Here’s why:
- Prevents permanent data loss saved in your server
When you are connected to a battery backup and a power outage happens, the UPS feature will kick in and you’ll still have time to save whatever unfinished SOHO work you have. You’ll also be able to shut down your device properly. Not being able to turn off a device properly may corrupt its data which will cost a lot of time and money to recover.
- Saves your device from severe damages
A sudden power loss for your computer weakens its internal components. It can affect the operating system installed in it by corrupting causing the computer not to boot on its own. It can also affect the electronic components inside and might need to be brought to a repair shop. A UPS will give you enough time to turn off your computer properly so these risks can be mitigated.
- Reduced downtime
It is stated that working in the comfort of your home can improve one’s productivity, though it would be a hassle if there are frequent power outages in your location. With a UPS, you will have reduced downtime even when there is no power supply while you are working. As long as your battery backup continues to provide you energy then your work-at-home productivity is guaranteed.
UPS Backup – A SOHO Essential
A complete set of equipment for small or home offices may not require investing in a UPS but is highly recommended and considered essential. Having a SOHO UPS provides a lot of benefits and is worth the money invested.
To create a hassle-free working environment, it is important that you have a good understanding of the battery backup you would use for your setup. Additionally, proper maintenance of your device should be always kept in mind to prolong its lifespan.
Having this type of system can help you in many ways but may still cause you some difficulties. To avoid these, you may do some research and seek advice from a professional. This would also help you understand how a battery backup, or a portable power station would work, be it for your small office/home office or just for your other home appliances.
