UPS 101 - Knowledgebase
Below are some common power problems and the effects
they have on your critical loads.  
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Common Power Problems: Causes and Solutions
COMMON POWER PROBLEMS
 COMMON SOLUTIONS
Power
Disturbance
Waveform
Effects
Typical Causes
Generator
Regulating
XFMR
Offline
UPS
Online
UPS
Healthy Sine
Wave
 
Sag
Systems lockup,
loss of data,
shutdown
Equipment start up inrush,
faults, overloads
No
Yes
No
Yes
Surge / Swell
Nuisance tripping,
equipment damage
and reduced life
Load changes, utility
faults, backup generator
output
No
Yes
No
Yes
Spike
Loss of data,
equipment damage
and reduced life,
system lockup
Lightning, switching
impulses, utility fault
clearing
No
No
No
Yes
Momentary
Interruption
Loss of data,
equipment damage,
shutdown
Utility faults, breaker
tripping, component
failures, switching
No
No
No/Yes
Yes
Blackout
More than 30
seconds
Loss of data,
equipment damage,
shutdown
Utility faults, breaker
tripping, component
failures, switching
No/Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Notching
Systems lockup,
Loss of data
Light dimmers, rectifiers,
arc welders, variable
speed drives
No
No
No
Yes
Harmonics
Overheating
equipment/wiring,
breakers trip,
systems lockup
Electronic Loads
(Non-linear loads)
No
No
No
Yes
Noise
Loss of data,
systems lockup
Fluorescent Lights,
transmitters, faulty
equipment, poor grounding
No
Yes
No
Yes
Frequency
Variations
Synchronous
equipment failure
Backup generator output
No
No
No
Yes