When the grid power does strange things around here, the UPS systems let you know. The NAS is connected to the Triplite via USB so it will know when it needs to shut down. The NAS will send an e-mail when it gets word from the UPS about going to battery power and whatnot.
The client computer on an APC UPS just beeps. It also beeps when grid voltage gets above 124v. Since the grid voltage goes over that threshold in afternoons this winter, the beeping can be annoying. The short term fix is to turn on a space heater. Even at the low, 800 watt, setting, the space heater will reduce the voltage to the UPS by 3 volts or so and stop the blasted beeping. The additional heat is, this winter, a nice side effect, too.
Then there’s the oven in the Kitchen. The gas valves don’t work if the grid voltage goes below about 108v. Since voltage drops like that were common this past summer, I had to put a Variac and meter on the line so the voltage could be adjusted to be closer to nominal to bake supper.
Low voltage was also a problem for the RV air conditioner parked in the driveway. For that, I used an autoformer manufactured for such problems. It provides a voltage sensing 8% or 16% voltage boost to prevent brownouts.
The source of these problems is probably a forty year old grid supply network. There are too many drops on the transformer and the drops are too long and their age may be taking a toll. The power company can only compensate so much so my UPS beeper gets exercise.
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