This is a follow-up to the “Just a fluke…?” segment made on December 1st. I may’ve possibly, finally found the culprit to the fuse blowing issue of being unable to use my space heater with my computer on at the same time.
The culprit was something I had suspected a few times, but like an IQ 5000 player in Among Us, it kept managing to win everytime (as it was always the killer) and I was possibly too dumb to see through its lies (even when the telltale signs where right infront of me). This was one crafty piece of equipment, that also managed to blame both my heater and my UPS as ‘sus’.
A few days ago I had enough of freezing in my room and turned my heater on.. power went out 15 minutes later. FUCK!! “You should buy yourself a new heater” my mother suggested, so I did. As the days passed I was all “UGH!! This heater can’t come any sooner!!”
Yesterday I had enough of this.. I need heat NOW!! Not sometime after Christmas! Asked my mother “may I please barrow my father’s space heater?!” He has two space heaters (one not in use) that he let me barrow. I told both of them it would only be a temp thing ’till the new heater arrives.
…It too was causing the fuse to trip. So it’s.. there’s, nothing wrong with my heater afterall. Yet this would be the least of my problems, as this device managed to murder something in cold blood that I absolutely need; my UPS. After resetting the fuse, I tried turning it on..
“BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE–” it screamed at me, the power light flashing green/red.
Well this is just great. I can’t even turn my computer on now! Felt I just found my
culprit, however I can’t test because I NEED IT…
Tried desperately to think of my options, then came up with a temporary solution– use my mother’s surge protector she’s using for her computer until I buy a new UPS. It doesn’t have a battery backup, but it’s all I got. But when I saw how many outlets it has, I had concerns. Got 8 things that need plugged in.. and this only has 5. “Wait, my power strip. That’ll work as an alternative means!!”
–
With that back-breaking work finally done, I turned my computer back on. It still works as expected, then turned my heater on. 10 minutes later.. power blows again. No… no no NO NO!! I don’t know what it COULD BE!! I thought for sure it was my aging UPS!!
Then suddenly a thought came to me: “what if it could be the power strip? That’s the only thing I haven’t replaced yet.” Thankfully my mother had a backup. She also recommended I switch back to my heater, saying my father had a similar issue with that heater (of it blowing a fuse).
With the replacement power strip taking over what I had and my heater back where it
was, I was.. nervous to try again. I knew this is my last chance to see what it could be. If this doesn’t work, then it’s likely something only an electrician could fix.
Worked up the courage and with phone in hand, I engaged its stopwatch the moment I flicked the heater’s power back on. I cannot explain the level of stress I felt watching the stopwatch slowly tick up.
Surpassed the 15 minute mark. That’s when I heard the central air kick on. I began to relax knowing that I may’ve just fixed it. That 15 minutes turned into several hours when I went to bed without a single issue.
Honestly though, my UPS isn’t dead. The battery is though, just needs to be replaced and it’ll be good as new.
But given how long I’ve had this thing (estimated 10+ years), buying a brand new unit would be the smartest option (as buying a new battery would take just as long). And with COVID going on, ordering online is my only option. Else I’d be asking my parents to take me up to Best Buy and buying a new one.
A UPS isn’t cheap to replace. They usually run from $50 to $150. However, they are a freakin’ godsend and highly recommended for people like me that get a lot of surges/power outages. And APC is a highly respectable company (in my eyes). So if you need a UPS, go with APC. This isn’t even a paid endorsement, this is from 15+ years of being with them.
Never buy cheap when it comes to a UPS (especially when it comes to your PC). It’s just like a PSU. Reliable power is extremely important to keep things stable.
