Summer is here! Along with heavy power use on the grid due to customers cranking up the air conditioning, some areas may experience power surges or rolling blackouts due to extreme weather events such as wildfires or hurricanes. In fact, due to the catastrophic 2018 wildfire season in California, PG&E, the largest CA utility which serves 5.2 million households, announced that on high wind days where the risk of fire is extremely high, they will cut power as a precautionary measure. This is a good time to check your business’ battery backup systems.
Power surges can hurt your business. Any time the power goes out for any reason, it may surge when it comes back on.
Power surges, also known as voltage spikes, are a frequent and devastating problem for businesses. They can interfere with networks, creating lapses in information flow, resulting in the loss of valuable time and resources. A battery backup uninterruptible power supply or battery backup UPS is necessary for reliable power management and to protect your POS investment.
A Battery Backup UPS is your POS System’s best friend!
We’ve discussed this subject many times before. We always make sure to notify customers when they purchase their POS from Sintel Systems that they will require a high quality voltage regulator to regulate their system. But as much as we try to make the point of how important it is to have one, there’s always a client who attempts to put off purchasing their voltage regulator or others who confuse the term and only hear the word surge protector.
We understand it seems a little out of the ordinary for us to be asking you to externally purchase another piece of equipment for your POS system. We understand you’ve spent good money making an investment already. Trust us when we say we don’t want to have to ask you to spend any more, but this isn’t a matter of what you should have, it is a matter of what you need.
While some power surges can be severe enough to damage components within the system immediately, many times it is the daily stress on the equipment that eventually leads to failure. The gradual wear and tear typically shows itself in under performance or slowing down of the system. Each POS system requires it’s own battery backup UPS, a simple surge protector is not sufficient. Obtain a unit and charge it for at lease 24 hours before connecting it to your POS system.
Tips for businesses with other POS Systems
Besides dust and water, errors and fluctuations in electrical currents are the enemies of a Point of Sale System. It is extremely important to not only make sure that your electrical system is up to code, but to also make use of additional tools to make sure you protect your investment and ultimately the “gateway to your money.”
For NEW Businesses:
- Install dedicated circuits isolated from any and all appliances for the POS Systems.
2. Provide more than what you think is necessary. It’s a good idea to add 25% or more capacity per circuit. Given the nature of industrial equipment you can save in the long run by over estimating your use. Equipment in most businesses often require the most power when initially powered on, and in most cases this is an important fact that is dismissed.
3. Install Battery Back Ups for all electronics such as the POS System, Network Modems, Routers, and Switches.
For EXISTING Businesses:
- Make sure to have a qualified professional electrician evaluate your electrical system.
2. Make sure the existing electrical structure is up to code and properly grounded.
3. Make sure all outlets are properly installed and tightly covered. If your cable is loosely hanging from the outlet there is a major issue waiting to happen.
4. Install Battery Back Ups for all electronics such as the POS System, Network Modems, Routers, and Switches.
– You will notice that installing Battery Backups are a requirement whether your business is in a newly constructed building or an existing one.
What you can’t see, will hurt you!
Restaurants and retail businesses use industrial grade equipment that require more power than your average home kitchen appliances. In most cases you have multiple appliances and machines powering on and off throughout the day. You may not feel it, but every time the compressors of a refrigerator are activated a small surge is sent through the entire store circuit. Even in cases where dedicated circuits are assigned for appliances, the fact remains that the total power capacity is shared along all circuits within a panel. These surges, although small in fluctuation, will eventually take their toll on sensitive technical equipment such as POS systems, network equipment, and other similar devices.
In Conclusion: Having a battery back up system is imperative! The few hundred dollars you pay for battery backup UPS to ensure the long term stability of your POS systems is well worth the price paid.
To get more information on choosing the right battery backup for your POS system, call us at (855) POS-TECH. Sintel Systems is here to help your business grow. As a single source for business solutions, our experienced, knowledgeable team negotiates the complex POS landscape for you to enable you to find the right POS system for your business and budget. Hardware – Software – Support
