[ale] OT: question about replacing batteries in a APC UPS

[Jim]

I've travelled extensivly in Canada (even lived there for a while) and 
have never found 220V service.  It's just like the states.  Same 
connectors, same voltages.  All my US electronic/electrical equipment 
worked in Canada.

Jim.

Courtney Thomas wrote:

>Mike,
>
>Thank you for the thorough and thoughtful reply.
>
>Unrelated questions to which I'd appreciate a response is:
>
>	can U.S. equipment made for 120v be used in Canada, which I understand 
>has 220v as standard home installation ?
>
>	if no, what, if anything, can be done to render such equipment usable 
>in Canada ?
>
>Again, gratefully,
>
>Courtney
>
>
>
>
>Mike Harrison wrote:
>  
>
>>Courtney asked:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>What and how do the testers reveal ?
>>>      
>>>
>>  Disclaimer: This is potentially dangerous, don't touch anything metal, 
>>  don't wear shoes with metal tacks in the heels.. don't.. (it's a long list)
>>
>>
>>  Good question. Set to AC Volts, (Alternating Current) you can test an 
>>  outlet as follows:
>>       
>>     The outlet should have 3 plugs.. 2 slots, one larger than the other
>>     and a round hole:
>>
>>             [ |
>>              o      
>>     The larger slot on the left is 'neutral' the smaller one on the right
>>     is 'line' or 'hot' and the small circle is 'ground'. 
>>
>>     In a perfect world. 'hot' has a sine wave of approximately 117 volts 
>>     calculated as a 'root mean square' average of alternating electrical
>>     potential. You want to make sure it's there, and that 'neutral' is 
>>     at 0 volts, as is ground.
>>
>>     So with your el-cheapo voltmeter, stick the probe tip black lead in 
>>     the 'neutral' and the red lead into 'hot'. You should get 110 to 120 volts AC.
>>     
>>     Then move the red lead into 'ground'. You should get 0 volts. Maybe 0.5volts. 
>>     but it should be 0. Ground and neutral (in most systems) tie into the 
>>     same place back at the breaker panel.. they should have the same 
>>     potential. 
>>
>>     Then move the black lead to 'hot'. You should get 117 volts. If not, 
>>     your ground is open, not grounded. Very common problem in houses. 
>>     The purpose of the ground wire is safety. The metal chassis of a 
>>     device uses the ground wire as a redundant path back to the breaker 
>>     box. If there is 'leakage' via EMF from high voltage electronics
>>     or transformers or.. (lots of things), it should drain down the
>>     ground wire. If it is 'open', a shock potential from the device may 
>>     exist. Grounds are also a catastrophic failure protection means. 
>>     If a power supply 'melts down' and shorts to ground, the current 
>>     should travel back to the break panel at close to 0 volts, and if the
>>     current level is high enough, allow the breaker to trip. 
>>
>>     Last test: paranoid mode. If you have something that is grounded 
>>     handy, like a metal copper pipe that goes into the earth, large metal 
>>     structural supports.. etc..  - Measure between it and the Ground and 
>>     Neutral and make sure it's 0 volts or really really close to it. (.5volt?)
>>     and measure between the natural earth ground and 'hot' you should get 
>>     110-120 volts.
>>
>>So.. If all is good, you have a properly wired electrical outlet, there is 
>>one good 'idiot check' you can make on your UPS:
>>
>>     Set your meter to Ohms. A measure of electrical resistance. 
>>
>>     With your UPS unplugged, put the black lead on the round pin. 
>>     then put the red volt meter lead on any metal on the case. 
>>     It should be under 1 ohm. Now move the red lead to the round
>>     plug hole on the outlets. Same thing. 1ohm or less. 
>>
>>     On some UPS's you MAY be able to do this with 'hot' and 'neutral' on
>>     the outlet to the cord plug end for hot and neutral, depends
>>     if it's using a relay for power pass through and what it's position
>>     is when 'off'. 
>>
>>Plug your UPS in and turn it on. Repeat the first set of steps for the 
>>outlets on the UPS.
>>
>>Last test. turn off the power to the UPS, but keep it plugged in (so 
>>ground is still attached) so that the UPS is running on batteries. 
>>It may work better if something is plugged in and running off the UPS
>>as many of them require a load. Then do the tests again. You will get 
>>something approximating 110-140 volts from neutral to line on the UPS, it 
>>depends on the quality of the site wave your UPS generates. It may read 
>>high if there is no load or a very small one, and/or it produces a squarer 
>>waveform than normal line power.
>>
>>----------------
>>
>>Honest disclaimer: I've done these tests and more.. but I usually 
>>just plug them in and see if they work. :)  - I did check out the wiring in my house
>>when I bought it for proper polarity of the pins, and good grounds.. 
>>and again when I put in the generator and UPS's.. but I'm insane.
>>
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>>
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