Us foreigners will often live where backup power generation is available.\u00a0 This means life goes on and if you can’t hear the generator, it has little effect.\u00a0 At work, it may be different or it may not.<\/p>\n
The current power problems are definitely at the severe end.\u00a0 I reckon the power cuts over the last 24 hours to be at 11 hours where I live.\u00a0 So a good generator should cover for that you would think.\u00a0 Then the AC problems start … a few computer problems as well.\u00a0 I try to find out what is going on.\u00a0 I get my lecture after my 10,000 questions.<\/p>\n
I am no electrician but it goes something like this.\u00a0 Even when the power is there (from the grid – did I just use the word grid for here ?)\u00a0 it still may be ratshit.\u00a0 So the voltage drops way down from the standard 220Volts.\u00a0 It may fluctuate a hell of a lot and the little UPSes give up and go onto battery.\u00a0 The lights, fridge and everything else still run but the UPS may switch to battery.\u00a0 And when the power finally gets bad enough to require the generator, the UPS battery doesn’t enough guts left to do its job.<\/p>\n
Step up AirCon unit.\u00a0 When on street power, it goes through periods when no cooling comes out of the thing.\u00a0 Then it comes good again.\u00a0 When this happens in the middle of the night, you don’t sleep too good.\u00a0 Then it is explained.\u00a0 When the voltage drops too low, the compressor (ie the bit that provides the cooling grunt) can’t hack the pace and eventually fails to perform any useful function.\u00a0 The fan may still run but further power drops lead to strange grinding noises as the fan tries to cope with the crap power.\u00a0 Eventually, if the gods be willing, the power drops out completely and the generator can take over.<\/p>\n
Electricians please correct me where I got this wrong but the UPS thing and the AC thing have been driving me crazy. \u00a0 Now that I understand, it is not so bad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Us foreigners will often live where backup power generation is available.\u00a0 This means life goes on and if you can’t hear the generator, it has little effect.\u00a0 At work, it may be different or it may not. The current power … Continue reading