
Home Server Room Power Upgrade and Multi-Room UPS - monstermunch
https://blog.networkprofile.org/home-server-room-power-upgrade-multi-room-ups/
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2bluesc
> Some may ask why the outlets are installed upside-down, its common in
> commercial settings to do this as it means if the cord sags down, only the
> ground prong will be exposed. Things can also get lodged between the two hot
> prongs if the outlet is the normal way up, like this from an image I stole
> from reddit

This is very insightful. I've seen outlets installed upside-down to designate
them as switched, but never heard any other justification.

This actually makes sense and the charred measurement tape further
demonstrates what can and has happened.

Dug up the Reddit link for those also curious:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/OSHA/comments/ilb7wq/please_unplug_...](https://www.reddit.com/r/OSHA/comments/ilb7wq/please_unplug_all_items_before_measuring/)
and maybe original post was to Twitter:
[https://twitter.com/meyerweb/status/1289302216826925057](https://twitter.com/meyerweb/status/1289302216826925057)

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MisterTea
I originally trained to be an electrician. That said, the argument for ground
pin down was if a plug "falls" out due to gravity, the ground prong will be
the last pin to break connection. Though honestly this is really unnecessary
as if the hot and neutral have broke, what current is there to ground?

Another reason is a lot of manufactures of grounded/polarized wall-warts and
GFI plugs tended to orient the damn things for ground pin down making ground
up installs prone to falling out. So you wind up with electricians following
ground down to accommodate this design flaw (or habit).

I dislike the nema 5-15 blade design as it doesn't hold up well to wear. I'd
much prefer a pin and sleeve design with the plug recessed in the socket like
CEE 7/Schuko. But that's another argument.

~~~
throw0101a
> _Another reason is a lot of manufactures of grounded /polarized wall-warts
> and GFI plugs tended to orient the damn things for ground pin down making
> ground up installs prone to falling out._

I've taken to using these kinds of 30cm / "1 foot extension cords" just to get
wall worts a bit of distance away:

* [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F1CLF7O/](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F1CLF7O/)

* [https://www.startech.com/en-us/cables/computer-power/externa...](https://www.startech.com/en-us/cables/computer-power/external?filter_cablelength=304.8)

~~~
cagey
Agreed: I invested in a bunch of the Monoprice version a few years ago.
1.59USD today (+ S & H).

* [https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=5296](https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=5296)

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rsync
Overall I like what you're doing here - power distribution in a typical home
is less modular and extensive than I would like and this is a good step in
that direction.

I don't think the extension cords are a problem because they're not _in the
wall_ (and I see actual Romex used in the wall).

However, I would take the time to carefully research _exactly_ what pieces of
this are, and are not, code compliant. Not because you need to redo it,
necessarily, but because it is a very impactful way to learn these things _and
learn deeper concepts of safety and failure behind the rules_. Nothing stays
as well learned, or remembered, as details relating to work you have actually
done.

~~~
blantonl
This is an excellent point.

A lot of lessons learned, hard lessons learned (like fire, expensive equipment
damage, injuries and blindness, and big sparks) have happened to get
electrical code to where it is.

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jasonpeacock
I'd have upgraded the recessed UPS outlets (inlets?) to be twist-lock style,
something like this[1] for a more semi-permanent connection:

[1]
[https://www.leviton.com/en/products/3325-c](https://www.leviton.com/en/products/3325-c)

Then you don't have to worry about a "tight fit" or something dislodging (or
half-dislodging) the plug.

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mbreese
Don’t those plugs mean something though? Like a specific Amp/voltage level? Or
can you use this anywhere?

I’ve only used it for specific Amp/voltage required situations (UPSs
actually).

~~~
jasonpeacock
Yep, which is why I linked the one specifically for 20A 125/250V, IIRC that
matches the OP's use case.

Surprisingly, there is no physical shape (that I'm aware of) to distinguish
between 120V and 240V, it's up to the user to be aware of possibility of
alternate voltages. I have seen color schemes used to distinguish voltages.

~~~
thaeli
Orientation of the blades. The NEMA 2-15 for 240v 15a has both blades
horizontal instead of vertical like a normal 120v 1-15 plug.

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wkearney99
One suggestion, use a differently colored outlet for the sockets served by the
UPS. This to avoid anyone else mistakenly using them for something else.

Another alternative would be to use Lutron's Claro AC outlets designed for
dimmable control. They've got a smaller prong for the hot leg.

I have some sockets for outdoor holiday lighting that I've colored to avoid
mis-using them for anything else.

~~~
monstermunch
Its very unlickely anything would be plugged in here, the outlets are located
under desks, behind TV's etc. They are also the only decora 15a outlets in the
house, everything I do new is 20a, so you'll identify them pretty easy

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cptskippy
You will, but that distinction will be lost on others.

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monstermunch
Who else is in my house?

~~~
cptskippy
Are you planning to live there forever?

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AdrianB1
For some time I am looking at a home built UPS to power my entire house; not
buying an UPS, but building an UPS from a few packs of LiFePO4 batteries
(probably in series to 48V) and an inverter. This kind of setup can be built
with regular lead acid batteries too, very cheap, but the battery life is a
lot worse than LiFePO4. A 4kW inverter can power my entire house, I live in
Europe and we don't use dryers here, I think they are the biggest electrical
consumer in a typical US house. The utility link is limited to 4.5kW anyways,
so I don't lose much.

The whole point is I can easily expand in the future to charge from a solar
panel array; solar panels are cheaper and cheaper, the biggest cost is the
batteries and installation. Until then, the batteries can be charged from the
utility company and the efficiency is close to an APC Smart UPS.

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BillinghamJ
Looks very cool!

Seeing the limitation in how many of the UPS sockets can be used, I'd say it's
a little bit of a shame not to have used high amperage IEC connectors - e.g.
C19/C20 ones.

Most UPSes have options to work with these natively rather than having
country-specific and often painfully shaped connectors (e.g. UK sockets are
huge!)

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bleepblorp
Why did you take this approach rather than getting a hardwired UPS and
installing a subpanel?

A subpanel would make future expansion easier.

~~~
zackbloom
I agree with this. You can get a kit [1] to hardwire a UPS. You could then
take the output of the UPS and run it into a subpanel with a separate 15 amp
breaker for each room. That way you won't have extension cords, etc. which
might only be rated for 15 amps drawing 30+ and potentially starting a fire.

1- [https://download.schneider-
electric.com/files?p_File_Name=AS...](https://download.schneider-
electric.com/files?p_File_Name=ASTE-6Z8L95_R0_EN.pdf&p_Doc_Ref=SPD_ASTE-6Z8L95_EN)

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cpascal
> There are several points here that probably don't comply with code. The fact
> that an extension cord has been brought into a permanent circuit is probably
> one of them.

If you wanted to do this up to code, how would you do it?

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geerlingguy
No matter how much better some things _might_ be, it's whether it's in the
code or not that dictates if your house wouldn't pass an inspection.

One of the things I think would be most likely to throw up a red flag and
immediate fail would be the "suicide plugs".

Even though they're not energized (but rather, used to deliver power to the
remote end), most electricians and inspectors wouldn't sit around waiting for
you to explain your brilliant power delivery scheme.

The only real way to do this stuff code-compliant would be to purchase and
install a real hard-wired UPS system, use properly-installed Romex (or other
suitable code-compliant wiring), and get things inspected by the local
authorities.

Usually if it's not installed by a licensed electrician, the inspectors will
be even more stringent.

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bluGill
Those plugs are legal, and commonly installed for generators. The only part
the inspector sould question is why they are not connected to a breaker to
protect the wiring.

~~~
cptskippy
I was wondering if those would require an ED of some sort in line of sight. I
know that permanently wired things like HVAC or Water heaters do, but I've
never read up on that sort of connector.

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firecall
I have a multi room UPS!

It's called 2x Tesla Powerwalls and a 7.5Kw solar system! :-)

~~~
AdamJacobMuller
Do you have it setup to work if you lose grid connection? It seems like most
solar/powerwall systems are not setup with appropriate disconnects and so must
be designed to not work with the grid down. Seems like a big waste.

I wonder how much money utilities could save if everyone had a big in-home
UPS/Solar and 99% or 95% grid reliability were acceptable.

~~~
PaulDavisThe1st
I just finished installing my own 6.6kW system. From my research, we're not at
the point yet where an inverter that can be (a) grid-tied _and_ (b) charging
batteries will be as reliable as one that does either (a) or (b) (but not
both).

They do exist, however, and hopefull they will get better over time. This will
allow more people to add a moderately sized battery system to a grid-tied
system, and then we end up with the best of all possible worlds (or something
much closer to it).

There are also grid-tied inverters that will provide limited online power even
with the grid down. These also seem to be not as reliable as the "grid down?
i'm down" design.

The really tricky part is that for the inverter's output to be instantly
switchable with the grid, it has to be phase aligned with it, and so the
inverter has to see the grid phase and match it.

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egberts1
I just read your previous blog on Backup and noticed that your choice of
1000-year DVD and its manufacturer.

They’ve gone 403.

[https://web.archive.org/web/20140325203319/http://www.mdisc....](https://web.archive.org/web/20140325203319/http://www.mdisc.com/m-ready/)

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-DISC](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-DISC)

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AdamJacobMuller
That's very cool. I love the idea of doing extension cords + inlets. I've been
thinking about how to wire my big TV to my UPS, that's a very clean way of
doing it.

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dellcybpwr
What are use cases for power _inlets_?

Also, are they hot if nothing is plugged in?

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TheCoelacanth
Inlets are for putting power into something, just like an outlet is for
getting power out.

They are reversed from an outlet because don't ever want the hot part to be
exposed.

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brian_herman__
Great guide I hope you do more in the future!

~~~
monstermunch
Thanks, I'll keep posting anything I think is interesting

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tha0x4
Definitely dislike seeing the various code violations, but definitely enjoy
the get it done attitude and the results!

