APC UPS "Site Wiring Fault"

[pnbrooks]

Hey all, 

 

So, I've just bought an APC UPS. When I hooked it up today, the light indicating a site wiring fault switched on. In the instructions, it says that I'll need to call an electrician to sort this out and that I shouldn't use the unit in the interval. The problem, however, is that I rent and apartment and the wiring is pretty old. The age of the wiring (and the fact that many outlets are two-pronged) suggests that the SWF is picking up on a grounding issue. 

 

Question: is it safe to use the UPS at this time? If not, and given that there's nothing I can do about the wiring in the walls, is there any course of action you'd recommend? 

 

My power goes out more than I'd like, and this has caused some server trouble in the past. So, I'd like to have some protection. Of course, it's not worth it if I've just installed a fire hazard! Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

*Edit* It may be worth noting that we've had zero trouble with plugging things into our outlets in the one+ year that we've lived here.  

Edited November 5, 2020 by pnbrooks
More info

[Vr2Io]

You can buy a circuit tester to check does your power socket have grounding problem or other issue, it quite cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ac+main+checker&rh=n%3A14244461&ref=dp_bc_aui_C_4

 

12 hours ago, pnbrooks said:

is it safe to use the UPS at this time?

Yes, because it won't make things worse.

 

12 hours ago, pnbrooks said:

is there any course of action you'd recommend? 

If just missing earth wire, even add a extra wire in free-run still better then nothing. Pls found a knowledge person to do that.

[JonathanM]

Worst consequence is that surges can't be directed harmlessly away through the ground, so the basic premise of a surge protector is pretty much useless. Any surge protector, not just UPS's.

 

You just found out something that's been a fact all along, so it's not like anything has changed. Until the wiring is corrected, any voltage spikes will just be absorbed by your equipment.

 

The UPS should still provide power, so that part will still work fine, plus you can configure your server to shut down properly if the power fails, so you're good there.

 

Properly fixing the issue would require rewiring, which, as you said, isn't likely to happen.