Desktop Computer With 2 Prong Wall Outlet

I have made the mistake of running my computer on a 2 prong wall outlet (for many years). The setup has mostly been 2 prong outlet -> 2:3 converter -> surge protector -> computer. From reading, I am understanding that the surge protector in that setup is not doing anything because it needs the ground plug in order to do its job. Anyway, the surge protectors that I was using were very old, and so they would not be doing anything anyway, even if they were plugged into a 3 prong, grounded outlet.

There are very few grounded outlets in my house. In the short term, the rewiring is not going to get done so I need a plan. Here are the ideas that I have come up with:
1- test outlets that I believe to be grounded. Plug into these whenever possible.
2- run a 40 foot extension cord from grounded outlet to another important area of the house.
3- switch a lot of work that I do to a laptop. The laptop is 1.5 years old; I imagine that it has (some?) built in protection.
4- keep electronics unplugged as much as possible, especially during lightening storm.
5- limit use of "high power draw" electronics (as they can cause internal power surges).

What I am most curious about is #2. #3 would be tough for me to do since that computer is running Linux and I have a fair bit of work to do in non-Linux programs.

Here are other ideas that I am less sure about:

6- using a UPS by powering it on, charging it up, then using it to run devices while unplugged from the wall.
7- isolation transformer - can't find my reference on the web but someone mentioned using an isolation transformer. They mentioned this approach in response to someone saying that they were in an area in Asia where they has concerns about the electrical system.

My primary concern is avoiding power surges when I am working on the computer, which I understand can cause file corruption. I am also vaguely aware that there are concerns about electrical parts getting ruined and also the dangers of using non-grounded outlets.

 

First, what is your housing situation (own, rent, live with parents, etc.)? In an ideal world you or the owner of the property should get estimates from a qualified electrician to bring everything up to current building codes or, at the very least, get the wiring inspected. If it's so old it was installed before grounding was required there could be deeper issues that might equate to a fire hazard.

In the real world (assuming the above isn't an option), I would buy a HEAVY DUTY grounded extension cord, but only if you can run it NEATLY to your computer area. NEVER run cords under rugs or where they could get caught in a closing door; this is a fire waiting to happen!

Be sure the outlet you choose doesn't have one or more power hungry devices already on the same circuit breaker (refrigerator, microwave, window AC unit or other major appliance).

Assuming you can do this safely, get a name brand (APS or CyberPower) UPS battery back-up/surge protector. It should have a wattage rating of an amount equal to the wattage of your PC's power supply, monitors (figure about 50 watts each) plus an extra 100 or so watts for the tons of adapters used to power your modem, router, phone charger, etc. Using a lower wattage inkjet printer with a UPS is possible but, if you have a laser printer, put it in a non battery backup (surge protection only) outlet.

I consider a proper capacity UPS a necessity in any computer room since it protects both equipment and data from blackouts, brownouts, power surges and (usually) lightening. Investing $150-$200 in a properly sized one is a much better value than replacing fried hardware and attempting to recover corrupted data.

Hope this helps.

 

In the past I have had to install a separate ground rod just outside the house in the area where the outlet is located. I drilled a small hole through the wall and replaced the outlet so the new ground wire could be used. I then added a APS battery backup unit to the outlet and ran the equipment off it. It sounds like a lot to do but is worth it in the long run. My customers were happy and you cant beat the price. I live in the country and see lots of homes with just 2 wire outlets, so this was the most cost effective way to do it.

 

When it comes down to it, the ground and the neutral are bonded together in the electrical panel. You really don't see isolated grounds in a residential application. The main reason you see a third prong on a tool or device is personnel protection when a device is not double insulated. A power tool with a two prong plug is an example of a double insulated tool. As long as you "ground" the green tab on a three prong adapter, it should function no differently than a three prong outlet provided your panel/home is wired correctly.

One of the main reasons for grounding is to create an alternate path for electrical current should the neutral tap at the transformer fail.

Have you opened the outlet box? Is there a bare ground wire along with the black and white wires? Is the bare wire bonded to the shell of the outlet, and the outlet box if it is metal?

P.S. Never work a circuit while it's hot.

 

Mostly true. The MOV devices will absorb some of the excess and convert it to heat. But you are right in that the most effective protection requires a direct path to Earth ground.

Not isolated, but in all newer homes and in all upgrades, you will see a separate ground wire - at least if done to code as required. That is, there WILL be a 3rd wire from each outlet going back to the service panel. From there, ground and neutral may be tied.

40 feet is a long distance. The greater the distance, the more resistance in the cable. So if you go that route, make sure it is a quality, heavy duty extension cord, and does not become a tripping hazard. I also agree it should not be run under carpet - especially if it will be walked on as any wear or damage may go unseen. But also, you don't want to risk the cord overheating.

I don't like the UPS plan. I am a firm believer all computers should be on a good UPS with AVR instead of a surge and spike protector. But it is for the AVR (automatic voltage regulation). Back up power during a full power outage is just the icing on the cake. So running your computer on UPS battery full time is not good, IMO. It will also wear out the batteries faster. And while stepped approximation (simulated) sinewave output is fine during temporary power outages (which typically last just a few seconds a few - if that - times a year), I would prefer a top quality pure sinewave UPS for this and now you are talking $400+ dollars for that class of UPS.

Is the wiring in your wall outlets routed through metal conduits? If so, they typically provide a ground back to the service panel IF they are still in good repair - which is NOT a given in older homes. But if so, then you might be able to provide a ground through the screw in the outlet face plate using one of these.

You might also check with bonding a ground wire to your cold water pipes. Note it must be the cold water pipes, they must be copper only, and they must have a direct run into the Earth. The problem here is with many older homes, plumbing repairs and upgrades are often made by splicing in plastic (PVC) pipes and they do not provide a path for ground to Earth.

Last, every home and every computer user should have access to a AC Outlet Tester to ensure your outlet is properly wired and grounded to Earth ground. I recommend one with a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupt) indicator as it can be used to test bathroom and kitchen outlets (outlets near water) too. These testers can be found for your type and voltage outlet, foreign or domestic, (like this one for the UK) at most home improvement stores, or even the electrical department at Wal-Mart. Use it to test all the outlets in the home and if a fault is shown, have it fixed by a qualified electrician.

Note you can use this tester and one of those adapters to see if the 2-prong outlet is grounded.

 

I rent and the property owner is behind on getting things done here. I am already kind of seen as the nag, and I really don't want to move.

I am questioning the idea of the UPS. In the near future, I plan to be on inexpensive computers (ones that are currently valued at less than $250. So, the UPS, given its life span, carry a relatively high cost. I am guessing that UPSs last 5 years or less. That being said, there is some value in it. Is there any benefit to it over a surge protector besides allowing you to properly shut down devices when your power goes out?

 

I don't really understand a lot of what you are saying. I know close to 0 about anything about the power hardware from the outlet to the power plant. I was reading something about the neutral sometimes actually being the hot wire, so maybe that's why the 3rd wire, the ground, is so harped upon. I should try to find a book on the subject of basic electrician knowledge.

 

Basic Electricity pdf search had this on top. Many available from universities. Search also for basic electricity wiring methods to find other useful info.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...ctricity.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0Jyw87Y05iEBB54TFjGRVl

 

I've got an APC SmartUPS 900 on my garage door opener that is pushing 30 years old! The one on my home theater system is about 12 years old. The one on this computer is 8. All are still working just fine. There is no reason to think any good UPS will have such a limited lifespan as 5 years.

Now where you may be confused is with the batteries themselves inside the UPS. They generally have to be replaced every 3 - 5 years but with most UPS, this is a simple and affordable user task.

There is a huge advantage to using a good UPS instead of a surge and spike protector (S&SP). A S&SP is little more than a fancy and expensive extension cord as they do absolutely nothing for abnormal low voltage events like dips (opposite of spikes) and sags (opposite of surges), or long duration sags (brownouts) - any of which can cause your electronics to suddenly stop, resulting in possible data corruption.

For abnormal high voltage events, they merely chop off ("clamp") the tops off the sine waves, leaving a not-so pretty voltage for your power supplies to compensate for.

During normal use (that is, when on battery) a "good" UPS with AVR will help clean and shape (regulate) "dirty" sine waves into something more easily used by the devices plugged into it. A S&SP will simply pass the dirty sine wave from the grid to your connected devices.

In low voltage events, a good UPS with AVR will use the batteries to boost the voltage up to normal levels without actually switching over to battery power. And in extreme high voltage events (excessive surges and spikes), it will use the batteries to dump the excess voltage into the batteries (which batteries can absorb with ease), and/or dump the excess to ground (Earth).

And note non of that has anything to do with providing power during a full power outage. As noted above, that is just a bonus feature.

That "backwards" wiring configuration some times happens with two wire setups by inexperienced home-dwellers or incompetent so-called experts. Most electronics plugged into such a wired outlet will work just fine since it is AC (alternating current). But make no mistake - this is an extremely dangerous situation!

If you have a metal-cased bread toaster, for example, plugged into a two-wire outlet that is wired backwards (neutral wire on the hot connector and hot wire on neutral), this typically makes the metal case of the toaster "hot" (not talking temperatures here!). If you touch the metal case, nothing will happen. BUT if you touch that metal toaster with one hand and then with your other hand come into contact with Earth ground by perhaps touching the cold water faucet, you would receive a very nasty shock. And since the current would flow up one arm, through your chest and out the other arm, for the elderly, small children, of someone with a heart condition, it could be deadly!

Do you rent or own this house? If you rent, you need to hound your landlord to get a certified and licensed electrician in there. If you own, either hire a certified and licensed electrician or check out your local community college. They often have very affordable classes for do-it-yourself home improvement projects.

Books can be helpful but they typically are meant as references and refreshers for those who have had some formal training. That document though that link above, for example, clearly states it is for "continuing education".

 

Wow! APC is my preferred brand and I never had one die like that. That said, UPS are similar to power supplies in that if you buy a cheap one (even from major brands like APC) you get a cheap one. And it matters because lessor quality UPS often don't react to anomalies as quickly. This matters because the ATX standard only requires ATX compliant power supplies "hold up" output for just 17ms when power is lost or drops below 90VAC for 115VAC supplies (180VAC for 230-240VAC supplies). Note a "flicker" in the lights that lasts 17ms is faster than the human eye can detect. And sadly, even some of the better power supplies out there fail to hold even that long. This means the UPS must not only detect the drop in voltage, but cut over to battery back in less than 17ms. That's darn quick.

Budget UPS also don't provide much if any "regulation" - that is, they are just battery backups and not automatic voltage regulators.

I generally recommend getting a "good" UPS with AVR and one with at least 900VA (~540 to 630W) of power. In this way, the UPS will easily support not just the computer's PSU, but all your network gear and a decent size LCD monitor too.

One thing I don't like about APC (though other makers are not much better) is they tend to be a bit secretive about the specs of the actual batteries because they want you to buy their APC branded replacement batteries at typically exorbitant prices. That is just not necessary. I never, as in NEVER EVER buy my replacement batteries from the UPS makers or with their brands on them.

I buy my UPS batteries from Apex, BatteryWholesale, Battery Mart, or Batteryplex, or Amazon depending on who has the best price at the time (factoring in shipping, which can be significant, but sometimes free). The prices and shipping charges can change daily so shop around.

A little digging shows for that BE600M1 UPS, even on Amazon the APC branded replacement is almost $50. But further digging shows it is a standard SLA (sealed lead-acid) 12V8Ah battery with F2 type connectors. And APEX today has that battery for $15 plus $11 shipping (to my Nebraska house). That's less than $9/year if it only lasts 3 years. And it is my experience with my usage patterns, my UPS batteries tend to last about 4 1/2 years. That's cheaper than a new UPS and keeps more hazardous waste out of landfills.

Note battery life depends on how often the UPS kicks over to battery, how heavy the load, and how long they stay on battery (how deep the discharge/charge cycle). My big 1500VA APC UPS takes 4 batteries. Each becomes a "cell" in one big battery when more than one is used. And I have had individual cells last up to 6 years.

 

When you dispose of a UPS unit you should remove the batteries and take them to any auto parts store where they will properly dispose of them.

 

I don't know about "any" auto parts store but that is good if so. I would say to call ahead to make sure.

I used to take mine to a Radio Shack that was just up the street but sadly, they went out of business. Pretty sure all Best Buy stores will take them. The local one here has a drop off box right at the entrance. And note they accept all rechargeable batteries - to include cell phone and notebook batteries (not to mention ink and toner cartridges, and even old printers, old cell phones and other electronics). They also take all Lithium Ion batteries, including wafer type batteries which include CR2032 typically used as "CMOS" batteries on motherboards.

Do what you can to keep them out of landfills.

 

You need to be careful with batteries. You cannot recycle a Li ion cell with lead batteries. Lithium cells can be toxic if punctured.

 

It seems like having a UPS for your computer is worth it if you have concerns about data getting corrupted. I guess the main threat is when you have large data files, and corruption can linger and take its toll quietly. Operating system files can also be a big deal. So, I'm sold on the idea of using a UPS for desktop computers. I'm questioning, however whether it's worth it for electronics valued at $50 - $200 (TVs, routers, modems, printers). Strangely enough, I even read somewhere that you shouldn't use a UPS for a printer (due to the possibility of burning out the motor of the printer). Are there concerns about corrupting the firmware of the small electronics? If so, can't you just have the firmware on hand to reinstall?

 

what does it mean when there are low watts and high watts listed for a UPS?
For example, the first one on this list:
https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/products/ups/avr/

When shopping for a UPS, are there any rules of thumb to help narrow things down by units that will have affordable battery replacements? Perhaps there are some common sizes/ capacities of batteries that I should stick to?

 

This is not true.
Laser printers shouldn't be connected to a UPS due to the high current drawn when the fuser heats up, unless you want to invest in at least a 1,500VA UPS.

No.
If the UPS can possibly corrupt the firmware, it can do the same to the PC's BIOS. Think of firmware as a 'mini-BIOS'. It's not something you just re-install (or upgrade).

 

Also, for the cyberpower ones that I linked to, are those all reasonable quality? They are all line interactive ones, which I read is good. Beyond that, it seems like they are just varying in the wattage that they support.

 

I was saying that a power surge could maybe corrupt the bios like it can corrupt data. Perhaps I'm wrong about that but I was mainly speculating as to "attractions" for having devices that don't contain a hard drive or SSD plugged into a UPS.

 

CyberPower and APC are both highly recommended UPSs.
Here's a brief review.
https://www.lifewire.com/best-uninterrupted-power-supplies-4142625

 

Corrupt data is part of it, for sure. But protecting the hardware from power anomalies is the much bigger advantage. If you protect the hardware, the data is automatically protected - at least from corruption due to power issues. Remember, a properly size and "good" UPS with AVR can also protect your network gear and LCD monitor(s) too.

My 1500VA UPS protects my computer, the wireless router, modem, 4-port switch and two 24" LCD monitors. As far as the bonus - power during a full power outage, my UPS will keep all connected devices up and running for more than 50 minutes. If I turn off one monitor, I get over 70 minutes. And if I quickly shutdown the computer, the switch and both monitors, the UPS will keep my network alive for over 4 hours! This is great as it still gives me Internet access for my wireless devices.

What do you mean you cannot recycle Li-Ion cells with lead acid batteries?

Sure you can! You can even add in nickel cadmium (Ni-Cad), nickel metal hydride (NiMH or Ni–MH), and traditional alkaline batteries (if the recycling center accepts single use batteries - many don't).

Any battery can be hazardous if punctured or leaking. Lead-acid batteries contain sulfuric acid - which is extremely corrosive and can quickly cause severe chemical burns, blindness and eventually eat your fingers right off your hand.

The two precautions you must take are (1) isolate any battery that is leaking or physically damaged from other batteries and (2) ensure the electrical contacts of the batteries do not come into contact with the electrical contacts of any other battery. But note these are the exact same precaution needed regardless the battery type.

Other than carefully placing the larger batteries in the box so the contacts can't touch each other, I always store and transport all different batteries types together with no worries. The only other precaution I take is with the CR2032 wafer batteries. I wrap them in painters/masking tape.

Right! And actually, this is not likely to hurt anything the excessive load will be seen by the UPS as a problem and will quickly kill output power which of course, defeats the purpose of the backup power feature. You also should not connect CRT monitors to an UPS as they are very power hungry too.

Now again - we are talking about using a "good" UPS. And if you go with a "pure sinewave" UPS,

No. No more than plugging those electronics directly into the wall outlet.

Never seen that spec before. I even downloaded the user guide for that UPS and there is nothing in there about that. I note that first UPS is the only one listed that says that too.

Not really. Just make sure the specs state that the batteries are user replaceable. With some UPS, you have to send it back to the factory - though those typically are rack mounted UPS.

BTW, If you plug your hardware into the eXtreme Power Supply Calculator, it will calculate your minimum UPS needs too. But note this is just for the computer. You will need to add extra for your monitor(s) and network gear too.

And remember, you don't put your computer on a UPS so you can keep playing a game or watching a movie should the power go out. I idea is to give you enough runtime so you can finish the paragraph you are typing, then save your document and "gracefully" shutdown the computer before the batteries run out.

One last thing - you may read a lot about the need for "pure sinewave" output. Some may even tell you simulated or stepped approximation output will damage your power supplies. That's just pure hogwash! Stepped approximation output UPS have been used on computers, including mission critical servers for decades with no problems. There's no reason they would suddenly cause problems, especially as UPS, as well as power supply technologies have improved over those years.

The only reason pure sine wave UPSs have gotten a lot of attention lately is because the prices have FINALLY come down so they are within reach. That and aggressive (and often misleading ) marketing tactics from makers of such UPS.

Since they have come way down in price in recent years, they have become competitive. So if you find one and the price is right, go for it. I don't have anything against them. Just don't believe you need it, or that it is better for your connected devices.

 

I would like to buy a UPS that covers about 400 Watts, because it will be for just 1 computer.

Here are the difficulties that I am running into:
1 - With the APC models, there doesn't seem to be a way to filter for ones that have line-interactive or AVR technology, or even a mention of the feature.
2- too many outlets
3- Some of the models have some outlets that are simply surge protected. The problem that I have with this is that once the hardware that handles the surges degrades (and no longer does anything), you just have dead weight/ wasted space.

 

I just found the information about which APC UPSs have the AVR technology. Here are the product lines that have it:
https://www.apc.com/us/en/faqs/FA158913/

 

If it does not say AVR, it isn't. And understand line interactive and AVR are two totally different things. AVR is automatic voltage regulation. It does just that - it regulates the voltage to adjust for minor irregularities - that's a very good thing.

Line interactive (as opposed to on-line) means the intelligent circuit in the UPS is waiting for some anomaly to come off the grid. When it see the anomaly, it quickly reacts to compensate either by regulating, filtering, or flipping over to battery backup. The better line interactive UPS tend to have a reaction time of less than 10ms, often less than 5ms - which is pretty darn quick, plenty fast for the vast majority of users.

On-line UPS, which are much more expensive, are basically running off the batteries all the time. Therefore, they have 0ms reaction time. These are used for the highest level of mission critical equipment. You may see these used for critical life support equipment in hospitals, or certain military communications systems and the like.

Like many things (not just in electronics), the less capable versions of UPS are not as full featured or of the best quality. I recommend you look at UPS rated at least 850VA (~510W).

Note most UPS are rated in volt-amps. The volt-amp to watt conversion formula is VA x PF = W. Unless otherwise stated, use .6 for the PF (power factor). Here's a handy calculator: https://www.rapidtables.com/calc/electric/va-to-watt-calculator.html

There's no such thing as too many outlets. In fact, there typically are too few, in part because they are too close together and too many AC/DC transformer power supplies (power blocks) are so big, they cover the adjacent outlet. For this reason, I use "spider" extension cords like these.

This is actually common.

That is true with plain old "passive" surge and spike protectors which are little more than fancy and expensive extension cords. But on an UPS - at least the better UPS, those outlets are backed by "active" intelligent circuits that actually compensate for aging components. The primary difference is they don't receive back up power when the UPS cuts over to battery. So don't worry about that.

 

We did have warning signs in the local auto parts store. Maybe the time has passed, but we were warned about Li-ion ending up in the wrong recycling bin.

 

Ah! That makes sense. But not for the reasons first suggested.

Lead acid batteries have lead and sulfuric acid in them, and generally the housings are made of plastic. Lithium-Ion batteries obviously have Lithium in them and the housings are made of metal. So all those different materials to be recycled have to be processed, handled, stored and ultimately recycled in different ways.

The recycling and environmentally-safe disposal methods for plastics are obviously different than they are for metals. This means the materials must be separated and sorted. No doubt the battery recycling service at your local auto parts store was being handled by a 3rd party company who comes around every so often to collect the batteries. Having the customer start the sorting process from the beginning makes the whole recycling process cheaper and easier.

Like many communities, my town has implemented mandatory recycling for residential waste. So we must separate cardboard, plastics, metals, and glass and regular trash into separate color-coded bins. Then, on trash pickup day, we roll out the different colored bins to the curb. Different trucks come around and pick it up.

Our monthly trash disposal bills and local taxes would be a lot higher if the waste management and county landfills had to sort all the trash at their facilities.

Same thing with different types of batteries. They have to be separated because they are recycled and disposed of using different methods.

Absolutely we must avoid the contents of physically damaged and leaking batteries from coming into contact with each other and other materials. And there is a need to avoid electrical contacts from causing shorts and potential fires. But I suspect the main reason they had different bins at the auto parts store was to make sorting easier and faster and less labor intensive (Read: cheaper) for the recycler.

But in our homes, we can store all types of old batteries in the same bin until we have enough to make a trip to the recycling center, without worries of any chemical reactions - AS LONG AS the batteries are not physically damaged from the start, and we make sure none of the electrical contacts touch while in that bin. Whether you decide to sort them now in your home, or later at the drop off site is up to you. With those precautions in mind, sorting is just for convenience, not for safety.

Thanks for clarifying.

 

I once again checked at our local NAPA auto parts store and they will recycle the gel cell batteries from a UPS system.
There is no charge for them and some of the stores will even give a $5.00 credit for them. The credit is for purchasing any new battery.

 

Did they specifically say "gel cell" batteries? It is important to note that gel cell batteries are different from traditional SLA (sealed lead-acid) batteries found in most UPS. Gel cell batteries contain a gel electrolyte instead of acid. Gel cells are typically vented while SLA cells, by definition, are sealed.

Gel cell batteries are commonly used in devices that are mobile - like electric wheelchairs, golf carts, RVs, and in marine applications.

Over the years, I have worked with 100s of different UPS and have never seen one that uses gel cell batteries. I suspect they will take your SLA batteries, but best to be sure. I suggest you call them back to get clarification before you waste a trip.

 

Update: I am going to get the main computer that I use right now hooked up to an APC AVR UPS, and use an outlet in the house that I am pretty confident about. I had to do some furniture/ room shifting to get the computer here, which I decided to do after learning how bad my previous setup was.

It seems that Linus OS's have a program called apcupsd, which might be a little easier to use than nut. They are both software for UPS's but the prior is only for APC UPSs. This got me interested in APC over CyberPower and Tripp-Lite. I am not so sure that software will be all that useful to me, given that I don't keep the computer on when I leave the house (so having it shut down by itself is not all that useful). But, I imagine there will be some use in software. I am also probably not going to be using it with Linux at least for the next 6 months but always good to plan ahead.

Here is the model that I am leaning towards:
https://www.apc.com/shop/us/en/products/APC-Power-Saving-Back-UPS-Pro-700/P-BR700G
I don't like that it has a "master" outlet. But, can always just plug a device that doesn't go to sleep into that and then it wont have any effect?

 

I am surprised that APC doesn't have any firmware updates for this. That's even what their support department is telling me. Maybe it's not that important but one Cyberpower model that I was looking at (can't remember the model) had updates about every 3 months.

 

Actually, I think I am going to go with this:
https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/product/ups/avrg750u/
for these reasons:
-has proprietary software for Windows, Linux, OSX vs only for Windows
-substantially lower price (~$60 less)
-faster transfer time (4ms vs 8ms typical. 12ms maximum)
-more standard cable (standard USB vs an RJ-45 to USB)
-Higher surge energy rating (1030 Joules vs 345 Joules)

 

One of the drawbacks of the cyberpower is that the replacement battery is harder to come by/ possibly only made by the manufacturer. But, first answer here says that you can put in a slightly different battery:
https://www.amazon.com/ask/questions/Tx1P88O6BBWGFFY/ref=ask_dp_dpmw_al_hza

 

Actually, I had the Cyberpower model confused with another technology product that I was shopping for. Maybe UPSs don't have many/any firmware updates.

 

They don't discriminate against batteries, because they sell almost all types of them. I currently have about $30.00 worth of coupons from them. I give them to neighbors when they have a bad battery on their mower, car or truck. I will use a couple of them for my boat next month also.

 

Nah! 12V7Ah SLA batteries are very common.

I for sure would not buy an overpriced Cyberpower branded replacement. Just make sure you measure the terminals before ordering. There are two common sizes, F1 and F2.

See, https://www.batterystuff.com/kb/articles/battery-articles/terminal-type-f1-f2-tabs.html

You can get F1 to F2 or F2 to F1 adapters, but I have found the battery compartments in UPS leave very little, if any room for the adapters. So it is just best to do your homework and order the one you need.

And yeah, if me, when it came time to replace it, I would likely put in a 12V8Ah or even 9Ah.