250V power

[Elizium]

We're currently in an office building with 250V power coming through consistently.

I'm not an electrician but we have some UPS systems for our servers which log power and show that the voltage is anything from 248V to 253V and has even logged above 253V

We've had several computer power supplies fail and other smaller device transformers pack up.

The landlords are claiming this is within EU regulation but it seems like something is wrong given that it is so close to the 230V +10% limit.

So my questions are:

Is this legal?
Is this kind of thing fairly normal?
How to ensure we get a 230V supply? e.g. some kind of transformer

 

[solo2771]

We're currently in an office building with 250V power coming through consistently.

I'm not an electrician but we have some UPS systems for our servers which log power and show that the voltage is anything from 248V to 253V and has even logged above 253V

We've had several computer power supplies fail and other smaller device transformers pack up.

The landlords are claiming this is within EU regulation but it seems like something is wrong given that it is so close to the 230V +10% limit.

So my questions are:

Is this legal?
Is this kind of thing fairly normal?
How to ensure we get a 230V supply? e.g. some kind of transformer

I believe it is 230v +10% to -6%
but 250v is not going to be good long term with computers i wouldn't have thought.
Have you contacted supplier?

 

[the jock]

hi, the legal limits as of 2008 are

230 +10% -10%

as nothing has really changed since we were 240 volts and equipment was labeled up as 230--250

it is really still the same. you will have more problems if it goes to the lower limit of 210volts

 

[scotsparky]

We're currently in an office building with 250V power coming through consistently.

I'm not an electrician but we have some UPS systems for our servers which log power and show that the voltage is anything from 248V to 253V and has even logged above 253V

We've had several computer power supplies fail and other smaller device transformers pack up.

The landlords are claiming this is within EU regulation but it seems like something is wrong given that it is so close to the 230V +10% limit.

So my questions are:

Is this legal?
Is this kind of thing fairly normal?
How to ensure we get a 230V supply? e.g. some kind of transformer

I know its a guess but if its a big office in a city centre it may have a transformer init. I know a lot of the larger offices in Glasgow and edinburgh do.

this could be the high voltage problem .

 

[bugsy]

If you have a UPS that should stabalise the voltga to between 230v and 245v , the qouted supply voltage (sigle phase ) by the DNO's is 230v + or - 10% I suggest you contact your DNO the will install an analizer to verify your claim '

Had the same problem in Brighton - they sorted it but cant remember the cause

 

[sparks1234]

We had a problem with a site in Milton Keynes, the voltage was over 260V, the supplier said that the supply forthe new industrial site was designed for all the units to be full, as it was, our client was the first on the site and as such there was no load to drag the voltage down

 

[Elizium]

I believe it is 230v +10% to -6%
but 250v is not going to be good long term with computers i wouldn't have thought.
Have you contacted supplier?

Definitely isn't good - we had 4 power supplies die.

I know its a guess but if its a big office in a city centre it may have a transformer init. I know a lot of the larger offices in Glasgow and edinburgh do.

this could be the high voltage problem .

Is that something which they could adjust?

If you have a UPS that should stabalise the voltga to between 230v and 245v , the qouted supply voltage (sigle phase ) by the DNO's is 230v + or - 10% I suggest you contact your DNO the will install an analizer to verify your claim '

Had the same problem in Brighton - they sorted it but cant remember the cause

AFAIK most UPS only put out 230V when on battery mode. They don't act as a transformer - at least not the sub £1000 ones.

This one has a diagram in the software which shows live voltage information and other readings - it shows ~250V in and ~250V out. It records them every minute so it's very useful for complaining to the landlord with

We had a problem with a site in Milton Keynes, the voltage was over 260V, the supplier said that the supply forthe new industrial site was designed for all the units to be full, as it was, our client was the first on the site and as such there was no load to drag the voltage down

This was apparently the response from the previous landlord. I believe they owed the supplier money and supplier wouldn't do anything for them until their account was settled.

Perhaps we should suggest the new landlords try again now the slate has been wiped clean.

 

[uksel]

wouldn't you have surge protection devices installed if you have a lot of IT equipment. if not maybe this could be an option??

I dont have a lot of experience in that field (by not a lot, i mean i own a surge protected extension lead and that's as far as it goes) but maybe someone else does??

 

[bugsy]

Elizium, His ups is backing up an IT suite we wont be talking mickey mouse UPS - I hope
and yes they rectify and stabalize as well as providing powerdown back up at least until the servers have backed up

wouldn't you have surge protection devices installed if you have a lot of IT equipment. if not maybe this could be an option??

I dont have a lot of experience in that field (by not a lot, i mean i own a surge protected extension lead and that's as far as it goes) but maybe someone else does??

no but if you isolate a circuit without downing the connected p.c.'s you'll never reset the breaker ,without turning off the p.cs
and there are normally two earthing systens installed

 

[Elizium]

Elizium, His ups is backing up an IT suite we wont be talking mickey mouse UPS - I hope
and yes they rectify and stabalize as well as providing powerdown back up at least until the servers have backed up

Ah - this is like a £200 Belkin Bulldog - enough to run a few machines for 30 minutes and tell them to shutdown if the power doesn't look like it's coming back. Don't think it will rectify/stabilize unless there's some settings I've missed

Perhaps that's our solution - just ask them to provide a good UPS for our room which fixes it - we only have 4 machines and a few peripherals.

 

[bugsy]

Ah - this is like a £200 Belkin Bulldog - enough to run a few machines for 30 minutes and tell them to shutdown if the power doesn't look like it's coming back. Don't think it will rectify/stabilize unless there's some settings I've missed

Perhaps that's our solution - just ask them to provide a good UPS for our room which fixes it - we only have 4 machines and a few peripherals.

Not an IT suite then? they proberbly wont want to spend the money , get it touch with the DNO ask them to check your supply ( tell them one of your servers burnt out and the engineer put it down to over volting )