In today’s world, almost every
business depends on relatively fragile
micro-electronics to run everything
from computer networks to
manufacturing lines. Which means
that power disturbances can disrupt
or cripple equipment, causing the loss
of data, productivity, and money.
In fact, downtime and damage
caused by dirty power cost North
American companies an estimated
$26 billion a year.
Today’s industries are looking for cost-
effective ways to intercept transients,
provide clean power in their facilities,
and safeguard their businesses from the
astronomical, and unnecessary, cost of
dirty power. That’s why Liebert
designed the LM Series.
Utilities have generated and distributed
electrical power the same way for decades.
Unfortunately, this unconditioned
electrical power can provide abnormalities
in the electricity that runs in your facility.
This is commonly referred to as “dirty
power.” But until the advent of sensitive
electronic equipment, “clean power”
was never an issue.
What is “Dirty Power?”
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The causes of dirty power are as
varied as the names used to describe
it — dirty power, electronic rust,
surge, spike, transient, fluctuation,
interruption or noise. Fortunately,
abnormalities typically fall into one of
two categories — external or internal.
Hidden Problems Created
By Dirty Power
n
Unexplained system disruptions.
n
Errors and shutdowns of data
transmission, or scrambled and
unreadable data.
n
Numerous, unexplained server
shutdowns and re-boots.
n
Component failure, often well ahead
of projected life span.
Causes Outside Your Facility
Lightning, natural disasters and
inclement weather can cause high-
transient power line voltages that can
adversely affect your power supply.
Utility switching and faults on the
utility’s distribution system can
adversely affect the quality of your
power before it even reaches your
facility. Why? Many utility systems are
aging and few power plants
have been built over the last decade.
With increased demand for power,
their supply margins are dipping
dangerously low. The farther away
from the source of power, the greater
the risk of power quality problems.
Causes Inside Your Facility
According to some studies, 3/4 of all
power disturbances are caused by
equipment inside your building. If
your facility is more then a decade
old, chances are the wiring was not
designed to support the intensive use
of electronic equipment. In industrial
facilities, these problems are even
more complex. In fact, any device that
runs in cycles can create a drain or a
surge when it switches on or off. The
more power the equipment uses, the
bigger the affect. Even something as
small as a copier or a laser printer can
cause problems in sensitive
equipment that share the same line.
The Complete Protection Experts
Of course, you can’t control how
power is distributed. But you can
protect the equipment in your facility
from power surges and transients by
installing equipment such as surge
suppressors and filters. The issues
affecting each industry are varied. In
addition to the LM Series we offer a
complete array of power conditioning
solutions to meet a wide range of
applications, locations, and budgets.
Influencing the Industry
Liebert has received the UL 1449
Second Edition rating for the LM
Series. The fact that we’re one of the
first in the industry to receive this
rating is proof that Liebert is leading
the way with our engineering designs
and over 30 years of experience.
