Question 1

How long can you use this before it can be expected to fail (MTBF)?

Or is the nature of its components such that there is not much to wear out or degrade?

Accepted Answer

The picture on the Newegg description says the device can handle 10 amps / 1200 watts.  Too bad it's necessary to look at the pictures, because the Newegg Specifications page has almost no information, duh.

Check out Newegg (and the other online vendors) for a "Kill-o-Watt" meter. Plug the meter in between the APC regulator and your computer equipment to read out the amount of power your equipment is pulling from the regulator.

Meter should be within a few bucks of $20, or look at another vendor.

Read the power draw while the computer is working hard (vs. idling).  That's "worse case."  Once the meter tells you how much power you're pulling, you can see how hard you're working the APC regulator.

Aside from bad workmanship, the biggest concern for lifespan is the heat generated inside the regulator, which is a function of the power drawn through it by your equipment.

If you want long life, I would only draw 1/2 the power the APC regulator claims to be able to handle. If they say the regulator can deliver 1200 watts, I wouldn't pull too much more than 600 watts from it if I want the regulator to live a long life. Anyway, that's my opinion, as a college boy.  Below 1200 watts / 10 amps to satisfy the regulator's ratings, which themselves are hopefully a little conservative.  Pulling not much more than 600 watts from the regulator would certainly be treating it gentle.

As long as the dirty Voltage coming from your wall doesn't go outside the voltage limits of what the APC says it can handle on its input, I wouldn't worry about those crazy wall voltages.  That's what the regulator is there for.

It's the current being drawn that generates the heat.

From what I'm reading, the regulator "clicks" in an out as the wall voltage varies.  If it clicks a lot, that would affect the regulator's life, too.  But still, it's less stress if you're pulling less current from it while it's clicking.

Question 2

Can this be used to regulate power on a gas powered generator. And if so, is it worth using?

Accepted Answer

It should work fine on the output from a gas generator.  "Generator" by default means "AC output" (as opposed to "Alternator", which is DC output, think like in your car).  Meaning it's what this unit is made to regulate.   So long as the generator's output voltage output isn't outside what this unit can accept and still do its job, it should be fine (and from what I understand if it is fed voltage outside its comfort zone it will simply shut down).  I have 4 portable gas generators of various sizes ( I live in hurricane alley and have separate buildings to protect) and their output is pretty steady and solid, after the engine RPM is adjusted.  I'm not sure how these sense input voltage, they may use a reference to ground...if so, make sure your generator is grounded properly, so its output sockets are also grounded.  And this unit is rated for 1200 watts, don't try to pull more through it even if your generator rated output is higher than 1200 watts (on its 120V output).  You'll pop the breaker.

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