[SonicDawg]

Guys, I just scored this:
TRIPP-LITE SMART ONLINE UPS - SU3000RTXL3U- b - eBay (item 220459408063 end time Aug-04-09 19:18:41 PDT)

The unit is rated 20amps but I look around the house and cannot find anywhere that has a 20amp outlet (with one horizontal prong). Can I just buy a 20amp wall plate and replace the regular ones and call it good?

Sorry for the newbish question. I am not that good with electrical stuff

 

[KingStyles]

If its the same one that you posted,that thing uses a NEMA L5-30P plug. Thats not going to be a normal plug swap. You might want to get an electrician because its not a normal plug type in households and its also rated at 30 amps. Most houses wiring is only rated for 20 amps.

 

[SonicDawg]

would it be a problem if I just solder a 15 amp plug onto it? Perhaps I am not gona get all 30amps, but 15amps are plenty enough for me.

 

[KingStyles]

It appears to be a single pole plug so it might work as far as I can tell from plug diagrams. Hopefully a true electrician can pipe in here.

 

[wuwhere]

Are the batteries good?

Tripplite 3000VA 2400W UPS RM 3U

 

[SonicDawg]

Well, it's a government surplus sale. I was shooting in the dark in this one..

 

[SonicDawg]

Ok, just recently had electricians coming to my house for an appraisal. It seems that my house's wiring is illegal. Not only that adding a 30 amp circuit would endanger the rest of the house, but adding any extra circuit would mean to rewire the entire house due to safety reason...

So back to the original question. If I plug the 24 amp UPS into the 15 amp socket, would that be a problem, assuming that all my audio gears do not draw more than a few amps at the most? Isn't it true that a power supply will only draw as much current is in use?

 

[NightOwl]

If you use the 15 amp receptacles on the UPS, your audio equipment should be fine and won't draw more than 15 amps. The potential problem is the charging circuit in the UPS for the battery. Will that draw more than 15 amps and overload your outlet? Will it shorten the battery life by not properly charging the battery? Will the sensors in the UPS be triggered by seeming under-voltage?

If you're going to try it, I wouldn't solder a replacement plug on the end of the cord. Go to a hardware/electronics supply store and buy a L5-30R to L5-15P adapter.