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A UPS is bought once and lived with for ten years. Almost every problem we are called to fix on a three year old system traces back to a decision made during installation: a unit sized to nameplate load instead of real load, a battery bank in a room with no ventilation, a bypass arrangement that cannot be worked on without dropping the load, or a commissioning that consisted of switching it on and leaving.

We install commercial and industrial UPS systems across Durban and KZN, from single rack mount units up to three phase systems supporting full server rooms, plant and process load. Every installation is commissioned properly, documented, and handed over with the information your next contractor will need.

Call 031 100 2679 or email service@powerinfrastructure.co.za.

What we install

Single phase systems from small rack mount and tower units protecting comms racks, access control, CCTV and point of sale, through to larger single phase units carrying a full comms room.

Three phase systems from 10 kVA up, including transformerless designs where efficiency and footprint matter, and transformer based designs where galvanic isolation is a genuine requirement rather than an assumption.

Modular and scalable systems where load is expected to grow, or where the site needs redundancy inside a single frame rather than a second unit standing next to the first.

Battery systems, which is where most of the money and most of the risk actually sits. VRLA and lithium banks, string design, rack or cabinet mounting, ventilation and thermal planning, and disconnection arrangements that make future maintenance safe.

We are an authorised Riello UPS installer for KwaZulu-Natal and a Vertiv Silver Partner, and we install and support APC, Schneider, Eaton, Delta and Makelsan equipment. Brand comes after the load study, not before it.

Getting the sizing right

Undersized systems fail on the day the site actually needs them. Oversized systems cost more to buy, cost more to run, and sit at low load factors where efficiency drops and batteries age without ever being exercised.

Our sizing starts with measurement rather than a spreadsheet. We look at actual measured load and load profile over time, inrush and start-up characteristics of the connected equipment, required autonomy in minutes at real load rather than at rated load, growth expected over the life of the system, and whether a generator sits behind the UPS and how the two will interact.

That last point is the one most often missed. A UPS and a generator that were specified separately will frequently refuse to co-operate, with the UPS rejecting generator supply as out of tolerance and staying on battery until the batteries are flat. We size and configure for the whole chain.

Installation and commissioning

Installation covers site preparation and positioning, floor loading assessment where batteries or large frames are involved, electrical connection and protection co-ordination, battery bank build and interconnection, bypass and isolation arrangement, and environmental provision including ventilation and cooling.

Commissioning is where we separate ourselves. A commissioned system has been proved, not switched on. That means verified input and output parameters under load, battery bank verified with recorded readings per block rather than a single string voltage, transfer and bypass operation proved in both directions, alarm and communication verification, generator interaction tested where a generator is present, and a full set of recorded commissioning readings handed to you as the baseline every future service is measured against.

Without that baseline, nobody can tell you three years later whether your battery bank is degrading or whether it left the factory that way.

Floor loading, ventilation and the things that get missed

A three phase UPS with a full battery bank is heavy, hot and inconvenient to move once it is in. We assess the room before the order is placed.

Battery banks generate heat and, in the case of VRLA, hydrogen. A bank installed in a sealed cupboard will run hot, and every ten degrees above the rated operating temperature roughly halves battery life. A bank that gives you five years in a controlled room will give you two in a hot one, and you will pay for the replacement rather than the installer who put it there.

Where equipment sits on a raised floor, load path matters. See raised access floors for server rooms for how we handle weight distribution under UPS and battery loads.

After installation, the system still has to be maintained

An installed UPS is a maintenance liability, not a solved problem. Batteries degrade from the day they are commissioned, capacitors have a finite life, fans wear out, and firmware ages.

Our service level agreements cover scheduled preventative maintenance, battery impedance testing rather than voltage checks alone, life cycle parts replacement planned in advance rather than after failure, and committed emergency response.

For most of our clients the SLA is the actual relationship and the installation is just how it started.

Areas we cover

Durban CBD, the harbour precinct and Maydon Wharf, Umhlanga and Umgeni Business Park, the Bluff and Jacobs, Pinetown, New Germany, Westmead and Mahogany Ridge, Amanzimtoti, Isipingo and the South Coast, Ballito and the North Coast, Richards Bay, Pietermaritzburg and the Midlands.

 Why sites in KZN use us

We are locally based in Durban, so an emergency call-out is a drive rather than a flight. We are a Level 1 B-BBEE contributor, so our invoice carries full procurement recognition. We are CIDB registered and carry the required electrical competency for the work we sign off.

Most importantly, we take single point accountability. Where we install the system, we own the outcome. There is no arrangement where the supplier blames the installer and the installer blames the batteries.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a UPS installation take?

A single phase rack mount unit is typically a few hours. A three phase system with a battery bank is usually one to three days on site depending on electrical work, battery bank size and whether the existing load has to be transferred live.

 

Can you install without shutting down our site?

In most cases yes, using a maintenance bypass arrangement or a temporary supply. If your current setup has no bypass, that is normally the first thing we fix. See maintenance bypass switches.

 

What size UPS do we need? That depends on measured load, required runtime and growth. We do a load assessment on site and quote against real numbers rather than a guess. Call 031 100 2679 to arrange one.

 

Do you install UPS systems you did not supply?

Yes, and we will tell you honestly during the assessment if the unit is the wrong choice for the application before you spend money installing it.

 

Do you supply the batteries as well? Yes. Battery selection, string design and bank build are part of the installation, and battery warranty terms are set out in writing in the quotation.

 

Do you work outside Durban? Yes, across KwaZulu-Natal and nationally on project work. See UPS supplier in Durban for our supply and national coverage.

Call Us Right Now!

Book a UPS load assessment. We measure your actual load, assess the room and give you a written recommendation with pricing before you commit to anything. Call 031 100 2679 or email service@powerinfrastructure.co.za.