Should You Use Surge Protection and UPS for Printers?

Understanding the Risks

Power Surges

What they are: Sudden increases in voltage, usually from lightning strikes, power grid issues, or large appliances turning on/off.

Damage they cause: Fried power supplies, damaged circuit boards, corrupted firmware. A big surge can completely destroy a printer.

How common: Varies widely by location. Areas with frequent lightning storms, old electrical infrastructure, or unstable power grids see more surges.

Power Outages

What they are: Complete loss of power, even if just for a second.

Damage they cause: Interrupted print jobs, corrupted firmware if the printer was updating, potential damage to mechanical components if power cuts during printing. Less damaging than surges, but still disruptive.

How common: Depends on your area and weather patterns.

Brownouts (Voltage Sags)

What they are: Temporary drops in voltage, often during high demand periods (hot summer afternoons when everyone runs AC).

Damage they cause: Can cause printers to malfunction, produce print errors, or fail to start properly. Repeated brownouts can shorten component lifespan.

How common: More common in areas with high power demand and aging infrastructure.

Surge Protector vs. UPS: What's the Difference?

Surge Protector

What it does: Blocks or diverts voltage spikes, protecting equipment from surges.

What it doesn't do: Provide power during outages. When power goes out, your printer goes off.

Cost: $15-50 for quality units.

Best for: General protection from surges in areas with stable power but occasional storms.

UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)

What it does: Contains a battery that kicks in instantly when power goes out, keeping equipment running. Also includes surge protection and voltage regulation.

What it doesn't do: Run your printer forever—batteries last 5-30 minutes depending on load. Enough to finish a print job or gracefully shut down.

Cost: $80-300+ depending on capacity.

Best for: Business printers, areas with frequent outages, situations where mid-print power loss would be costly.

Power Strip (NOT Protection)

What it does: Provides multiple outlets. That's it.

What it doesn't do: Protect from surges. Many people think all power strips protect against surges—they don't. Only surge protectors and UPS units do.

Don't use: Cheap power strips for valuable electronics. They offer zero protection.

When You SHOULD Use Surge Protection

1. You Have a Printer Worth $200+

Protecting a $300-1,000 printer with a $30 surge protector is a no-brainer. The cost of one surge-related repair pays for the surge protector many times over.

2. You Live in an Area with Frequent Lightning

Florida, the Gulf Coast, Midwest thunderstorm alley—if you get frequent storms, surge protection is essential. Lightning doesn't have to strike your house directly; nearby strikes send surges through power lines.

3. Your Home Has Old or Faulty Wiring

Older homes without modern circuit breakers or grounding are more vulnerable to surges. Flickering lights or outlets that spark are red flags.

4. You Have Power-Hungry Equipment on the Same Circuit

If your printer shares a circuit with an AC unit, space heater, refrigerator, or power tools, you'll get voltage spikes every time those devices cycle on and off. A surge protector smooths those out.

5. Your Printer Is Connected to a Network

Many surge protectors also protect network (Ethernet) and phone lines. Surges can come through these lines and damage the printer's network card. If your printer is networked, get a surge protector with RJ45 (Ethernet) protection.

When You SHOULD Use a UPS

1. You Run a Business or Print Important Documents

If a power outage mid-print means wasted materials, missed deadlines, or lost work, a UPS is worth it. The battery gives you time to finish the job or safely cancel it.

2. You Have Frequent Power Outages

If your power goes out weekly, monthly, or even just during storm season, a UPS prevents constant interruptions and potential damage.

3. You Have a High-End Printer (Laser, Large Format, Professional Photo Printer)

Expensive printers justify the cost of a UPS. Laser printers especially benefit because they draw a lot of power at startup, and sudden power loss can damage fusers or drums.

4. You Experience Brownouts

UPS units often include voltage regulation (AVR - Automatic Voltage Regulation), which smooths out brownouts and prevents them from damaging the printer. Surge protectors don't do this.

5. Your Printer Is Updating Firmware

If power goes out during a firmware update, the printer can be bricked (permanently unusable). A UPS protects against this. Some people keep their printer on a UPS just for firmware update safety.

When You Can Skip Protection

1. You Have a Cheap Printer ($100 or Less)

If your printer cost less than $100, and you're in an area with stable power, the cost of a UPS might not be justified. A basic surge protector is still smart, but a full UPS is overkill.

2. You Have Excellent Power Quality

If you've lived in your location for years and never experienced surges, outages, or brownouts, minimal protection may be fine. Still, a basic surge protector is cheap insurance.

3. You Only Print Occasionally

If you print a few pages a month, the risk of power loss during printing is very low. Surge protection is still smart, but a UPS is probably overkill.

Choosing the Right Surge Protector

Not all surge protectors are created equal. Here's what to look for:

Key Specs:

• Joule rating: Measures how much energy the protector can absorb. 1,000-2,000 joules is good for printers. Higher is better.
• Clamping voltage: The voltage at which the protector kicks in. 400V or lower is ideal. Lower means faster protection.
• Response time: How fast it reacts to a surge. Under 1 nanosecond is best.
• Number of outlets: Make sure you have enough for your printer and other devices.
• Warranty and connected equipment guarantee: Good brands offer to replace equipment damaged by surges while connected. Look for at least $25,000 coverage.

Additional Features to Consider:

• Network/phone line protection: If your printer is networked or uses a phone line (fax), get a surge protector with RJ45 or RJ11 protection.
• USB protection: Some surge protectors offer USB surge protection if you use a USB-connected printer.
• Indicator lights: Shows when protection is active. If the light goes out, the protector is dead and needs replacement.
• Replaceable fuse or circuit breaker: Resets after overload instead of becoming a paperweight.

Recommended Surge Protectors for Printers:

• Tripp Lite Isobar (6 or 8 outlet): Excellent protection, durable, $50-80
• APC Performance SurgeArrest (8-12 outlet): Good joule rating, $30-50
• Belkin 12-Outlet Pivot-Plug: Affordable, decent protection, $25-35

Choosing the Right UPS

Key Specs:

• VA/Watt rating: Determines how much equipment it can power and for how long. For an inkjet printer: 600-800VA is plenty. For a laser printer: 1000-1500VA. Laser printers draw a lot of power, especially at startup.
• Runtime: How long it runs on battery. For a printer, you don't need hours—10-15 minutes is enough to finish a print job or shut down safely.
• Number of battery-backed outlets: Some outlets provide only surge protection, not battery backup. Make sure the printer is plugged into a battery-backed outlet.
• Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR): Smooths out brownouts and overvoltages without switching to battery. Very useful.

Recommended UPS for Printers:

• APC Back-UPS 600VA-1500VA: Reliable, affordable, good for home/small office. $80-150
• CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD: Great for laser printers, pure sine wave output, $180-220
• Tripp Lite SMART1500LCD: Business-grade, excellent AVR, $150-200

Important: Laser Printer Power Draw

Laser printers can draw 1000-1500 watts at startup when the fuser heats up. Make sure your UPS can handle that peak load, not just the average running wattage. An underpowered UPS will immediately shut off when the printer starts.

Installation and Maintenance

Setting Up a Surge Protector:

1. Plug it directly into a wall outlet. Don't daisy-chain surge protectors or plug them into extension cords.
2. Connect your printer's power cable to the surge protector.
3. If your printer has a network cable, run it through the surge protector's network protection ports.
4. Check the indicator light. Make sure protection is active.

Setting Up a UPS:

1. Plug the UPS into a wall outlet. Grounded outlet is essential.
2. Charge the battery fully before first use. Usually takes several hours.
3. Connect the printer to a battery-backed outlet on the UPS. (Some UPS outlets are surge-only.)
4. Test it. Unplug the UPS from the wall while the printer is on. It should stay powered.
5. Don't overload the UPS. Add up the wattage of all connected devices. Stay under the UPS's rated capacity.

Maintenance:

• Replace surge protectors every 3-5 years. Their protection degrades over time, especially after absorbing surges. If the indicator light goes out, replace immediately.
• Replace UPS batteries every 3-5 years. Batteries degrade. Many UPS units have replaceable batteries. Some beep or show a warning when the battery is weak.
• Test your UPS annually. Unplug it and make sure it still provides power. If runtime has dropped significantly, replace the battery.

What NOT to Plug Into a UPS

UPS units have limited capacity. Don't waste it on:

• Laser printers (on small UPS units): They draw too much power and can overload small UPS units. Get a UPS rated for laser printers if you go this route.
• Space heaters: Huge power draw, will kill the battery instantly.
• Fans, lamps, or other non-essential devices: Save battery for critical equipment.

Many UPS units have surge-only outlets. Plug non-critical devices there.

The Bottom Line

At minimum, use a quality surge protector for any printer over $200. It's cheap insurance.

If you have frequent storms, old wiring, or unstable power, surge protection is essential for any printer.

Use a UPS if: You run a business, have frequent outages, own a high-end printer, or can't afford mid-print power loss.

For inkjets: 600-800VA UPS is plenty.

For laser printers: 1000-1500VA UPS minimum due to high startup power draw.

Don't use cheap power strips—they offer zero surge protection.

Replace surge protectors every 3-5 years and UPS batteries every 3-5 years.