UPS & Inverter Installation

A UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) switches to battery power in milliseconds — fast enough that a computer or server never experiences an interruption. UPS systems are designed for sensitive electronics and are typically sized for individual devices or small server racks. An inverter system, by contrast, is designed to power an entire home or office for extended periods during a power outage or load shedding. Inverters have a slightly longer switchover time (typically 20 to 60 milliseconds), which is acceptable for most appliances but may cause computers to momentarily lose power unless they also have a UPS. Many of our clients in Cape Town use a combination — an inverter for the household and a separate UPS specifically for the home office or server.

Battery runtime depends on three factors: the battery capacity (measured in kilowatt-hours), the power draw of the appliances connected, and the health of the batteries. A 5 kWh lithium battery powering a modest load of 800 W — lights, a router, a TV, and a few phone chargers — will last approximately 5 to 6 hours. Adding a fridge (approximately 150 W average) reduces that to around 4 hours. We conduct a proper load analysis before recommending any system, so you know exactly what you can power and for how long. We do not guess or over-promise. Our clients across Lansdowne, Claremont, Rondebosch, and Wynberg consistently confirm that their systems perform as quoted.

Entry-level single-phase inverter systems with a single 100 Ah lead-acid battery start from approximately R12,000 to R18,000 fully installed for a basic load shedding solution. A mid-range 3 kVA inverter with two lithium batteries providing 4 to 6 hours of runtime for a typical Southern Suburbs home costs between R30,000 and R50,000 installed. High-capacity systems with solar hybrid inverters and enough storage for Stage 6 load shedding are priced from R60,000 upwards. All pricing is subject to a free site assessment. We do not quote without seeing your property and measuring your actual load.

Most household and office appliances run on a standard inverter: lights, fans, televisions, routers, computers, laptops, phone chargers, security systems, alarm panels, fridges, and freezers. High-draw appliances — electric geysers, air conditioners, pool pumps, electric ovens, and kettles — generally require a much larger inverter and battery bank to run economically. We advise most residential clients in Lansdowne and the Southern Suburbs to use a gas stove during load shedding rather than sizing their inverter for cooking loads. During your site assessment, we map every circuit and appliance to determine the most cost-effective configuration for your lifestyle and budget.

Lead-acid batteries (both sealed AGM and flooded wet cell) require periodic maintenance — checking electrolyte levels, cleaning terminals, and ensuring they are being properly charged and discharged. Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries require minimal maintenance but should be inspected annually for terminal corrosion and firmware updates on the BMS. All inverter systems benefit from an annual health check: verifying the inverter's output voltage, checking battery state of health, and confirming that automatic changeover is working correctly. ASH Electronics offers annual maintenance contracts for all backup power systems we install, ensuring your system is ready when the next Stage 6 load shedding hits.

Yes. Hybrid inverters — such as those from Victron, Sunsynk, and Deye — combine inverter and solar charge controller functions in a single unit. A hybrid system uses solar energy to recharge your batteries during the day, greatly extending your independence from the grid. We size solar arrays to complement inverter systems installed across Cape Town, taking into account your roof orientation, shading from neighbouring buildings, and your consumption patterns. Critically, because ASH Electronics also handles solar inspections and DB compliance, we ensure the entire electrical installation — solar array, inverter, battery, and DB integration — meets SANS 10142 requirements and can be covered by a single Certificate of Compliance.

Correct UPS sizing requires knowing the actual power draw of every device being protected — not the nameplate maximum wattage, which is almost always higher than real consumption. We use a clamp meter or smart plug energy monitor to measure actual wattage under normal operating conditions for your servers, workstations, monitors, and network equipment. We then add a safety margin and select a UPS that provides the correct VA/watt rating with sufficient runtime. Over-sizing wastes money; under-sizing means the UPS cuts out under load. This technical approach is particularly important for server rooms and NAS devices in Rondebosch, Claremont, and Tokai businesses where a sudden power cut means data loss or RAID degradation.