Brett Glass to the Rescue
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Printer Causes UPS Overloads 
Q:  I just got a new, expensive "online" uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and plugged my system power strip into it. Now, every so often, the UPS suddenly beeps and complains that it's being overloaded. Why? Is it safe to use a power strip on a UPS? 
 
Mike Ellis 
 
A:  My guess is that when you plugged your power strip into the UPS, your laser printer came along for the ride. Laser printers aren't meant to be powered by UPSes; in fact, about once every hour or two (depending on the model), many of them turn on a very high-wattage lamp called the "fuser" whose purpose is to melt toner onto the paper. A UPS can't handle the sudden power surge, and in fact might be severely damaged by it. So, your best bet is to plug your laser printer in separately and allow it to lose power if the lights go out. 
 
As for the power strip: if the total load isn't more than the UPS can handle, there's no problem with using one. I use a power strip on my UPS to power about half a dozen "wall wart" transformers. Each transformer draws only a tiny amount of power, so it's fine to attach lots of them to the UPS. 
 
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