I'm a bit surprised at what I'm seeing on my new battery backup (UPS).

The unit gives a running display of the input voltage. Apparently the Sheridan WY area is still running at ~120 volts. I thought that the entire U.S.A. had dropped to 110 volts years ago.

What actually concerns me though is the fluctuation that I see. It is bouncing from 121 volts to 125 volts and everything between. Mayhaps I'm wrong but this seems like a LOT of fluctuation. Not going to matter with a coffee maker but stands a good chance, I would think, of shortening the life of a computer and/or other 'tech' electronics.

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Fluctuation is normal. In my neck of the woods it is 120 -- on average. When demand/load is high on the grid, the utility can often increase the voltage slightly... Currently, my units are showing 116-118.

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

Thanks for the info Steve. While I've had UPS units before I never had one that showed the incoming voltage.

After doing a few searches it seems that I also made a false assumption as to the common North America power grid going to 110 volts. My followup searches show that 120 volts is still the most common. I think that I may have been 'fooled' by appliance and electronics labels. Pretty much everything I've bought show 110 volts on the specs.. Instead of this meaning a normal voltage it may mean a minimum voltage for proper performance.

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Glad to be of help. Today it is hot as blazes in NJ -- my UPS shows incoming at 115 volts on one and 117 on another.
-steve

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stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"