What Size UPS or AVR Do You Need in Lebanon? PC, TV, Fridge and the 5-Amp Moteur
VA vs watts in plain numbers, what a 5-amp generator line can carry, UPS vs AVR vs online UPS, and the right size for a PC, TV or small office, from Technodel stock.
It is the switchover that kills electronics, not the cut
For a PC and monitor, a 1200 to 1500 VA line-interactive UPS at $60 to $85 is the right size. For a TV and receiver, 850 VA is enough. For a fridge or anything with a motor, no desk UPS is the answer; you need an inverter or a power station.
A power cut by itself rarely damages anything. What damages electronics in Lebanon is the moment EDL drops and the moteur picks up, or the reverse: a dip, a spike, and sometimes a few seconds of low voltage while the generator takes the load. A PC that loses power mid-write can corrupt a drive. A TV that sees 170 V for a few seconds can lose its power board. The second killer is a generator running flat out on a 5-amp line, where the voltage sags every time the neighbour's water pump starts.
So the question is not only "how long will it run on battery". It is also "will it hold the voltage steady", and that decides whether you need a UPS, an AVR, or both in one box.
UPS, AVR or online UPS: which box does what
Three different products get sold under the word "UPS" here, and people buy the wrong one all the time.
| Box | What it does | What it does not do | Typical price |
|---|---|---|---|
| AVR (voltage regulator, stabiliser) | Holds the output near 220 V when the input sags or spikes | No battery, so nothing survives a cut | $88 for 1500 VA |
| Line-interactive UPS | Battery for the cut, plus a basic AVR for sags and spikes | Output on battery is usually a "simulated" sine wave; a few minutes of runtime at full load | $30 to $160 |
| Online (double-conversion) UPS | Rebuilds clean 220 V pure sine power from the battery all the time; the load never sees the mains directly | Costs more, runs warmer, fan noise | $209 and up |
Almost every unit in our 650 to 3000 VA range is line-interactive with AVR built in, so for a PC, TV, router or printer you do not need a separate AVR. Buy an AVR on its own only for something that has no battery need but suffers on generator voltage, such as a large TV in a building with a weak moteur.
An online UPS is for the loads that cannot tolerate even a millisecond gap or a simulated sine wave: a NAS or server, a POS system that must not reboot, lab or medical equipment, and gaming PCs with high-end power supplies (more on that below).
VA versus watts, and the 5-amp moteur maths
The number on the box is VA; the number that matters is watts. For the UPS units sold in Lebanon, watts are about 0.6 times VA: a 700 VA unit carries around 400 W, a 1500 VA unit around 900 W, a 2000 VA unit around 1200 W. Always check the W figure on the label and size against that, with 30% headroom so the UPS is not running at its limit.
The generator subscription sets a second ceiling. Power is volts times amps, so a 5-amp line at 220 V gives you about 1,100 W for the whole flat; a 10-amp line about 2,200 W; 15 amps about 3,300 W. A UPS does not add capacity: when it recharges after a cut it draws from that same line, typically 50 to 150 W on top of the load. If your flat is on 5 amps and the fridge, lights and TV already use 800 W, a 2000 VA UPS recharging a big battery can trip the breaker on the moteur board.
Rule of thumb: on a 5-amp subscription, keep the UPS at 1500 VA or below and plug only the PC, monitor and router into it. On 10 amps and up, size freely.
The right size for each job
Add up the watts of what you will plug in (the label on each adapter or power supply), then pick the row that covers it with room to spare.
| What you want to keep running | Typical load | UPS size | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Router + fiber ONT only | 10 to 15 W | A DC mini UPS, not a full UPS | Hours of runtime for $14; see our mini UPS guide |
| Office PC + one monitor + router | 150 to 250 W | 850 to 1200 VA | 10 to 20 minutes to save work and shut down cleanly |
| Work-from-home desk: PC, two monitors, router, printer on standby | 250 to 400 W | 1500 VA | Same shutdown margin with the extra screens |
| TV up to 65" + receiver or console | 150 to 300 W | 850 to 1500 VA | Mostly for the voltage protection; runtime is a bonus |
| Gaming PC with RTX 5060 and up + monitor | 400 to 700 W | 2000 to 3000 VA, pure sine preferred | Simulated sine can upset a high-end PSU under load |
| Small shop: POS, barcode printer, router, camera NVR | 200 to 350 W | 1500 to 2000 VA | The NVR and POS must not reboot; consider an online UPS |
| Fridge, washing machine, water pump, AC | 300 W running, 1,500 W+ on start | Not a UPS | Motors need an inverter or a power station with surge capacity |
A laptop does not need a UPS at all; it has its own battery. Plug its charger into the AVR-protected socket of any UPS you already own for the voltage protection, and leave the sizing to the desktop gear.
How long it actually runs
A desk UPS is built to bridge the switchover and give you time to shut down, not to run the evening. Lead-acid batteries deliver only about half their rated energy at these discharge rates, so the estimates below assume 50% of the battery's watt-hours reach the load.
| UPS size | Battery inside (typical) | 100 W load | 200 W load | 300 W load | 500 W load |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 650 to 850 VA | 1 × 12 V 7 Ah (84 Wh) | about 25 min | about 12 min | about 8 min | over the limit |
| 1200 to 1500 VA | 2 × 12 V 7 Ah (168 Wh) | about 50 min | about 25 min | about 17 min | about 10 min |
| 2000 VA | 2 × 12 V 9 Ah (216 Wh) | about 1 h | about 32 min | about 22 min | about 13 min |
| 3000 VA | 4 × 12 V 9 Ah (432 Wh) | about 2 h | about 1 h | about 43 min | about 26 min |
If the moteur reliably comes on within a minute or two, any row covers you. If your building has gaps of an hour or more with nothing on, a desk UPS is the wrong tool; look at a power station or an inverter with a proper battery bank instead.
What to buy, by size
All in stock at Technodel on 3 November 2026, delivered across Lebanon in 1 to 3 days, cash on delivery. Watts are from the product listing where stated; "about" means estimated at 0.6 × VA.
| Size | Product | Rated output | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 650 VA | Best One UPS 650VA | 360 W | $29.70 |
| 700 VA | PROLINK PRO700 line-interactive | about 400 W | $30.80 |
| 850 VA | Best One UPS 850VA | 480 W | $38.50 |
| 850 VA | Voltrax 850VA | 480 W | $40 |
| 1200 VA | KSTAR UA120, AVR | 720 W | $60 |
| 1200 VA | Best One UPS 1200VA | 720 W | $61.60 |
| 1500 VA | Best One UPS 1500VA | 900 W | $84.70 |
| 2000 VA | NCTS QSTROM L 2000VA, AVR | 1200 W | $69 |
| 2000 VA | KSTAR UA200, AVR | 1200 W | $82 |
| 3000 VA | KSTAR UA300, AVR, LCD | 1800 W | $154 |
| 3000 VA | NCTS QSTROM PRO 3000VA, AVR | 1800 W | $159 |
| AVR only, 1500 VA | EVR Automatic Voltage Regulator 1500 VA | voltage correction, no battery | $88 |
| Online 1 kVA | PCE EX Online 1 kVA | 900 W, pure sine | $209 |
| Online 2 kVA | KSTAR MP2kS Online, pure sine | 1800 W, pure sine | $230 |
| Online 3 kVA | KSTAR MP3kS Online, pure sine | 2700 W, pure sine | $255 |
The two best-value picks for most homes are the KSTAR UA120 at $60 for a single-PC desk and the NCTS QSTROM L at $69, which gives 2000 VA and 1200 W for less than most 1500 VA units. For a gaming PC or a shop that cannot afford a reboot, the KSTAR MP2kS online at $230 is the one to get: pure sine, double conversion, and 1800 W.
Batteries, and the pure-sine question
The battery is the part that wears out. With a cut or two a day, a lead-acid UPS battery lasts two to three years here, less if the UPS sits in a hot room. The sign is a UPS that beeps and shuts down within a minute of the cut, or one that has gone through a long outage fully drained and never recovered. Replacing the battery is a $12 to $13 job: open the cover, note which way the red and black leads go, swap in the same size.
- 12 V 7 Ah, the standard cell in 650 to 1500 VA units: GENERAL 12V 7Ah at $12, or Wei Sheng 12V 7.2Ah at $12
- 12 V 9 Ah, used in most 2000 and 3000 VA units: Prosonic NP12V9A at $13
On the sine wave: on mains, a line-interactive UPS just passes the power through. On battery, the cheaper units output a stepped "simulated" sine wave. Routers, TVs, monitors, printers and most office PCs do not care. Some high-end PC power supplies with active power-factor correction do: they can click, drop out, or shut down the moment the UPS goes to battery under heavy load. If you run a gaming PC with a 750 W or larger PSU, or anything with a motor or a transformer, buy a pure-sine unit (the online models above) and skip the problem.
Common questions
Can I plug the fridge into a 3000 VA UPS? Technically for a few minutes, but the compressor's start-up surge is several times its running watts, the simulated sine wave is bad for the motor, and the battery is empty in under half an hour. Use an inverter with a real battery bank or a power station rated for the surge.
Does a UPS protect against the generator's bad voltage? The line-interactive units with AVR correct sags and spikes within their range (typically about 160 to 280 V). Below that they switch to battery, which is the right behaviour. For a building whose moteur regularly runs outside that range, an online UPS or a dedicated AVR is safer.
Why does my UPS beep during the moteur switchover? It is going to battery for the gap between EDL and the generator, which is what you bought it for. One or two beeps and silence is normal. Continuous beeping with the load still on means the battery is failing or the load is too high.
Can I run a UPS from an inverter? Yes, if the inverter is pure sine; many UPS units refuse a simulated-sine input and sit on battery. Chaining two UPS units gains nothing.
What about the laser printer? Keep it off the UPS. A laser printer's fuser pulls over 1,000 W when it warms up and will overload anything under 2000 VA. Inkjets are fine.
Where is the mini UPS for the router? Here. It gives the router hours of backup for $14 and takes no capacity from your main UPS.
Where to go next
Browse the full range at UPS & Power. Not sure of your total load? Send the model names of what you want to protect on WhatsApp and we will size it for you.
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