And lo on Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:02:40 -0000, Invisible <voi### [at] devnull> did  
spake, saying:

> Phil Cook wrote:
>> And lo on Fri, 09 Nov 2007 11:44:37 -0000, Invisible <voi### [at] devnull>  
>> did spake, saying:
>>
>>> Since we store stuff that has to be kept frozen, a power cut is a  
>>> fairly major event. Our customers won't be too pleased if their $80  
>>> million project has to be restarted from scratch because the stuff  
>>> melted! So in the event of a power cut, a big truck comes along and  
>>> dumps a huge lump of pig iron labelled "CAT POWER" outside our  
>>> building, with a ridiculously huge cable and a comically over-sized  
>>> plug on the end. (Seriously, the cable is thicker than some tree  
>>> trunks!)
>>  And what happens if the firm can't get you a CAT out in time? If it's  
>> that crucial shouldn't you at least have a CAT UPS or equivalent to  
>> tide you over.
>
> The thing is:
>
> 1. The guys at CAT have a contractual obligation to arrive within X  
> minutes of being called. If they fail to do this, they must pay us  
> absurd amounts of money.

Yeah, but that's little compensation if as a result businesses stop using  
you and you fold

> 2. The freezers don't instantly heat up when the power is turned off.  
> They have this thing called... thermal insulation. ;-) Not to mention  
> the specific melting heat of water. (Do you have any idea how much ice  


I'm just wondering as to the overall cost of a CAT UPS over the cost of  
the contract to bring in a CAT generator, which would also run all your  
electrical equipment.

-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

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