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Products | Home |
FAQs | Contact Info | Manufacturers |
Industries We
Serve | Other services
Index of Questions
Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)?
Personal computer (PC) power supplies?
High voltage power supplies (greater than 3000 volts)?
No trouble/problem charges?
Turnaround time?
Should we send documentation or schematics?
Integrated Circuit (IC) power supplies
Failed self-repairs?
Evaluation fees?
Warranties?
Refurbish vs. repair?
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Q. Does TMG repair uninterruptable power
supplies (UPS)? A. Yes we do. Problems found are either dead batteries, defective control/charging circuitry, or both.
Most UPS problems are dead batteries. Since a UPS is usually rather heavy resulting in lofty freight charges, you should check the batteries before sending a UPS to TMG for repair. Batteries are usually available from most electronic supply companies and are easily replaced.
Many of the UPS sent to TMG for evaluation are not repaired once the problem is diagnosed. Since considerable time is spent diagnosing the problem before a repair charge can be quoted, TMG charges a $125.00 evaluation fee for each UPS that is not subsequently repaired. The customer is also invoiced for the return freight. If TMG repairs the UPS the evaluation charge is included in the overall cost to repair. |
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Q. Does TMG repair personal computer (PC) power
supplies? A. Yes we do. PC power supply repair may not be cost effective. Often a new replacement is less costly than repairing a defective PC supply.
TMG charges between $85.00 and $150.00 for most PC power supply repairs. Power supplies from name brands, such as IBM, Apple and Compaq are cost effective to repair. Supplies from PC clones are not cost effective to repair. The replacement cost is usually less than the cost of a repair. |
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Q. Does TMG repair high voltage power supplies
(greater than 3000 volts)? A. Yes we do. Most high voltage supplies employ a front end discrete component control board and a hermetically sealed (potted) high voltage module. If the sealed module is defective, replacements are available only from the original manufacturer. These modules are expensive and the repair may not be cost effective. If the high voltage module is available from the manufacturer, the repair will be quoted accordingly. If the module is not available or the client otherwise elects not to repair the high voltage supply, an $85.00 evaluation fee will apply. Return freight will also be charged. |
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Q. How much does TMG charge when no
trouble/problem is found? A. When the initial investigation indicates a no trouble found condition, the problem is assumed to be intermittent. Intermittent problems are usually related to failures at elevated temperatures or caused by bad/cracked solder connections. Since these types of failures require significantly more troubleshooting time than a normal failure, TMG charges the normal repair price to test and re-certify that the power supply is operational. |
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Q. What is your average turnaround? A. Five to ten working days. |
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Q. When we send a power supply to TMG for
repair, do we need to include documentation or schematics? A. TMG has an extensive library of schematics and theory of operation for most of the common power supplies. Power supplies also conform to a basic design criteria. Twenty (20) years of experience repairing similar supplies enables us to accomplish a high percentage of repairs without documentation. The power supply industry, however, is very pervasive. One OEM claims to have manufactured over 3 million different models. Many of these are custom designs for a specific application. If the power supply you wish to have repaired is a custom design or incorporates some unique control circuitry, you will improve the probability of repair by including any available documentation (schematics, theory of operation, interface configuration/pin outs). |
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Q. Does TMG repair power supplies containing
extensive Integrated Circuit (IC) for control and sequencing? A. Yes we do. Power supplies containing extensive IC's are usually computer controlled to enable multiple outputs to be sequenced in a selected pattern. TMG can repair the power supply section of this type of supply with a high probability of success. Since we cannot system test the complete assembly and it is not cost effective to simulate the computer control functions, TMG cannot guarantee 100% that the integrated unit will function in your system. Any available documentation sent with the power supply will enhance the probability of a successful repair. |
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Q. We have attempted to repair a power supply
without success. Can TMG help us in this situation? A. Yes we can. TMG's pricing structure is based on receiving power supplies in the "as-failed" condition. This does not include catastrophic failures, failures where all the modules from a particular supply are used to repair others, or when other attempts to repair may induce additional non related failures. If it is obvious that previous attempts were made to the repair (missing components, obvious solder rework) or if the customer indicates that they attempted to repair the unit, TMG will evaluate and quote the cost of repair. If as a result of the troubleshooting process it is determined that unsuccessful repairs have been tried (usually wrong components are installed or they are installed incorrectly), work on the unit will stop and the repair costs will be quoted. If you decide not to proceed with the repair a evaluation fee of $125.00 will be charged. Return freight will also be invoiced. |
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Q. Does TMG charge an evaluation fee? A. There is usually no charge to evaluate and quote repair costs. If you decide not to proceed with the repairs, you will be invoiced $25.00 to cover packaging and return ground transportation of the power supply. Sometimes we receive power supplies that require detailed engineering evaluation to determine, if the supply can be repaired. When this occurs, TMG has a minimum evaluation fee of either $125.00 or $250.00 depending on the complexity of the supply. This fee covers the engineering effort required to isolate the malfunction and determine the actual cost of repair. Prior to the detailed evaluation, we will estimate the anticipated repair cost. After the evaluation we will quote the actual repair costs which will include the evaluation fee. If TMG cannot complete the repair or you do not wish to proceed with the repair, the evaluation fee quoted will be invoiced along with return freight. |
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Q. What type of warranty does TMG offer?
A. TMG offers a thirty (30) day parts and labor warranty for any normal failure that may occur during the period. This does not include freight damage or failures that occur from misuse or mishandling. TMG offers a one (1) years parts and labor warranty on the actual repair performed. When a power supply is refurbished a full one (1) year parts and labor warranty applies for normal failures as defined above. |
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Q. Why should I refurbish rather than just repair my
power supply? A. Power supplies are very reliable devices, even when operating in undesirable adverse environments. Failures occur shortly after the supply is made (infant mortality) or when the supply becomes old and tired. Some power supplies may experience their first failure after five years or more of reliable operation. These failures are caused by electrolytic capacitor breakdown due to heat stress and time, and usually affect other components. Low failure rates and long life cause some power supplies to be out-of-production, deemed obsolete, or no longer supported for repairs by the manufacturer, when the failure occurs. Redesigning or modifying a system to accommodate a new supply is often prohibitively expensive. A refurbished power supply is definitely a cost effective alternative. When a supply is repaired the faulty components are replaced and the unit is tested prior to return to service. This is done without anticipating how the age of other currently operational components may affect future failures of the supply. By replacing all components whose performance deteriorates due to heat stress and age, the power supply can be restored to manufacturer's original specifications. It extends the life of the supply and reduces the failure rate. TMG offers a one (1) year warranty on refurbished power supplies. |
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