Vertiv 13213 Metered Rackmount PDU 30A 120V 2U Horizontal
Overview
The Vertiv 2XPRA060-103L20TL5 (part number 13213) is a 2U horizontal metered rack power distribution unit rated at 30A, 120V, delivering up to 2.8kW to six NEMA L5-20R receptacles in a standard 19-inch rackmount chassis. If you've ever had a technician accidentally overload a circuit while hot-swapping servers into a densely packed rack, this is the unit that prevents that — a front-facing local LED display gives you real-time RMS current data without logging into anything. Built and tested in the USA, it carries TAA compliance and Buy American Act COTS status, which matters for federal IT and government-adjacent deployments where sourcing origin is a procurement gate, not an afterthought.
This unit is part of the Vertiv PowerIT rPDU line, a family of rack power distribution units covering basic, metered, monitored, and switched configurations. For teams deploying rack PDUs across mixed-voltage data center environments, the 13213 fills the straightforward 30A single-phase metered slot without added network overhead.
Key Features
- Local LED Current Metering at +/-2% Accuracy: The digital RMS current meter reads the aggregate unit load with +/-2% accuracy on a full-scale 60Hz sine wave. That's tight enough for meaningful capacity planning — you'll know when you're at 80% of the 30A input before a breaker event happens, not after. No network card required, no SNMP polling, no configuration: the number is on the front of the unit.
- 30A / 120V Input with L5-30P Twistlock Plug: The L5-30P twistlock plug locks out accidental disconnects in vibration-prone or high-traffic environments. At 30A, this PDU draws on a dedicated circuit that most data center floor plans already provision — pair it with a matching L5-30R whip from your panel and you're not adding any infrastructure.
- Six NEMA L5-20R Receptacles at 120V / 20A Each: All six outlets sit on the rear, individually styled for cable management flexibility. Each is rated to 20A, and the circuit is divided across two 20A single-pole magnetic breakers — three outlets per breaker. This means a single device fault can drop three outlets, not all six. Size your critical versus non-critical loads accordingly when planning which receptacle bank each device lands on.
- Dual 20A Single-Pole Magnetic Breakers: Magnetic breakers respond faster than thermal types and don't nuisance-trip on cold-start inrush spikes — relevant when you're cycling power to server blades or UPS bypass loads. Each breaker also doubles as a manual on/off switch for its bank, giving you branch-level isolation without touching the upstream panel breaker.
- 10-Foot / 10AWG Power Cord: The 10/3 cord handles 30A continuous without thermal stress at 10 feet. Long enough to reach the top-of-rack distribution point in most open-frame racks; short enough that you won't be stuffing excess cord behind your cable managers. 10AWG is the minimum gauge you should run at 30A — Vertiv doesn't cut corners here.
- 2U 19-Inch Horizontal Rackmount with 19-Inch Recess Mount Support: At 3.39 inches high by 17 inches wide by 6 inches deep, the 13213 fits a standard 2U horizontal slot and supports recessed mounting — useful in shallow rack bays or anywhere the PDU face needs to sit flush with your patch panel plane. 15 lbs (6.8 kg) shipped weight means two-person installation is a comfort choice, not a requirement.
- TAA Compliant, Buy American Act COTS, RoHS, UL & c-UL Listed: UL 60950 listing covers IT electrical safety. RoHS covers hazardous materials compliance. TAA and Buy American Act COTS status opens procurement channels that are closed to non-compliant goods. For federal agencies, defense contractors, and SLED buyers, these aren't nice-to-haves — they're bid requirements.
- 5-Year Limited Warranty: Vertiv backs the 2XPRA060-103L20TL5 with a five-year limited warranty, which is longer than the typical 1-3 year window on commodity PDUs. On infrastructure that runs 24/7 for 7-10 years, that coverage window reduces lifecycle replacement budgeting.
Integration & Compatibility
The 13213 is a metered-standard unit with no network interface — there is no IP address to assign, no firmware to update, and no SNMP or Modbus integration. If your deployment requires per-outlet switching, remote monitoring, or environmental sensing, you'll need to step up within the Vertiv PowerIT monitored or switched rPDU families. This unit is the right choice when your monitoring strategy is handled upstream (at the UPS or branch circuit metering panel) and you need local visibility for hands-on technicians without adding management overhead to the PDU layer.
The L5-20R receptacles accept NEMA L5-20P plugs, which are standard on most 120V server and networking gear. Confirm your equipment's actual plug type before ordering — L5-20R will not accept L6-20P (250V locking) or standard NEMA 5-15P/5-20P straight-blade plugs without an adapter. For planning data center power infrastructure, pair this PDU with a UPS capable of sourcing a 30A L5-30R output to the PDU input.
Operating temperature range of 10-45°C (50-113°F) covers typical conditioned data center and comms room environments. It is not rated for uncontrolled ambient above 45°C — plan accordingly for edge or industrial deployments without active cooling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the Vertiv 13213 TAA compliant?
A: Yes. The 2XPRA060-103L20TL5 is manufactured in the USA and is documented as TAA Compliant and Buy American Act COTS Compliant, making it eligible for federal and SLED procurement under those requirements.
Q: What is the warranty on the 13213?
A: Vertiv covers the 2XPRA060-103L20TL5 with a 5-year limited warranty.
Q: Does the 13213 have network monitoring or SNMP capability?
A: No. The 13213 is a metered-standard rPDU with local LED current monitoring only. It has no network interface, no IP address, and no remote monitoring capability. If you need SNMP, Modbus, or per-outlet switching, you would need a monitored or switched variant from the Vertiv PowerIT rPDU family.
Q: What plug does the 13213 require at the input, and what receptacles does it provide?
A: The input uses a NEMA L5-30P twistlock plug (included on the 10-foot cord), requiring an L5-30R outlet on your upstream panel or UPS. The six output receptacles are NEMA L5-20R, rated at 120V / 20A each.
Q: How are the six outlets distributed across the circuit breakers?
A: The 13213 has two independent 20A single-pole magnetic breakers, each protecting three of the six rear receptacles. A fault or manual trip on one breaker drops three outlets, leaving the other three active.
Q: What are the chassis dimensions and weight of the 13213?
A: The chassis measures 3.39 inches (H) x 17 inches (W) x 6 inches (D) and ships at 15 lbs (6.8 kg). It mounts in a standard 2U 19-inch horizontal rackmount bay and supports 19-inch recessed mounting.
The Vertiv 13213 earns its place in deployments where local current visibility matters more than remote telemetry — specifically because its digital RMS meter holds +/-2% accuracy, which is accurate enough to use as a real capacity-planning tool, not just a ballpark indicator. I reach for this unit when the rack environment has a hands-on ops team that doesn't want to manage another networked device just to know whether they're at 60% or 85% of their 30A circuit.
Technical Highlights:
- Dual 20A Magnetic Breakers (3 outlets each): Magnetic trip elements don't suffer from thermal drift or nuisance trips on server cold-start inrush — a real-world advantage over thermal breakers in mixed-load racks. The 3+3 outlet split means you can segregate redundant PSU feeds across banks for partial fault tolerance.
- L5-30P Twistlock Input on 10ft / 10AWG Cord: The locking plug eliminates the accidental-disconnect failure mode that plagues straight-blade PDUs in active racks. 10AWG is the correct gauge for 30A continuous — no derating concerns on the cord itself.
- TAA + Buy American Act COTS + UL 60950 Listed: All three compliance marks on a single SKU is uncommon at this price tier. For GSA schedule, DOD, or any state/local government bid that requires domestic sourcing, the 13213 clears the gate without needing a compliance exception.
Deployment Considerations:
- Confirm your upstream panel or UPS has an available L5-30R output before specifying this unit — the L5-30P input is not interchangeable with standard NEMA 5-30P (straight-blade) or L6-30P (250V) circuits. Wiring a dedicated 30A/120V circuit is a licensed electrician job; budget that into your rack deployment timeline.
- The 13213 provides aggregate current metering only (total unit load) — there is no per-outlet or per-bank current measurement. If you need branch-level or outlet-level granularity for chargeback or detailed load balancing, step up to a Vertiv monitored rPDU variant with network interface.
This is the right unit for a federal or SLED colocation deployment where the PDU layer needs to be simple, compliant, and maintainable by a rotating ops team — no credentials to rotate, no firmware to patch, no network segment to protect. The local display does its job every time someone opens the cabinet door.
