Serial port disconnect after power surge after recent update - UPS will fix this, correct?

Pi3b+ running OctoPi and a maker select v2. Never had issues with long prints until updating Octoprint. Longest print had been 48hrs+ and before the update I would never think twice about long prints. Not sure which version of Octoprint it was running but it was so old I had to run the update commands manually. Also updated all apt packages. After the update 4 long prints have failed right around the same time in the morning but not at the same place in the print (1 was a different model). 3 were the same STL and 1 of those was re-sliced but produced identical gcode. Yesterday I replaced the power supply cable with a brand new 3A one and replaced the USB cable with a brand new one that has lower gauge wires and a ferrite bead. Confirmed jiggling both cables does not reboot the Pi nor drop the serial connection. Last night I tried printing a different model and it still crashed right around the same time so it's not gcode related. My bathroom is adjacent to the room with the printer. After some swearing and testing this afternoon, confirmed shutting off the bathroom fan will drop the serial connection from the Pi to the printer. I have to restart Octoprint services for it to reconnect. It definitely did not occur before the update.

So, 3 questions. Anyone ever see something similar before? Is there something that was done in a recent update (Octopi or Raspbian) that would make the USB ports more sensitive to power surges? Second, I have a 1500VA/900W UPS that will be dedicated to the Pi and printer which should address power surges. Also read that some people are putting electrical tape on the 5V pin of the USB cable/port because the printer doesn't require power and power can drop the connection. Will the UPS alone be sufficient or do I need to also do the electrical tape thing? Doesn't seem like there's any down side to the electrical tape thing, is there? Thanks!

Edit: autocorrect