I just bought a Belkin UPS 625VA. I plugged it in to start charging it
and after about 2 hours there was a smell of electricity in the air. I
can't explain the smell any other way - it wasn't a burning smell or
anything like that, and wasn't very strong, but everytime I went into
the room I could smell electricity coming from the UPS. After 4 hours
I connected the UPS to my PC and tested it, everything is working fine
except for the smell. Is this normal?

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> I just bought a Belkin UPS 625VA. I plugged it in to start charging
> it and after about 2 hours there was a smell of electricity in the
> air. I can't explain the smell any other way - it wasn't a burning
> smell or anything like that, and wasn't very strong, but everytime I
> went into the room I could smell electricity coming from the UPS.
> After 4 hours I connected the UPS to my PC and tested it, everything
> is working fine except for the smell. Is this normal?


Electricity doesn't have a smell.

Nice e-mail address.

--
"... naturally, we tend to be a bit reticent in admitting
to any failings Linux might have." -kier

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I just bought a Belkin UPS 625VA. I plugged it in to start charging it
> and after about 2 hours there was a smell of electricity in the air.
> I
> can't explain the smell any other way - it wasn't a burning smell or
> anything like that, and wasn't very strong, but everytime I went into
> the room I could smell electricity coming from the UPS. After 4 hours
> I connected the UPS to my PC and tested it, everything is working fine
> except for the smell. Is this normal?
>


Other than ozone, burning plastic or resin, or a stale smell due to dust
that gets burnt when components heat up, I don't know what else might be
described as the smell of electricity. Touch your UPS. Does it feel
warm or hot? If so, it may be overheating in providing high levels of
current that might exceed its rating and causing the solvent to effuse
from the plastic housing. If that is the case, you got too small a
rated UPS that cannot handle the amperage needed by your equipment (so
the UPS won't provide much, if anything, for uptime when there is a
power outage).

Since you just bought it, why not give Belkin a call? If they report
anything negative regarding the smell, and rather than bother with
trying to get a warranty replacement, just take it back to the store to
replace it.

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On 10 Feb 2005 09:20:47 -0800, (E-Mail Removed) wrote:

| I just bought a Belkin UPS 625VA. I plugged it in to start charging it
| and after about 2 hours there was a smell of electricity in the air. I
| can't explain the smell any other way - it wasn't a burning smell or
| anything like that, and wasn't very strong, but everytime I went into
| the room I could smell electricity coming from the UPS. After 4 hours
| I connected the UPS to my PC and tested it, everything is working fine
| except for the smell. Is this normal?

Is it a cordite-type smell? Some new electrical components will
occasionally have that smell. An Antec PSU I bought last year did.
When I called Antec and explained that it seemed to be working OK
otherwise, the tech suggested I wait several weeks to see if the smell
went away. It did and there have been no problems since.

Larc



§§§ - Change planet to earth to reply by email - §§§

"Larc" <larc-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On 10 Feb 2005 09:20:47 -0800, (E-Mail Removed) wrote:
>
> | I just bought a Belkin UPS 625VA. I plugged it in to start
> charging it
> | and after about 2 hours there was a smell of electricity in the
> air. I
> | can't explain the smell any other way - it wasn't a burning smell
> or
> | anything like that, and wasn't very strong, but everytime I went
> into
> | the room I could smell electricity coming from the UPS. After 4
> hours
> | I connected the UPS to my PC and tested it, everything is working
> fine
> | except for the smell. Is this normal?
>
> Is it a cordite-type smell? Some new electrical components will
> occasionally have that smell. An Antec PSU I bought last year did.
> When I called Antec and explained that it seemed to be working OK
> otherwise, the tech suggested I wait several weeks to see if the smell
> went away. It did and there have been no problems since.


I'm not sure a lot of computer users, or any other folks, are
experienced with explosives
(http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=cordite) or visiting the gun
range while squirting out some old ammo
(http://www.geocities.com/milsurpunde...d/cordite.html and
http://www.ordnance.org/corditen.htm) although many would like to employ
cordite to "repair" their computers and ventilate their frustrations.

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I just bought a Belkin UPS 625VA. I plugged it in to start charging it
> and after about 2 hours there was a smell of electricity in the air. I
> can't explain the smell any other way - it wasn't a burning smell or
> anything like that, and wasn't very strong, but everytime I went into
> the room I could smell electricity coming from the UPS. After 4 hours
> I connected the UPS to my PC and tested it, everything is working fine
> except for the smell. Is this normal?
>

very possibly hydrogen from the battery being charged...
if you still smell it the nexyt day the battery may be getting overcharged

On 10 Feb 2005 09:20:47 -0800, (E-Mail Removed) wrote:

>I just bought a Belkin UPS 625VA. I plugged it in to start charging it
>and after about 2 hours there was a smell of electricity in the air. I
>can't explain the smell any other way - it wasn't a burning smell or
>anything like that, and wasn't very strong, but everytime I went into
>the room I could smell electricity coming from the UPS. After 4 hours
>I connected the UPS to my PC and tested it, everything is working fine
>except for the smell. Is this normal?

I don't recall the innards of a Belkin UPS, but I do vaguely
recall that they're VERY similar to APC, perhaps even made
in same factories but with slightly different plastic (or
metal per model) casing. Maybe that doesn't help you but
perhaps someone with a ~ 625VA APC has noticed similar...

Anyway, in some cases the coatings or cements used, even the
pastic casing itself will release fumes, will stink a little
when first ran long enough to get hot. That is not a
problem BUT we, not being able to see/smell/etc your unit,
cannot know if this is what's happening there or if you had
some abnormal problem. SO, yes it could be fine, OR it
could be a problem.