APC battery UPS?

[Ablang]

One thing the APCC website doesn't cover is how to know when to replace the
battery in your UPS? Sometimes that battery costs more than the UPS &
battery itself! So how do you guys know?

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[Ralph Mowery]

One thing the APCC website doesn't cover is how to know when to replace
the

battery in your UPS? Sometimes that battery costs more than the UPS &
battery itself! So how do you guys know?

At work we go by the battery makers recommendations. Usually every 3 years
they get replaced in some of our applications. There is no testing. On
other systems they are tested every 6 months by removing the main AC and
seeing if they will last a short time .

 

[kony]

One thing the APCC website doesn't cover is how to know when to replace the
battery in your UPS? Sometimes that battery costs more than the UPS &
battery itself! So how do you guys know?

Battery life depends a lot on how often it's drained. If you've never
had to use your UPS, or promptly turned off the system ASAP when power
went out, you may get 5 years out of a battery. Otherwise, and if you
need the max capacity the unit specs, replace the battery every 2-3
years, or more often if it's drained fairly often or allowed to sit
drained... it should be kept charged.

 

[Alien Zord]

One thing the APCC website doesn't cover is how to know when to replace the
battery in your UPS? Sometimes that battery costs more than the UPS &
battery itself! So how do you guys know?

Just changed one of mine yesterday. A red light came ON and a beeper sounded
for a few seconds every 8 hours or so.
Got the replacement battery from our alarm maintenance company. It was half
the price compared to computer and electronics suppliers.

 

[Joe Morris]

At work we go by the battery makers recommendations. Usually every 3 years
they get replaced in some of our applications. There is no testing. On
other systems they are tested every 6 months by removing the main AC and
seeing if they will last a short time .

Sometimes that depends on which employee of the manufacturer is answering
the question.

Several years ago when I was managing a mainframe computer center we
had a pair of Exide 2045 boxes (45 KVA rated capacity each). Some of
the Exide engineers were horrified at the idea of testing the boxes;
others strongly recommended doing so.

I chose to test them annually by tripping the main breaker and
timing the endurance until the 5-minute alarm sounded. Good thing;
on one of the boxes (the second or third year after I started the
testing) I got all of ~30 seconds of endurance. Fortunately the box
was still in warranty (by ~four weeks!) so Exide repopulated the
battery cabinets at its expense, saving me perhaps $5-6K.

As for costs, unless you're 'way out in the boonies where shipping costs
are exhorbitant, I would be surprised if replacement batteries were
more expensive than the entire UPS assembly unless you bought the boxes
at a clearance sale. In my area (northern Virginia suburbs of DC)
the price for a replacement battery used in most mid-range UPS boxes
runs at ~$50 at a battery shop. Of course, in the larger UPS boxes
you have bigger batteries and/or more batteries, so the replacement
cost is higher.

Joe Morris

 

[philo]

Several years ago when I was managing a mainframe computer center we
had a pair of Exide 2045 boxes (45 KVA rated capacity each). Some of
the Exide engineers were horrified at the idea of testing the boxes;
others strongly recommended doing so.

I've been a battery service engineer for 29 years (used to work for Exide)
and *once* blew up a battery! Maybe that's why they were horrified
with the idea of testing! You have to test the UPS to make sure it works
and the batteries actually have capacity...
OTOH: Blowing up a battery even one time in 29 years was one time too many.
Luckily I was using all my safety equipment and was not hurt...
but my ears were ringing for 24 hours!

 

[Joe Morris]

[my earlier posting being quoted]

Several years ago when I was managing a mainframe computer center we
had a pair of Exide 2045 boxes (45 KVA rated capacity each). Some of
the Exide engineers were horrified at the idea of testing the boxes;
others strongly recommended doing so.

I've been a battery service engineer for 29 years (used to work for Exide)
and *once* blew up a battery! Maybe that's why they were horrified
with the idea of testing! You have to test the UPS to make sure it works
and the batteries actually have capacity...
OTOH: Blowing up a battery even one time in 29 years was one time too many.
Luckily I was using all my safety equipment and was not hurt...
but my ears were ringing for 24 hours!

We replaced my two 2045s and a third 2045 in the telephone office with
a 3100 (new equipment didn't need all the capacity), but the Exide
engineer nearly blew it up shortly after it was installed. He was
doing after-installation PM and somehow dropped a busbar (1/4" copper)
across the battery terminals in the control cabinet. That's 540 volts
supplied by three battery cabinets...I leave to your imagination the
resulting sound and the reaction of the people in the room.

Of course, there's always the problem caused by an idiot electrical
contractor who cross-phased the 2045 that serviced the telephone
switch...on Christmas eve...but that's a story for another day.

Joe Morris

 

[philo]

We replaced my two 2045s and a third 2045 in the telephone office with
a 3100 (new equipment didn't need all the capacity), but the Exide
engineer nearly blew it up shortly after it was installed. He was
doing after-installation PM and somehow dropped a busbar (1/4" copper)
across the battery terminals in the control cabinet. That's 540 volts
supplied by three battery cabinets...I leave to your imagination the
resulting sound and the reaction of the people in the room.

Fortunately...the electrician who was working with me had stepped out of
the room...so I was the only one who suffered for my own error...
I still keep what's left of my socket set as a reminder.

BTW: My boss took full responsibility as he was supposed to have supplied me
with insulated tools but didn't...then insisted I go on the job.

Of course, there's always the problem caused by an idiot electrical
contractor who cross-phased the 2045 that serviced the telephone
switch...on Christmas eve...but that's a story for another day.

Sounds like fun.
I once had to go on a job ...new year's eve...right at midnght
as that was the only time they could shut the system down...I made sure
to make no mistakes!

Philo

 

[Ralph Mowery]

I've been a battery service engineer for 29 years (used to work for Exide)

and *once* blew up a battery! Maybe that's why they were horrified
with the idea of testing! You have to test the UPS to make sure it works
and the batteries actually have capacity...

By not testing or replacing less than $ 300 worth of batteries our company
lost around $ 100,000 when a UPS failed to hold the charge for a 5 minute
outage. I work at a place that makes polyester material and a vessel
holding liquid plastic that is 270 deg C and under 40 pounds of pressure
blew out a relief valve due to the failuer. Shut down production line that
makes about 1000 lb per hour of the stuff for several days . Estimated loss
of $ 500 per hour. It was a supply that had been left off a checkout list
and had been in service about 3 years.