Normal for UPS battery to make bubbling/chirping noises?

[Guest]

I just installed a new sealed-lead acid battery into my UPS. Turned
on the UPS and the fault light turned on. The UPS manual says that
means that either the UPS is bad or the battery is bad. The UPS
worked fine with the old battery, so it must not like the new battery
- do I need to wait several hours for the battery to charge?

Another thing is that I can hear bubbling noises and chirping noises
coming from the battery. Is that normal? I unplugged the UPS for now
- those noises are a little scary.

 

[Mike Tomlinson]

Another thing is that I can hear bubbling noises and chirping noises
coming from the battery. Is that normal?

No. Leave the UPS unplugged. It's probably failed and is overcharging
the battery. Is the battery getting hot?

Did you get the correct battery?

 

[Guest]

No.  Leave the UPS unplugged.  It's probably failed and is overcharging
the battery.  Is the battery getting hot?

I didn't try to touch the battery, and I don't think I'm going to plug
it back in to find out!

Did you get the correct battery?

I have a Belkin F6C1000 UPS, and I got the battery from AtBatt.com -
that store has a lot of good reviews. This is the battery I bought:

http://www.atbatt.com/product/22257/ups/belkin/f6c1000/battery

Note that the battery isn't shaped like the original batteries - the
UPS originally came with a pair of batteries, and this new battery is
larger than one of the original batteries, but it is not as large as
the 2 original batteries combined. So maybe it's not compatible,
although the AtBatt web site says that it is.

AtBatt also has this other battery they say is compatible with my UPS
- it is actually a pair of batteries just like the original ones, but
it is out of stock:

http://www.atbatt.com/product/21656/ups/belkin/f6c1000-tw-rk/battery

Maybe I'll try to get that battery if it ever comes in stock, I really
like this UPS. But for now I'll have to go get another UPS. Thanks.

 

[Paul]

I didn't try to touch the battery, and I don't think I'm going to plug
it back in to find out!



I have a Belkin F6C1000 UPS, and I got the battery from AtBatt.com -
that store has a lot of good reviews. This is the battery I bought:

http://www.atbatt.com/product/22257/ups/belkin/f6c1000/battery

Note that the battery isn't shaped like the original batteries - the
UPS originally came with a pair of batteries, and this new battery is
larger than one of the original batteries, but it is not as large as
the 2 original batteries combined. So maybe it's not compatible,
although the AtBatt web site says that it is.

AtBatt also has this other battery they say is compatible with my UPS
- it is actually a pair of batteries just like the original ones, but
it is out of stock:

http://www.atbatt.com/product/21656/ups/belkin/f6c1000-tw-rk/battery

Maybe I'll try to get that battery if it ever comes in stock, I really
like this UPS. But for now I'll have to go get another UPS. Thanks.

Belkin is partly to blame, for having so many models with the same
root part number.

This one

http://www.belkin.com/support/download/files/F6C1000-TW-RK.pdf

looks consistent with this pair.

http://www.atbatt.com/product/21656/ups/belkin/f6c1000-tw-rk/battery

Perhaps you were applying 24 volts to a single 12 volt battery ?

Paul

 

[GlowingBlueMist]

I didn't try to touch the battery, and I don't think I'm going to plug
it back in to find out!



I have a Belkin F6C1000 UPS, and I got the battery from AtBatt.com -
that store has a lot of good reviews. This is the battery I bought:

http://www.atbatt.com/product/22257/ups/belkin/f6c1000/battery

Note that the battery isn't shaped like the original batteries - the
UPS originally came with a pair of batteries, and this new battery is
larger than one of the original batteries, but it is not as large as
the 2 original batteries combined. So maybe it's not compatible,
although the AtBatt web site says that it is.

AtBatt also has this other battery they say is compatible with my UPS
- it is actually a pair of batteries just like the original ones, but
it is out of stock:

http://www.atbatt.com/product/21656/ups/belkin/f6c1000-tw-rk/battery

Maybe I'll try to get that battery if it ever comes in stock, I really
like this UPS. But for now I'll have to go get another UPS. Thanks.

I don't have a user manual handy for your model but if it was using two of
the above 21656 batteries, which are 12 volts, then most likely your system
had them wired in series which makes your charging circuit run at 24 volts.
Placing only one 12 volt battery in a 24 volt charging circuit would cause
the new battery to internally over heat, short out, and possibly blow up.

Find a user or maintenance manual or diagram that shows how the original (2)
batteries were installed and duplicate that with two totally NEW 12 volt
batteries and you have a chance of making your UPS work again, provided you
have not already damaged it's charging circuit by hooking up only one
battery.

You also do not want to hook up two batteries of different models as they
most likely would not have the same charging rate, one battery would usually
over-charge while the other would under-charge.

Them telling you the alternate battery was a suitable replacement may have
been true, provided you replaced both existing batteries with two of the new
models, and hook the new batteries up exactly as the old one(s) were. UPS
batteries in units that have multiple batteries are normally replaced all at
the same time as a set, when they start to die of old age or heavy use.
This is to keep the charging capacity of all of the batteries at or near the
same rate.

Do not try and reuse the (new) battery you have already damaged, consider it
trash and get two new batteries.

 

[Brian Gaff]

Well lead acid do gurgle, but if its a sealed one I'd be a bit wary. Are you
sure the charging circuit is OK?
Brian

 

[Brian Gaff]

I'd be tempted to put the old battery back. Why was it changed, could the
fault really be that the charger in the ups is knackered?
Brian

 

[Poutnik]

I'd be tempted to put the old battery back. Why was it changed, could the
fault really be that the charger in the ups is knackered?
Brian

I would recommned, if technicaly possible, to measure voltage on
battery if open and under charging load. I do not have experience with
sealed batteries, but AFAIK vaoltage per cell of open batterry should
not exceed 2.5(-2.6??) V.
I guess for sealed one this should be lower.

 

[Guest]

I don't have a user manual handy for your model but if it was using two of
the above 21656 batteries, which are 12 volts, then most likely your system
had them wired in series which makes your charging circuit run at 24 volts.
Placing only one 12 volt battery in a 24 volt charging circuit would cause
the new battery to internally over heat, short out, and possibly blow up.

Find a user or maintenance manual or diagram that shows how the original (2)
batteries were installed and duplicate that with two totally NEW 12 volt
batteries and you have a chance of making your UPS work again, provided you
have not already damaged it's charging circuit by hooking up only one
battery.

Do you think that trying to charge a couple of totally new batteries
in a UPS with a damaged charging circuit could result in an
explosion? I hope that the UPS is still fine, and according to its
manual the Fault indicator is also supposed to indicate if the UPS has
gone bad.

You also do not want to hook up two batteries of different models as they
most likely would not have the same charging rate, one battery would usually
over-charge while the other would under-charge.

Them telling you the alternate battery was a suitable replacement may have
been true, provided you replaced both existing batteries with two of the new
models, and hook the new batteries up exactly as the old one(s) were.  UPS
batteries in units that have multiple batteries are normally replaced allat
the same time as a set, when they start to die of old age or heavy use.
This is to keep the charging capacity of all of the batteries at or near the
same rate.

The new battery that I got is larger than one of the original ones,
and it would be impossible to place 2 of the new ones into the UPS.
So AtBatt must have been saying that a single one of those would work
in my UPS - maybe they just gave incorrect information.

Do not try and reuse the (new) battery you have already damaged, considerit
trash and get two new batteries.

Thank you for the all the info.

 

[John Henderson]

Do you think that trying to charge a couple of totally new batteries
in a UPS with a damaged charging circuit could result in an
explosion?

That's certainly possible. But I'd consider it unlikely that the
charger has failed in such a way that it now overcharges when the
correct voltage battery bank is installed.

I hope that the UPS is still fine, and according to its
manual the Fault indicator is also supposed to indicate if the UPS has
gone bad.

Again, no iron-clad guarantee. But quite reassuring.

The new battery that I got is larger than one of the original ones,
and it would be impossible to place 2 of the new ones into the UPS.
So AtBatt must have been saying that a single one of those would work
in my UPS - maybe they just gave incorrect information.

It's also possible they're saying that two of these batteries
would work at least as well as two of the smaller ones. But it's
up to you to find a way to fit them.

The important information we need from you in order to tell you
exactly what's going on is:

1) What's the voltage marked on each of the original batteries?

2) Were they connected in parallel or in series?

Thinking about the connection(s) between the two batteries (and
ignoring the wires to the UPS):

A parallel connection connects the two positive ("+" and usually
red) terminals directly to each other. And also connects the two
negative ("-" and usually black) terminals directly to each
other.

A series connection connects the positive of one battery directly
to the negative of the other.

John

 

[GlowingBlueMist]

That's certainly possible. But I'd consider it unlikely that the
charger has failed in such a way that it now overcharges when the
correct voltage battery bank is installed.


Again, no iron-clad guarantee. But quite reassuring.


It's also possible they're saying that two of these batteries
would work at least as well as two of the smaller ones. But it's
up to you to find a way to fit them.

The important information we need from you in order to tell you
exactly what's going on is:

1) What's the voltage marked on each of the original batteries?

2) Were they connected in parallel or in series?

Thinking about the connection(s) between the two batteries (and
ignoring the wires to the UPS):

A parallel connection connects the two positive ("+" and usually
red) terminals directly to each other. And also connects the two
negative ("-" and usually black) terminals directly to each
other.

A series connection connects the positive of one battery directly
to the negative of the other.

John

John had good questions. Normally a battery of this type is 12 volts but
there are battery packs that are 24 volts, that actually have two 12 volt
batteries inside the same case. What you had were two 12 volt batteries and
the replacement you tried was just a single 12 volt battery. It is remotely
possible your system was using the two batteries in parallel but from the
way the new battery failed I don't think so.

The odds are that the charging circuit protected itself and should still
work but there is no guarantee.

I have had battery companies tell me the batteries they wanted to sell me
was compatible. Voltage and amperage was comparable but like you they would
not fit into the case. I had measured and was aware they would not fit so I
bought from somewhere else, Batteries Plus at www.batteriesplus.com who had
what I wanted in stock. Not all batteries have the same size terminal lugs
on them which can be a pain as well but they are relatively easy to match
after a visit to an automotive parts store.

If possible I'd put two new batteries in the unit and check on it quite
regularly for the first couple of hours and then after another couple of
hours, looking for batteries getting too hot and the like. If they are
making any kind of sound or are too hot unplug the unit and have a qualified
technician take a look at it.

Are your charging cables labeled showing the positive and negative
terminals? Just like a car battery, reversing the terminals can be costly.
If the terminals are not labeled then it's time for a volt meter check to
find out which is which before installing the new batteries, and with the
bad one removed.

 

[Guest]

Each one says 12V.


They were connected in series.

John had good questions.  Normally a battery of this type is 12 volts but
there are battery packs that are 24 volts, that actually have two 12 volt
batteries inside the same case.  What you had were two 12 volt batteries and
the replacement you tried was just a single 12 volt battery.  It is remotely
possible your system was using the two batteries in parallel but from the
way the new battery failed I don't think so.

The odds are that the charging circuit protected itself and should still
work but there is no guarantee.

I have had battery companies tell me the batteries they wanted to sell me
was compatible.  Voltage and amperage was comparable but like you they would
not fit into the case.  I had measured and was aware they would not fitso I
bought from somewhere else, Batteries Plus at www.batteriesplus.com who had
what I wanted in stock.  Not all batteries have the same size terminal lugs
on them which can be a pain as well but they are relatively easy to match
after a visit to an automotive parts store.

If possible I'd put two new batteries in the unit and check on it quite
regularly for the first couple of hours and then after another couple of
hours, looking for batteries getting too hot and the like.  If they are
making any kind of sound or are too hot unplug the unit and have a qualified
technician take a look at it.

Are your charging cables labeled showing the positive and negative
terminals?  Just like a car battery, reversing the terminals can be costly.
If the terminals are not labeled then it's time for a volt meter check to
find out which is which before installing the new batteries, and with the
bad one removed.

There's just a red charging cable and a black charging cable (and a
very small black cable for connecting the 2 batteries to each other),
so as long as the terminals on the batteries are colored, there
shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks for the help, guys.

 

[John Henderson]

Each one says 12V.

They were connected in series.

There's just a red charging cable and a black charging cable (and a
very small black cable for connecting the 2 batteries to each other),
so as long as the terminals on the batteries are colored, there
shouldn't be a problem.

We can now be certain that your UPS uses a 24v battery bank.

And your replacement was 12v.

That would have resulted in a massive overcharge of the single
12v battery.

Left longer, it could have exploded due to internal pressure
build-up.

Overcharging results in the generation of hydrogen and oxygen
gasses. A mild overcharge is OK, as these sealed AGM batteries
will recombine the gasses back to water - but only at a slow
rate. At a higher rates of gas production, you're relying on a
pressure relief valve to vent the gasses to the atmosphere.

Such venting results in a permanent loss of electrolyte. Whether
or not your new battery is still serviceable depends on how much
electrolyte was lost, and whether there was any other physical
damage, like buckling of the plates. I would certainly not
consider using it in series with another new battery, because
they may not be balanced in terms of capacity. And this would
lead to a quicker demise of them both.

Maybe you could temporarily refit the original battery bank in
order to check that the charging circuitry still works.

John