Subj : UPS Replacement To : Ky Moffet From : Barry Martin Date : Tue Oct 26 2021 08:20:00 Hi Ky! > Found out something interesting today: it's suggested UPSs be replaced > every six to ten years max. The UPS itself. Looked into it because I KM> Well, consider the source... they sell UPSs. Yes, noted that, If last forever hard to make the replacement game so they went the green and new features way. KM> The longest I've seen one last was about 25 years. (Battery KM> replaced once. Circuits finally died after a lightning strike one KM> pole away.) The shortest... pretty much any current off-the-shelf KM> unit only lasts about 2 years. The shell may still function but KM> the battery will be kaput, because all consumer UPSs overcharge KM> the battery, which prematurely kills it. One problem with current electronics is they design too close to the edge: 150v surge and pfft! (Maybe not that number but seems close.) I did install a whole-house surge suppressor which does seem to work: since then I've noticed the lack of brightening of the light bulbs (but then also have mostly switched to LED), and maybe more split-second power outages, so the supressor is shunting to ground (?). Here also have some old UPSs: one Belkin (~425VA) died and seems to be due to a fuse. Can see it on the schematic but no idea where it is on the board. ...It's since been gutted and used as a battery pack. Another Belkin (same - I bought the last three on clearance) did have an issue with the battery overheating during normal power -- the battery was past normal life and no problems since. As for the other UPSs here, I have not noticed a 'running hot' issue, so hopefully means their design is such they are not overcharging. (Made note to check the one I just replaced the batteries in.) KM> CyberPower (what they sell at Costco, otherwise a decent unit) KM> has this down to a fine art; their batteries reliably die a few KM> days out of warranty. Since the unit is $95 and a new battery is KM> $88 plus I have to drive clear up to the other side of town to KM> get one, I see no point in fighting with it to get the damn thing KM> apart and extracted; I just get a new unit, tho when I think of KM> it in time I get Costco to swap 'em in warranty. :D Yes, I'd swear there's a timer in some devices! For the $7 I'd get a new unit also. The batteries most of the UPSs here use cost $25-30, which is a lot less than a new UPS. As for fighting to replace the battery: yup -- some are not too happy to be opened up! One UPS was easy to open but the batteries are in almost a prison cell: have to unscrew the PC board, unscrew supports, do something else... I had looked on-line and pretty much everyone said it was a great UPS but the batteries were essentially impossible to replace. Send in for the manufacturer to replace (probably swap out) -- what do I do in the meantime, hope the power doesn't go out?? I ended up drilling a hole in the side of the case, two heavy-gauge wires come out -- inside attached to the wires which went to the original batteries (still inside), outside connect to two batteries. Have to admit it's the easiest one to replace batteries!! > https://tldp.org/HOWTO/UPS-HOWTO/maintaining.html Also: > http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/UPS-HOWTO.html KM> This overcharging problem, which ESR (the guy who wrote the above KM> HOWTO) documented elsewhere, is apparently by design as it's KM> entirely unnecessary (AND in the olden days, they didn't do KM> this). ESR was working on a consumer-level UPS with a circuit KM> that fixes the problem, but far as I know it hasn't come to KM> fruition. Probably not. I don't follow in-depth but probably would have noticed someone advertising this feature. Due to 'frequent' power outages here (mostly birds or squirrels getting too friendly with the pole transformer in the back yard (utility lines back there instead of along the street) have been on the look-out for long-lasting, good quality, relatively inexpensive UPSs to run "critical" stuff. KM> http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=7839 I'll take a look at these later: I'll probably snag some notes. KM> And that's the last post on the subject. (A year ago the blog KM> server went KABOOM, plus he had some health issues, and that KM> probably put a crimp in things.) Both can create problems. :/ KM> You can tell when overcharging starts to kill it, even if you KM> can't tell from runtime issues, by the stuffy metallic smell they KM> emit ... that's hydrogen being vented by the overcharged battery. KM> Also, they'll often get warm or hot even when the power is on and KM> they're not discharging. One that's operating normally (not KM> overcharging) stays cool. However, staying cool doesn't guarantee KM> it's not on its way out. I have not noticed any smell like that, though probably due to the other person here cigarette smoke. Have noticed, but after-the-fact, the occasional over-heated battery. And as noted above, that seems due more to the battery. I have stickers with date battery installed on the UPSs and most are lasting several years while this one UPS seems to be lasting only 18 months. KM> If you find one that lasts several years... when the battery KM> dies, I would replace the battery and keep the shell, as that's KM> one that is NOT overcharging the battery. Replacing it might be KM> tossing good hardware in the dumpster in favor of hardware not so KM> good. Right. I tend to frugal so try to buy decent stuff that will last. One indicator seems to be the output: if pure square wave I don't even consider it. Go by degree of stepped sinewave, though now seems most I've taken a look at are doing pretty good at approximating the sine wave. ....Think I'll play with 'Network UPS Tools' later: re-found it the other day when checking the information. (apcupsd is for APC UPSs, NUT for just about everything else.) ¯ BarryMartin3@ ® ¯ @MyMetronet.NET ® .... If number 666 is considered evil, then 25.8069758 is root of all evil. --- MultiMail/Win32 v0.47 þ wcECHO 4.2 ÷ ILink: The Safe BBS þ Bettendorf, IA --- QScan/PCB v1.20a / 01-0462 * Origin: ILink: CFBBS | cfbbs.no-ip.com | 856-933-7096 (454:1/1) .