Apparent runtime lower than real runtime?

[Anonymous user]

Our APC UPS, model SU2200RMXLNET shows a runtime of 4 minutes or so and continously complains that the runtime is low and that the battery is discharged.

We're using genuine APC batteries, model RBC11, installed between January and March 2008. Never been calibrated until troubleshootings steps described below. The UPS has been in used since 1999 or 2000.

Regular load is 45 to 50%, as shown on the network module webpage. We are not using PowerChute.

I first ran a "software" calibration last week, through the network module webpage with regular load attached. Batteries went from 100% to 25% in 4 minutes. The batteries then recharged to 100% and continued complaining.

Today, during lunchtime, I shut down all the servers and run a manual calibration. I plugged a vacuum cleaner to the UPS, turned it on and unplugged the UPS' power cord. An HP Procurve 4000 switch was also powered by this UPS. The UPS was showing 4 load lights, while only showing 3 during normal operations. This leads me to assume that the load during the calibration was higher than the regular load. The UPS powered the switch and the vacuum cleaner for 16 minutes.

The UPS is now slowly charging, showing a 45,7% load.

The UPS still shows a 4 minutes runtime, and the battery LEDs on the UPS blink continuously.

I looked at this page: http://nam-en.apc.com/cgi-bin/nam_en.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1497

Option 1: Low battery signal time is already at 2 minutes.
Option 2: Reducing the load is not an option. Replacing the battery could be done, but I don't want to spend $400USD just for some tests. On top of that, batteries have been used for 15 months. Don't know how much time they spent at the warehouse before it was shipped to us, though.
Option 3: Just did it.

One last thing: electricity cabling in the building is flaky and all of our UPSes regularly switch to batteries for a few seconds because of a hiccup in the building's electrical cabling. It happens for all our UPSes at the same time. Could this have damaged this very UPS or the batteries?

Is there any way for the UPS to recognize the effective runtime I obtained from the manual calibration?

TIA

[Anonymous user]

Our APC UPS, model SU2200RMXLNET shows a runtime of 4 minutes or so and continously complains that the runtime is low and that the battery is discharged.

We're using genuine APC batteries, model RBC11, installed between January and March 2008. Never been calibrated until troubleshootings steps described below. The UPS has been in used since 1999 or 2000.

Regular load is 45 to 50%, as shown on the network module webpage. We are not using PowerChute.

I first ran a "software" calibration last week, through the network module webpage with regular load attached. Batteries went from 100% to 25% in 4 minutes. The batteries then recharged to 100% and continued complaining.

Today, during lunchtime, I shut down all the servers and run a manual calibration. I plugged a vacuum cleaner to the UPS, turned it on and unplugged the UPS' power cord. An HP Procurve 4000 switch was also powered by this UPS. The UPS was showing 4 load lights, while only showing 3 during normal operations. This leads me to assume that the load during the calibration was higher than the regular load. The UPS powered the switch and the vacuum cleaner for 16 minutes.

The UPS is now slowly charging, showing a 45,7% load.

The UPS still shows a 4 minutes runtime, and the battery LEDs on the UPS blink continuously.

I looked at this page: http://nam-en.apc.com/cgi-bin/nam_en.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1497

Option 1: Low battery signal time is already at 2 minutes.
Option 2: Reducing the load is not an option. Replacing the battery could be done, but I don't want to spend $400USD just for some tests. On top of that, batteries have been used for 15 months. Don't know how much time they spent at the warehouse before it was shipped to us, though.
Option 3: Just did it.

One last thing: electricity cabling in the building is flaky and all of our UPSes regularly switch to batteries for a few seconds because of a hiccup in the building's electrical cabling. It happens for all our UPSes at the same time. Could this have damaged this very UPS or the batteries?

Is there any way for the UPS to recognize the effective runtime I obtained from the manual calibration?

TIA

[Anonymous user]

@i picKed a winna: I changed my email, found a typo.

Thanks in advance.

Stephan

[BillP]

Hello Rui,

Please see the post above. Send an email to esupport@apcc.com with the model and serial number of your UPS.

[eutavi_apc]

Thank you for u're quick answer, i picKed a winna , you are really helping ppl around here !

Can u send me a pm with the instructions for refresh the battery info on my ups via hyper terminal ? i replaced the batteries with new ones, and i have 30 x BK350EI, 5 x SUA750, 4xBR800I, 2 x BR1000I


Now, on the bk350 ei the procedure was simple ....i replaced the batteries and executed a full discharge under load 2 times, and everything iz fine, but on the smarter models like br800 one of them is flashing all the leds from time to time, one is not beeping and i checked with powerchute but the beep is there...

I don't know why i can't see or modify the battery info in that software ... is a little useless ... native ups software in windows can do the same things that powerschute does ...or am i wrong ?

thank you

[BillP]

i hope i am helping people!

you can only reset the battery constants through hyperterminal on Smart UPS units, you cannot do it on a Back UPS. the Back UPS would require a calibration or at least a complete discharge and recharge during a regular power outage. for both of these units, the battery back up time in the software is only an estimate (it should be PRETTY accurate). i would see if the runtime is adjusting when you put these on battery. runtime on battery should be extremely accurate.

powerchute has a couple more features than native OS support for UPSs but the essentially both perform a graceful shutdown of the system.

let me know if you have any questions prior to me sending you the hyperterminal procedure. just to re-iterate, this procedure will only work with Smart UPS. same goes for the cal key - only works with Smart UPS so you can only do this with the SUA750s you have.

[BillP]

hi,

we have a procedure to adjust the UPS's runtime but we only recommend it when the batteries are very new because then it would be inaccurate. i guess though it may be better to have it higher and inaccuarate rather than lower since you know how long it lasts and then the LEDs would stop flashing and giving you battery discharged messages.

if you want, this can be done via hyperterminal or we can send you out a calibration key to plug into the serial port that you can keep. let me know whats easier for you and we can work it out.

[Anonymous user]

I'm comfortable using Hyperterminal, so this procedure would be nice for me.

Why isn't this procedure writtent in the UPS or batteries manual, so we would have the most accurate uptime information?

Thanks,E

[BillP]

the procedure isnt in the manual or anything because it requires to you to interface directly with the UPS EEPROM which can effectively "brick" your UPS if you arent careful.

i will PM you the instructions on how to change this value via hyperterminal which will essentially tell the UPS it has brand new batteries and update the runtime accordingly.

[Anonymous user]

Thanks for your help, but I would like to understand why hasn't the reported runtime been fixed after I manually calibrated my UPS last week. Isn't it what calibration is for?

[BillP]

sometimes it just doesnt update accordingly especially if the load fluctuated a lot or something that wasnt very obvious to the naked eye happened to mess up the calibration 😕

[Anonymous user]

I have the same exact problem with a SUA1500 with an AP9619 card. Is there a way I can reset this via a serial command?

[eutavi_apc]

YES !!

Please send me the hyper terminal info to fix those 2 SUA750I.
I have 5 and with the manual calibration that I executed 3 times/ unit i "fixed" 3 of them. But with 2 of them i have problems. It holds the pc but it flashes the leds....

What about the BR800I model ? after changing the batteries, from 4 of them, only one is working fine, the rest are flashing the leds (all the leds) from time to time - irregular like a christmass tree ! ( when the are pluged in, but not turned off)
Is there a procedure to fix those ? It that a problem ? The official documentation on apc site describes this function as a possible internal failure of the unit, but the ups is working fine !

Thank you

Message was edited by: eutavi

[BillP]

Back UPS and Smart UPS are two different animals. All of the LEDs flashing on a Back UPS does indicate a relay failure. The battery bar graph flashing on a Smart UPS indicates low runtime.

it is really strange that you'd have all of these units with the same exact symptom of the flashing LEDs..you are using these in a 230v environment correct? not inputting any strange voltage to these UPSs?

i will PM you the hyperterminal procedure and directions for the exact model of SUA750I. This should only be done when the batteries are new FYI.

[BillP]

hi stephan, there is hope for you, dont worry. i will email you a procedure to try which should clear up the issue, as long as the UPS batteries were recently replaced.

[BillP]

can both of you confirm that your respective models are SUA1000 and SUA1500 from the white sticker on the back or bottom of the UPS? versus being SUA1000RM2U for instance?

if you can confirm, I can email or PM you (please tell me which method and confirm email is correct if via email) instructions on adjusting this value via a terminal program through the UPS serial port to update the UPS runtime easily and without doing a calibration.

thanks!

[Anonymous user]

Sticker says: SMART-UPS 1000I NET
Serial Number: GS9821600754

O_o, it seems thatt's not a SUA1000 but a SU1000, I'm sorry for my ignorance.
Is there nevertheless a chance to ged rid of the messages?

Stephan

[Anonymous user]

I have just replaced batteries on 3 SU1000XLNET's (that's the number from the back of the UPS), and I am getting 6 minutes of runtime, with the blinking lights on the front. Could you please email me the procedure as well? Thanks a million!

-Gard Brown

[BillP]

done and done.

EDIT: stephan, your email got returned to me. can you confirm its correct in your profile? thanks

[Anonymous user]

Today I bought a new set of batteries for my smart-ups SUA1000I! Unfortunately, the battery LED will flash ever since the load (40%) can not be compensated by the battery! Before changing the batteries did not have this problem! Could you send me in pm a procedure for a manual recalibration? Thanks in advance..... and sorry for my english!!!

[BillP]

sent you a PM.

[Anonymous user]

Greetings:

I have a SUA1000 (firmware 600.3.D) with new batteries that is reporting 11 minutes runtime remaining even though the load is at 30%. I am very interested in trying your instructions on resetting the runtime calcuations.
Can you please send them?

Thank you very much

[BillP]

sent 🙂

[Anonymous user]

Can you please resend the information on correcting the run time on the SUA1000. Thank you!

[BillP]

This terminal session reset worked! Correct runtime now!

I couldn't enter the date in the webfront but I succeeded doing it in the console application.

Thank you!

Don

[Anonymous user]

I am having this issue on my SUA1000 also. Can you please send me the information? Also I have a SUA3000RMXL3U that is doing the same thing.

[BillP]

i will email. please confirm your email is correct. i might have to get back to you on the value for the 3000 unit but i have the 1000 handy. the instructions are the same for each though.

just a reminder to everyone reading this, it should only be done when the UPS battery is new or has been recently been replaced (within a couple months).

[BillP]

sent

[BillP]

I have an SUA1500i and after replacement of the battery my runtime will not change from 2 minutes under 50% load. Can you e-mail the instructions for terminal session as well?

Another problem is that the powerchute agent webfront is not accepting changes in battery replacement date. It just shows January 1980 under diagnostics after hitting apply with the current month/year.

Thank you!

Don

[BillP]

it sounds like maybe your date and time isnt set correctly on the machine where the agent service is running.

i will email the instructions to you as well in a few minutes.

[Anonymous user]

Can you please email me these procedures. Thanks

[Anonymous user]

Hi i picKed a winna ... I need to contact you because I have a problem whit a SUA750I. I ve changed battery and I have a low run time. I´ve tryed whit the 3 options that gives APC but result is negative. I´m from Argentina, sorry about the bad english

[Anonymous user]

Hi i picKed a winna ... I need to contact you because I have a problem whit a SUA750I. I ve changed battery and I have a low run time. I´ve tryed whit the 3 options that gives APC but result is negative. I´m from Argentina, sorry about the bad english

[BillP]

send an email to esupport@apcc.com with the model and serial number of your UPS off the little white sticker, as many of you have already posted, and the date of when you replaced the batteries. you can refer to this forum thread as well and request the procedure/cal key so you can adjust the runtime if the batteries were recently replaced.

She explained the best way to get the problem solved here - I would try that.

[BillP]

please post the UPS model that you have off the white sticker on back or bottom of the UPS.

FYI i will be on vacation for like a week so maybe someone else will see the post and email them, if not i will do it when i get back. if i miss this post, feel free to PM me.

[Anonymous user]

I have two SUA1500 units..

One is showing a runtime of nearly 6 hours with 100% battery .. One is showing a runtime of 28 minutes with 60% battery..

This second unit needs to have its battery reset. Can someone please PM me the hyperterminal instructions?

Thanks

[BillP]

unfortunately, i cannot keep up with the demand on requests for this procedure.

what i would ask is that each of you send an email to esupport@apcc.com with the model and serial number of your UPS off the little white sticker, as many of you have already posted, and the date of when you replaced the batteries.

you can refer to this forum thread as well and request the procedure/cal key so you can adjust the runtime if the batteries were recently replaced.

[Anonymous user]

Hello,

I have one SMART-UPS 3000 and one SMART-UPS 2200 which have the same problem: newly installed batteries and they both report 0 minutes runtime. The battery charge leds are blinking.

Could you please send me instructions on how to correct these.

Thanks,
Rui, PORTUGAL

[Anonymous user]

hi,

i picKed a winna, i need your help, i have a SUA750i, i have already change the batteries for new ones, and i need the instructions to refresh the battery info on my ups via hyperterminal.

Thank you.

[eutavi_apc]

Hello, how can I get an calibration key ? I replaced batteries for 6 SUA750I ups and I think that the calibration key is a device that will help me to perform calibration faster. I searched the internet but I did not find the info regarding this calibration key. How can I get one ? Can u help me out with this info ? Thank You !

[Cap1_apc]

Hi there,

A quick call to tech support should land you some cal keys.

[eutavi_apc]

they will send me that key even if i am from romania ? (europe)

[Anonymous user]

Email address has been corrected.

[Anonymous user]

I think we have the same problem with our SUA1000. It is mainly running at 41 % UPS Load.Runtime Remaining is about 11 minutes. Since we change the battery pack, it eventually flashes the LEDs and an exception in the Server's Event Viewer occurs.
This happens every 5 - 10 Minutes. Can you help us to calibrate the UPS manually?

Stephan

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

Please send me the procedures for my UPSes. I have two SUA1000XLs and two SUA1500s and just changed batteries yesterday.

Message was edited by: Voyager6