Batteries hot swapable and power cycle during sellf-test

[Anonymous user]

Hi,

2 questions for you.

1. I have a SMT2200RM2U Smart UPS. It performed a scheduled self test last night and it caused the closet switches to lose power/power cycle. I manually performed a self test again with the same result. It is my understanding that the self test should not cause a power outage for connected devices. Is this correct? If so, then I believe I have a faulty battery.

2. Are the batteries in my UPS hot swappable with zero downtime?

Thanks

Jeremy

[BillP]

Hi Jeremy,

Can you please provide the serial number for this unit. This will help determine how old the product is and whether it is in fact behaving as designed.

The unit uses the RBC43 battery.

The following come from an FAQ found on the APC.com website.

Since our introduction of user replaceable batteries in 1995, all Smart-UPS products have featured hot swap battery modules. This means you can safely remove and replace your battery module without affecting your load. It is important to remember that during the brief time that your battery is disconnected, you will have no battery back up available should a power event occur. Because of this we advise that you never hot swap a battery when your power is unstable. If you are experiencing severe weather conditions or your UPS is frequently switching to battery/regulating voltage, we recommend you wait until conditions stabilize. 

Once your battery is replaced you should allow it to charge to 100%, then run a self test:  

• Legacy Products (No LCD Display) - Press and hold the "I/Test" button. Let go once the UPS switches to battery.
• Next Generation Products (LCD Screen) - Go to the "Test and Diagnostics" menu, then select "Start UPS Self Test"

When the self test is complete the Replace Battery Indicator should turn off. 

SecretSquirrel

[Anonymous user]

The serial number of my unit is AS1350242762

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Hi Jeremy  - 

SMT units will generally not drop the load during a self test, but it can happen on occasion with severely depleted batteries. Typically you would see this in applications where there is no remote monitoring and no one heard the unit beeping when the replace battery alert initially happened. Given your serial number your UPS is just over 6 years of age. Batteries typically last 3-5 years, so assuming it still has the original batteries, this would make sense. The best way to ensure that a load does not drop due to bad batteries is to ensure that batteries are replaced promptly as soon as the UPS indicates that they are bad. Another possible factor is the physical environment - Overly warm environments can cause batteries to fail quickly rather than giving you a few weeks notice. Batteries will perform best in an environment that is 68-77F. If your room is consistently warmer than that, you may not experience optimal battery performance.

Thanks,

Liam