SUA1500 battery prematurely weak

[BillP]

Battery new or replaced on 2/24/2006, but Business Edition 7.0.5 software-initiated Self-Test (not Calibration) drains battery from 100% down to 66%. Self-Test has never failed for either unit or battery. Typical external load (computer system) during self-test is 37%.

This unit was a replacement for a previous SUA1500 used since 2002, so I am familiar with what should be normal behavior.

Is the solution to simply replace the battery?

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

Did the UPS get stored unused for more than a month or two? If it did, the battery pack is likely damaged (severe loss of capacity under load)

Charge it overnight, connect a 300W halogen light to it and kill the power to UPS at input using a power strip and time it until it shuts off on its own. If it runs substantially less than 50 minutes, your battery pack should be replaced.

If it runs close to 50 minutes, your batteries are fine, and this process will recalibrate the runtime estimate.

[BillP]

KVAr wrote:Did the UPS get stored unused for more than a month or two? If it did, the battery pack is likely damaged (severe loss of capacity under load)

Unfortunately, KVAr, you may have hit the nail on the head. The unit was not immediately put into service because the computer system it was protecting was also out-of-service. I don't remember the duration, but I do remember that self-testing the previous unit never dropped the Battery Charge below 93%.


Time for Charge-UPS.


Thanks to everyone for their assistance.

[Anonymous user]

In the future, when you have to store the unit, charge it for 24 hours, then pull the battery disconnect from the rear. Connect the connector and repeat charging every 3 months of disuse.

If you have A LOT of UPS to be stored, you can plug about 8 SUA1500 UPS per circuit. Use an appliance timer and set it to turn on for a 3-4 hours a week. If you've got more than 8 UPS, run them on multiple timers and have them come on at a different time (i.e. 8 UPS on bank A, friday 8PM to 12AM, bank B Saturday 3AM to 7AM). This preserves the battery a lot longer than keeping them continuously powered and you'll save quite a bit of power.

[BillP]

Battery new or replaced on 2/24/2006, but Business Edition 7.0.5 software-initiated Self-Test (not Calibration) drains battery from 100% down to 66%. Self-Test has never failed for either unit or battery. Typical external load (computer system) during self-test is 37%.

This unit was a replacement for a previous SUA1500 used since 2002, so I am familiar with what should be normal behavior.

Is the solution to simply replace the battery?