SUA3000R3XLN UPS and SUA48RMXLBP3V external battery pack all dead?

[Anonymous user]

I support a client who has 3000XL UPS and an external battery pack. There was an extended power outage (more than a week) some time ago and since then neither unit appears to be providing power. I have validated the wall outlet has approx 114V. When I check any of the 48V battery packs, they are all around 25V. There are no indicators whatsoever on the UPS. If I hold the test button and let go, I hear the fan start, the UPS beeps, and some load and battery charge leds flash ( 3 middle ones for load, 1,2,4 for battery charge) and then it goes dead again. I'm trying to figure out if this is normal and the battery packs need to be replaced or if this indicates a problem. The batteries are approx 2.5 years old. I'd appreciate any thoughts on any other tests I can do.

Thanks,
Rob

[Anonymous user]

Thanks for all the help! I'll look at repair or replacement.

[BillP]

Good day,Are you measuring the voltage from the connector at the back of the SUA48RMXLBP3U (this should be the correct part# for the external battery pack)or from the terminals of the batteries inside it? I suggest that you run a selftest by pressing and holding down the test button for 2-3 seconds with the external battery pack connected and without them while the UPS is online, this will help you determine if it's the battery inside the UPS or those in the external battery pack that has failed.

[Anonymous user]

Hello,

Thank-you for your response. I measured the voltage from the wire coming out of the battery packs. The battery packs have part #APCRBC105. There are a total of 3 of these battery packs, 1 in the UPS and 2 in the external battery pack enclosure. The most I see on any of them is 25V. I'm trying to figure out if I should be looking into buying new batteries or if I should be looking at a new UPS. Seems strange that everything died, but then again there was an extended outage.

Thanks,
Rob

[BillP]

The nominal string voltage on an APCRBC105 is 48 Vdc, so those batteries may have already gone bad. But still, I'd suggest that you follow the steps in this kbase

[Anonymous user]

When I test with just the external battery pack the all lights on the UPS blink in a random fashion and it continually beeps until I disconnect the battery. If I hold the test button with no batteries attached and only connect to AC power it does nothing at all- is this normal?

Thanks,
Rob

[Anonymous user]

That has the same effect- all lights blink randomly and it beeps until you disconnect the battery. Should the UPS do anything with no battery connected while plugged in when you use the test button?

[BillP]

What I was recommending was to run the selftest with the external battery pack disconnected and the UPS still having it's internal battery installed and another selftest with the internal battery of the UPS installed and the external battery pack connected to the UPS.

[BillP]

Do all of the LEDs on the front panel blink randomly or only specific ones? During a selftest, the UPS switches to On-battery operation to check if the battery is still healthy, so if you do a selftest with no batteries connected (internal & external) the UPS will turn off. I suggest that you de-energize the UPS by turning the UPS off, disconnect the SUA48RMXLBP3U, unplug the UPS from where its plugged in and then press & hold down the "0" button for 5 seconds.
After that, plug the UPS to power source, turn it on then check if it does the same. If it does, the unit needs to be serviced or replaced.

[Anonymous user]

Kulot,

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. I was able to do another test and this time the following LEDs were blinking: the 3 center ones for Load, and the 1st, 2nd and 4th from the top for Battery Charge.

[BillP]

Are those LEDs flashing on the UPS with the external battery pack disconnected? If they are, I'd say that the UPS is due for repair or replacement.

[BillP · Accepted solution]

You're welcome! Look into having the unit [Traded-Up|http://buy.apc.com/commerce/storefronts/tradeups/tradein.aspx?storefrontcode=apcetu&countrycode=US&t...] to a new one or have it repaired by [Coastal Business Machines|http://www.cbmi.com/service/], APC's authorized repair partner.