Smart UPS 1400 External Battery

[RChadwick]

I want to remove the internal batteries and add larger external batteries. There's an Andersen connector in the back with a jumper in it. Can I remove the jumper, connect it to the internal Andersen connector for the battery, and plug the external battery in the Andersen connector on the rear? I'm assuming the rear jumper is just in series with the internal battery.

Thanks!

[Teken]

It would be very helpful to know the exact model APC Smart-UPS as a starter. 🤦‍♂️ Given the specific model hasn’t been provided I’ll offer some general information as it relates to a McGyver solution.

Charger: The unit incorporates a specific sized charger that was designed to recharge a defined load. Best case it will simply take longer to recharge any external cells you intend to connect. Worst case the charging circuit will begin to deteriorate as the load & time has increased past its capacity. 

Detection: Depending upon what specific model year of UPS you have. You may not see the expected operational runtime and number of cells in the system. 

This is important because this tells the system how to operate. ☝️

There are currently four types or generation of the APC battery detection as it relates to the lead acid type. The oldest models you simply entered the number of extended battery units / cartridges.

The next generation uses a simple resistor network to inform the system it’s present and there and also indicates the battery temperature. 

The next generation uses a small IC that’s serialized to inform the system it’s presence, number of units, temperature, etc.

The last generation uses a EEPROM to complete a host of checks. It obviously informs the system it’s presence, number of units, serial number, temperature, logs faults / errors, end of use timers / expiration. 

Fuse: Ensure any battery you intend to connect is properly fused within 18” of the positive terminal. It should be so rated for the ampacity and threshold to break open during a fault.

Wiring: The proper AWG gauge wire, insulation rating should be used for the ampacity of the connection to the main unit.

Operational Status / SOC: You’ll quickly find out the system Operational Runtime LED showing the capacity is not accurate. Normally this is seen when a new battery is installed.

First step is to update the battery installation date. Doing so will tell the system to reset the expiration counters and also change the charging algorithms.

Next is to initiate a manual battery calibration to update the system so the LED display is more accurate. This procedure is very tough on the batteries so don’t initiate this process more than once a year to validate the battery health / capacity. This procedure is critical in informing the system how to operate when on battery only mode! 

Older APC systems where less than smart so the above procedure was critical in how it performed. 

Brain Dead: The system should be reset right from the beginning. Afterwords, all of the above steps should be completed.

Good luck . . . 👍

[RChadwick]

Thanks for the response. This is what the management card says:

Model:	Smart-UPS 1400
Serial Number:	QS0024211436
Firmware Revision:	70.11.D
Manufacture Date:	06/08/00