Smart UPS 1500 - Replaced Battery, now it won't stop beeping.

[Anonymous user]

I have several Smart UPS 1500's, and I have changed batteries many times. Yesterday, however, when I put a new battery in one of my units I had a problem. The UPS just keeps beeping, and saying "replace battery" with the new battery pack installed. Is there a way to clear this, or is the battery pack bad? It is a genuine APC battery pack... so I find it hard to believe it would be bad out of the box...

Thanks!
-Jim

[Anonymous user]

I have several Smart UPS 1500's, and I have changed batteries many times. Yesterday, however, when I put a new battery in one of my units I had a problem. The UPS just keeps beeping, and saying "replace battery" with the new battery pack installed. Is there a way to clear this, or is the battery pack bad? It is a genuine APC battery pack... so I find it hard to believe it would be bad out of the box...

Thanks!
-Jim

[Techie_apc]

Jim,

I would like to gather some more information from you to find the root cause of the issue. What lights are on the front of the UPS? Is the Replace Battery Light flashing or Solid? What is the version of Power Chute which you are using to monitor the UPS? What type of cable is connected between the UPS and Computer? Is it Serial or USB? If possible, could you please swap the batteries from other Identical working unit and check if the UPS in question works fine?

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Did you run a self-test on the unit after replacing the battery? It doesn't know when you actually replace the battery with a new one, so it's probably still reporting the "replace battery" alarm from before that never cleared. Running a self-test should clear that.

Message was edited by: buzz

[MarkGinger_apc]

My quick guess would be that you replaced the battery in the 1500 by hotswapping it, and the beeping wouldn't stop even after the self test. What worked for me before was to turn off the unit, unplug the unit from utility power, unplug the battery. Let it sit for a few second and plug it all back in. When the unit runs the self test when it turns on, it can flush the error.

[Anonymous user]

ON-LINE is 'ON', Replace Battery is 'FLASHING'. Unit is beeping. I put the old battery back in, and it returned to a normal state. I sent the battery back as an RMA, and the replacement unit does the same thing. This unit is not connected to anything via USB/SERIAL, and I am not running PowerChute s/w.

[Anonymous user]

I installed PowerChute, and it's very puzzling. With the new battery installed, PC indicates that the old battery is still in there. It also thinks the UPS is working perfectly, even though the replace battery light is blinking on the unit. I tried a SELF-TEST, and it just sits there thinking that it's running, but it isn't. I also tried a calibration, that didn't work either. If I put the original battery back in the unit, it seems to function just fine. I cannot figure this one out. It will not take a new battery.

-Jim

[Techie_apc]

Jim,

The Flashing Replace Battery Light+ indicates that the batteries are not connected or recognized by the UPS. I suspect that the new battery is most likely the root cause of the issue.However, I need some more information from you to confirm you the root cause. Could you please let us know the exact Model and Serial number of the UPS? You can find these details on a white bar code sticker at the rear of the unit. Could you please let us know the new RBC part number? Could you please double check if the New battery is connected to the UPS firmly?

[Anonymous user]

I messed with this for about TWO HOURS. Although I still do not understand what the issue was, I do have the UPS working again. I put a battery from another 1500 into the unit I was having trouble with, and it recognized the battery and is working fine. I put the new battery into the 1500 that I stole the battery from for the first step, and it worked fine as well. No matter what I tried, the new battery would not work in the first 1500.

S/N for the first 1500 is "AS0308331463", Mfr Date 02/20/2003, Firmware Version 601.3.D - this was the UPS I was having trouble with
S/N for the second 1500 is "AS0442332141", Mfr Date 10/15/2004, Firmware Version 601.3.D - this is the UPS I took a battery from

Both Batteries are RBC7 (Genuine APC)

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

per the instructions, you have to let the unit charge before you do that. The new battery is not charging.

[Anonymous user]

I am giving this a try now. It sounds feasable. I guess the term "Hot Swappable" has a different meaning over at APC....