Smart UPS 1500 fan always on

[Anonymous user]

I read another post of the fan always being on. My brand new Smart UPS 1500's fan is also always on. Load is 22%. Internal temp 77.4 Battery capacity 100%. 27.67 VDC. The input voltage and output voltage are 122.4 VAC. There is plenty of room around UPS. How do I get the fan to stop (if possible) or is there a need for it to always be on?

[Anonymous user]

I read another post of the fan always being on. My brand new Smart UPS 1500's fan is also always on. Load is 22%. Internal temp 77.4 Battery capacity 100%. 27.67 VDC. The input voltage and output voltage are 122.4 VAC. There is plenty of room around UPS. How do I get the fan to stop (if possible) or is there a need for it to always be on?

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Hi Tucker,

You are right. The fan should not be continuously on. Below are the only reasons the fan should remain on:

•UPS is charging the battery
•UPS is running on battery
•Internal UPS temperature is above 104°F (140º for certain older models).
•Attached load using > 75% of the UPS capacity

What you can try to do to see if you can get the fan to stop is "brain dead" the UPS. Other than trying that, there is no other way to stop the fan via any means.

How to brain dead your UPS:

You need to power down all attached equipment and unplug it from the UPS. You then need to power down the UPS and unplug it from the utility power. Also, make sure that all communication cables are removed. Now, you want to hold down on the "off (o)" button until you hear an audible click (if not, proceed after 10 seconds anyway). Now, the internal circuitry of the UPS is reset, and you should be able to plug the UPS in, turn it on, attach all your equipment and see if the fan still stays on all the time.

Hope this helps!

[Anonymous user]

I'm having the same issue with an SUA1000XL. The fan just will not shut off as long as the battery is connected... I'll turn off the UPS, unplug it from the wall, make sure all components are unplugged or turned off, and the fan just keeps going. The only way to turn it off is if I disconnect the battery.

There has to be a way to make it go slower or have it turn off when the unit is off.

[BillP]

unfortunately, newer Smart UPS have two fan speeds and is always on 😕

[Anonymous user]

Understand it was deisgned that way... What we should be asking is who the system engineer is that's working on changing the UPS so the fan will turn off when it's turned off?

Can they perform firmware updates on your UPS's? It's has to be something they can resolve with a patch.

[BillP]

the UPS firmware itself is not flash upgradeable. the entire chip would need to be replaced and that is not a user replaceable thing.

as far as the reasoning on this, it is just the logic of the UPS to keep the electronics cool even if the load is not being powered. when the UPS is off, the electronics are still powered until the UPS is "braindead" (capacitors are discharged) or you remove the battery as you've found out. that state when the electronics are powered but the load is not is usually referred to as "load disconnect." it is just like in some other types of electronics where the fan is always on to keep it cool even if the unit is in standby or off.

[Anonymous user]

Considering there are over 2700 views on this topic, I would think i'm not the only one questioning why the fan is on all the time.

My biggest concerns with the fan being on are
- Dust buildup. With the fan on all the time, your going to see a healthy layer of dust form on the internal components. I would think this would eventually negate the cooling effects of having the fan on low all the time. Personally, i've ordered a magnetic dust filter to place over the intake on the unit.
- Green. Keeping the fan on all the time will draw extra power. it would be nice to see the fan work "smarter" than on all the time. Instead of the fan being on all the time, they could have put a vent on the top of the unit to let the heat escape too.
- The noise of the fan is rather loud when on low and in a quiet room. Understand this unit used more in a server environment instead of an office... Would be nice if a more quiet fan was selected though.

When is the last time APC redesigned the control board for the smart UPS's? I get the feeling the control board may be "older" technology which is causing limitations when adding features / logic to the unit. I hope the decision makers at APC aren't stuck in the old school "GM" style of management where they don't want to spend a little extra cash to redesign some of the components.

[BillP]

just an update here:

going from this similar thread:

http://forums.apc.com/spaces/4/back-ups-surge-protectors/forums/general/4677/be750g-randomly-drops-c...

the newer SUA1500s have a two speed fan - it will be on all the time on a lower speed until one of the above conditions is met when it will then kick into high.

still looking to see if any other units are now doing this.

[BillP]

I just replaced a 9 year old SU2200RMXLNET (may it rest in peace) with a SUA3000R3XLNET. I was surprised when the fan kicked on when I first plugged it in tonight and am now very disappointed having found this thread. What was a silent work environment, thanks to the use of water cooled computers and a silent 2200, is now unbearable even when running at only a 10% load on this UPS. My office is very small and I sit only a meter away from the SUA3000.

If it's true that this change has been made to the entire smart-ups line, I may have to look for another brand of UPS. I've been so impressed by APC's products and their reliability I never thought there would be a reason to switch. 😞

--
Justin

[BillP]

i think its along the same lines as a computer - the fans are always running on most servers/computer to help keep them cooler and make them last longer..

[BillP]

These UPSes generate almost no heat when on line power and not charging batteries. I'm in a 65F room and there is no discernible difference in the temperature of the air (a lot) blowing out of the UPS. Servers often have several 100W or more CPUs running in them. I don't think the cooling requirements are at all comparable. But I'd almost be happy if this unit were as quite as one of the dual Xeon (air cooled) servers I occasionally have to run in this rack. And yes, you can definitely feel the heat exhausted by that server.

My 2200 lasted for 9 years without having to run its fan continuously. If anything a newer UPS should be more efficient and thus generate less heat and require less cooling to maintain the same level of reliability. So what changed?

Based on your earlier comments about the firmware not being a user serviceable item, I guess I'm stuck. I just hope that at some point the product is updated so the fan speed/noise level is reduced. It is a big deal for those of us that have to sit right next to a UPS and want to avoid (without wearing muffs) tinnitus.

--
Justin

[voidstar_apc]

>
My 2200 lasted for 9 years without having to run its fan continuously. If anything a newer UPS should be more efficient and thus generate less heat and require less cooling to maintain the same level of reliability. So what changed?
>

APC started emphasizing the use of hot-aisle containment for proper rack cooling. Ideally, the hot air from the back of the rack gets cooled before being reintroduced to the front. A rack mounted device with the fans off provides a path for air to bypass the chillers and move directly to the front. This lowers the effectiveness of the cooling system.

Additionally, without airflow, the temperature sensors inside the UPS may not get an accurate measurement of the temperature of the UPS as a whole.

>
I guess I'm stuck. I just hope that at some point the product is updated so the fan speed/noise level is reduced.
>

I don't think you're going to be disappointed.

[BillP]

Not all customers will use hot-aisle containment. For example, do you expect all RT models, especially those configured as a tower, to be used in this way? Yet, according to other threads on this site, the RT units run the fan always too. That leaves proper temperature monitoring, but the unit is pushing way more air than is necessary to just make accurate temperature readings.

I suppose my point is that not all customer requirements and installations are the same. These UPSes have lots of settings in them already to reflect this. I'd just like one more that allows me to say, "I care more about silence than hot-aisle containment". After all, this unit is in a home office, not a data center.

I have no doubt that this new unit will be just as reliable as the one it replaced. However I am disappointed because this new unit doesn't perform as well as the one it replaced in one area that is critical to me: noise.

--
Justin

[BillP]

Sorry for bumping this old thread, but it seemed most relevant to my situation, without having to create another (new) thread:

Is there really no resolution to this?

I just bought a brand new Smart-UPS 1500, and the fan is always on at "high" speed, except for a 2-3 second lull every so often. During the lull, it's obviously the fan is still ON, merely at a lower speed. It's not the least bit warm in the room (mid-upper 60's), and the UPS, itself, is basically cold to the touch.

The battery is at 100%, and the load is only about 30-35%

This is by far the noisiest APC I have ever owned (and I have 7-8 APC UPSes around the house), and it's rather disappointing.

SMT1500, serial number starts with AS0950...

Help? 🙂

Message was edited by: dth74

[BillP]

i'd suggest calling/emailing APC support and verifying whether you have the latest firmware or not. firmware versions can be found on the LCD under the "about" menu,

it sounds like you probably dont and a firmware upgrade may adjust the fan behavior if you have an earlier version.

that would be the first course of action - firmware upgrade on the UPS itself.

[BillP]

from what i found, the current versions are UPS 5.0 , COM 02.1, UBL 5.0 and CBL 4.0F.

[BillP · Accepted solution]

so the fan will always be on also if there is no output from the UPS?
it will be on also if I poweroff the unit or I remove the unit from the online power?

The only way to poweroff the fan on a Smart-UPS is to braindead it?
It seems impossible to me, at least unreasonable.

[Anonymous user]

An having just installed my SUA1500I, the fan is even running when the UPS is switched off manually... that make absolutely no sense at all (no load, normal temperature, UPS manual off).

That should be configurable.

[Techie_apc]

Andreas,

It appears to be an abnormal operation of the UPS. Could you please brain dead the UPS and check if the fan runs after brain dead?

To brain dead a Smart-UPS, the load must be turned off and unplugged(if applicable). Next, the UPS must be turned off and unplugged. Once unplugged, push and hold the off button for 6 to 8 seconds. The sensitivity light in the back of the UPS should go out and there should be a small audible click in the unit. At this point, check if the fan still runs.

[Anonymous user]

Will do and report back (as soon as the runtime calibration is finished) ;).

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

1. Disconnected all cables
2. Fan still running
3. Hold long off - klick - all off
4. Reconnected external power
5. Without switching the ups on, the fan run again and turned up after a few seconds (ups was discharged from calibration run)

Repeated several times with the same result. Fan always comes up at reconnection of main power.

SUA1500I IBM OEM: IBMR1500I (Date 7/10/09, Revision 64.236.607.36.13)

[Techie_apc]

Andreas,

I have not heard this issue before. The fan will not run when it is off unless the unit is hot. I recommend you to take a look at the below K-base document which discusses the UPS fan operation functionality.

http://nam-en.apc.com/cgi-bin/nam_en.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=6672

In this situation, please call in the regional Customer Care Center to troubleshoot the issue further and get the replacement unit if it is under warranty.

[Anonymous user]

The tune up of the fan is explainable (as the battery was charging when reconnecting power). And the fan always on might be related due to the fact of the newer SUA (in fact received yesterday).

But my old SUA620 was off if switched off.... very strange.

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Just following up with my experience....

I contacted APC tech support, and they sent me an RMA unit that has a silent fan (under normal conditions). I guess it may have been more than just firmware (unless they don't normally let end-users re-flash their firmware?) - altho the new unit is running newer firmware, for sure.

Anyway, I'm (again) impressed w/ APCs responsiveness 🙂

Message was edited by: dth74

[BillP]

I haven't understood if there is a way to poweroff the UPS and turnoff the fan when there is no load on it without braindead the battery.

[BillP]

all new SUA model Smart UPS and future Smart UPS (as far as I know), will always have fans running when the UPS electronics are active. keep in mind, the UPS electronics are active even when the UPS output is off. you may notice this if you try to access your network management card when the UPS output is off - because you will still be able to login and access the UPS to see that the load is off.

the fan will only turn off when the UPS is completely braindead.

there are pros and cons that go into this decision i am sure..

[BillP]

I would like to get an answer, please.

[BillP]

is this a bug?

quite a strange behaviour...
what is the reason of having a fan on if the battery is fully charged and there is no load into the UPS?

From a "Smart" series a behaviour like this seems a bug rather than normal.
I really hope to see a PC pure-sinewave UPS soon from APC or at least a smarter one for PC use.

[voidstar_apc]

>
is this a bug?

quite a strange behaviour...
what is the reason of having a fan on if the battery is fully charged and there is no load into the UPS?
>

No, it's deliberate:
1) The battery is always being charged because the battery self discharges. It's like keeping a leaky bucket full. Batteries generate heat when charged, and hot batteries die sooner.
2) It's hard to sense temperature without airflow.

In another one of [your threads|http://forums.apc.com/spaces/4/back-ups-surge-protectors/forums/general/4026/windows-xp-update-sp2-t...] ipicKedawinna mentions that the fan is specced for 32dBA of noise, max, which seems quiet. Earlier in this thread dth74 mentions that he got a UPS with noisy fans, and APC replaced it with a newer unit that operates silently.

>
I really hope to see a PC pure-sinewave UPS soon from APC or at least a smarter one for PC use.
>

You can certainly use the SmartUPS for desktop PCs, however I think it's cheaper to use a BackUPS along with an APFC power supply that works on the BackUPS stepped sinewave. The thread you [started here|http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7191&page=2] linked to a great article:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cases/display/seasonic-psu-roundup_6.html

I love their voltage stability graph.

[BillP]

Is there someone who measured the dbA of the SMT1500I when running with fan at low RPM?
This is an important specs for home users, no one measured it?

Is it audible at six meters of distance from the unit in a silent room?

[Anonymous user]

So far the battery backup has been running fine with the new battery since the other one cracked. I think by now I would have seen an issue if it were something else.

[BillP]

i believe the fan itself only maybe pulls around 5 watts. i think the whole idea is to keep the unit cooler which will help battery and component life overall.

i will pass this along to the appropriate people..feel free to chime in if you feel the same as upsrocks57 on this.

[Anonymous user]

Ok, so we've established that newer generation models have the fan run constantly at low speed. This seems unneccessary to me, and I think many others would like the option to disable this function.

My biggest concern is that this will drain the battery during an extended power outage. When I turn my unit off, and remove it from power, the fan still continues to run until I disconnect the battery. I would certainly expect the fan to stop running once the unit is turned off.

APC - please hear us on this one!!

[Javik_apc]

If you have an APC UPS with fans that run all the time, I would recommend covering the air intakes with a flexible air filter material to keep the UPS free of dust internally. Change or wash the filter media when it starts to turn all gray from dust buildup.

Otherwise, eventually the internal fans are going to die from dust inhalation, and you will have to replace it with an entirely new UPS in about 3-5 years, solely because the fans have failed. APC does not recommend or authorize end-users to replace the fans by themselves, and they only cost about $15 per fan out of the total value of the equipment.

-Javik

[voidstar_apc]

>
I put in the extra battery I had and we'll see how it runs over the next couple days.
>

I'm a little worried that it might not hold a charge after 2.5 years discharging. I'll hope for the best.

[Anonymous user]

I have the APC BACK-UPS XS 1500VA LCD 120V BX1500LCD.

For the past 2 weeks now the fan has been turning on and off constantly. Most of the time it will stay on for hours at a time.

I have had this unit for roughly 2 1/2 years now I believe and this is the first time I have had any issues with it. This is a replacement unit that APC sent me when the LCD screen in my original one died after a year and half or so. This replacement unit was brand new that they sent me and I have not had any issues with it except for this now.

In the past couple days the battery indicator only has 2 bars filled. I am using the original battery from the other unit before the LCD screen died. I do have a new battery that was included with this backup that I put aside.

Any suggestions on what might be causing my two issues?

When I get home tonight I will unplug it and disconnect the battery so I can use some compressed air on the fan and reconnect everything and see if that fixes it. I wonder if the battery is finally getting ready to die?

Update*** I unplugged everything from the unit and took out the battery. The attached picture was a surprise especially since this unit is out in the open. Not sure how this happened. I put in the extra battery I had and we'll see how it runs over the next couple days.

Message was edited by: donutman925

Message was edited by: donutman925

[BillP]

is that battery cracked? i cant really tell. if its not charging to 5 bars or 100% then i'd assume its the battery. id then assume the fan is on because it is constantly trying to charge. thats my guess but id see how it goes with a new battery.

[Anonymous user]

Yeah the battery cracked somehow. I pulled it out and was very surprised and nervous until I read on the side of the battery that they are sealed. I will try and get some more pictures up in the next day or two. I am wondering if I should report this to someone at APC?

[BillP]

Any solution for this? The APC support replied me that I should sent for repair because this behaviour (fans always on) is wrong.

[BillP]

SmartUPS as far as I know is really more efficient than Back-UPS series,
paired with an efficient PSU it can let us save up to 100W/h that in Europe isn't bad at all.

Unfortunantly most efficient PSUs (80+ gold) suffer a lot when on battery using a simulated sinewave
and BackUPS isn't so good for this kind of psus.
Enermax doesn't recommend to use a simulated sinewave ups with modu87+ while it does with modu82+,
corsair/seasonic produce strange noise when on battery and I don't like it, ecc. ecc...

It is also true that having a fan always on for PC use isn't reasonable...

At the moment, a huge company like APC does not offer anything that may worth buying for high end PC use.
BackUPS is not good for modern PCs, SmartUPS is too server oriented due to this behaviour,
hope to see something new soon.

[Anonymous user]

Anything new on the SMT1500 fan noise issue?

I'd really like to buy this one, both for the real sinewave output and for the runtime. It would be right next to the computer (and my bedroom is on the other side of the wall from the computer room).

However, reviews at Amazon and elsewhere really slam the unit for the noise. On the other hand, some reviews mention that some changes have been made (firmware? hardware design change?) to significantly lower the noise level.

Previous last post on this thread was almost three months ago, so I'm wondering if there's any news on this front.

[BillP]

this issue was fixed by a firmware update that was applied to any units left in stock quite a while ago. we can track this by serial number range so if you do get an older unit, we could always update the firmware on the unit or send you a unit we know is good if you receive stock older than a year from a distributor or reseller.

[BillP]

Have there been any changes to the SmartUPS line to address idle noise levels? I have a hard time believing my SUA3000 is only emitting the rated 53dBA (I can hear it from several rooms away) and the SMX models are listed even higher at 55dBA. Although it's not even two years old yet, I'd really like to replace this noisy UPS with something quieter.

[Anonymous user]

I need to purchase a UPS and I was thinking of going with the SMT1500 until I read about the noise issues on other sites, including this one. I understand that there was a firmware issue to address it, but I'm still concerned. The UPS will reside in my home office and I don't want to deal with a lot of noise.

Can some who has a new unit respond with their comments? Is the fan cycling on and off every 5-10 seconds? Is it nosiey? Have you monitored the internal temp to see where it runs with no load vs. load? I believe I read in another post that the operating temp was at ~77F with the old firmware.

I'm concerned that the firmware change made to address the fan noise/running all the time may have effects on the longjevity of the unit causing it to prematurely fail. In my mind, this could be a case of applying a bandaide to solve one issue, while create another, more serious one.

Thanks

[BillP]

Then why do the SMX1500 units emit only 40dBA? Surely the lower noise emissions were a requirement in the product spec and didn't happen by chance.

[BillP]

Hi Daniel,

I have responded on the thread that you have started.

[Anonymous user]

Hi I'm Purshu. 2 Days ago I purchased a BR1000G-IN Ups. My UPS Fan is always on and it doesnt off even the battery is low. I have connected a spike buster for extension and a extension box to connect my Network routers. Can U help me with this?

[BillP]

Apc 1500 va

Hey guys,

there was a power blackout last night and I switched the ups off before going to bed and there was one bar left on the battery backup. Today when I wake up the fan is on and the ups just won’t come on. I tried plugging it into different power sources, the fan stays on but it just won’t power on. I press the power button and it beeps but nothing happens. When I press the volume mute button it beeps also but nothing on the lcd. I just bought this ups a month ago. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Peace and love. ✌🏼💜

[BillP]

Hi,

You should brain dead the UPS and if that does not resolve the issue please contact local support for assistance. 

Brain dead instruction are available in Schneider Electric FAQ FA158947