Smart-UPS 3000 - The battery is not installed properly.

[ICT-UV_apc]

We have two Smart-UPS 3000, one of them has recently started alerting us with the message "The battery is not installed properly." The battery has been removed and re-fitted but the alert is still present. The firmware on the NMC has also been updated. Could it be that the battery just needs replacing?

Smart-UPS 3000 SMT3000RMI2U (Manufacture date: 12/19/2012)

UPS Network Management Card 2 (AP9631, Firmware v6.4.0)

Any ideas?

[BillP]

Hi Bill,

Could you post the full logs? Or at least event.txt/event log and data.txt/data log to see some history on this? We could look at any other events that indicate something other than a battery at its beginning stages of failure. It will also show when the latest battery self test passed as when this fails, it typically reports that it failed and that'd also indicate a bad battery. Maybe that test is due shortly or we can try one manually (but I want to see the logs before I suggest that).

The data log can show us the history of battery capacity and voltage. It could need a battery which is most likely or there is a slim chance the UPS could have a problem "seeing" the battery and it being a UPS problem.

Instructions are downloading the logs are here -> http://www.schneider-electric.us/en/faqs/FA156131 the .tar file is fine as explained there or as I said, individual event and data log.

[ICT-UV_apc]

Attached are the event and data files.

I've tried manually performing a self test and the UPS powered off.

[BillP]

Hi Bill,

Had you cleared the event log yesterday? I can't see anything from before yesterday unfortunately.

With what I see, I have no reason to believe that the issue is NOT the battery, especially since you said the UPS turned off when you did a self test. That would be the first logical step to address the issue you've described in my opinion and experience.

[ICT-UV_apc]

Yes, I cleared the logs yesterday to try and see what was happening. From email alerts the last succesful self test was on the 22-2-2016 and the code was: 0x0137

I have another UPS of the same type, is it worth swapping the batteries between the two?

[BillP]

Hi Bill,

Ahh, OK. And yes, I think it is worth a try to swap the known good batteries in just for a sanity check before you go ahead to purchase a new pack (since you have it available anyway). On your second UPS, you don't have to turn the UPS off while you do it and can leave it on but it will just beep about the battery being disconnected and have no battery back up functionality with the battery out.

You could swap the known good pack in which I assume is 100% charged from being in the other UPS and run a self test and just confirm you don't see any problems like the constant flood of messages you saw in the log about battery not being installed properly.

[ICT-UV_apc]

No errors for 5 days, so I thought I'd try a self test from the front panel. The UPS remained on but turned off the outputs, and then wouldn't detect the battery again. Logs are attached, I may get timer alter in the week to swap over batteries.

[BillP]

Ahh, yeah sounds like a battery for sure that might be on its way out.

[ICT-UV_apc]

Swapped the batteries and the faulty one triggers the same error on the other UPS, the non-faulty detects as normal in the originals UPS. Time to buy a new battery. Thanks Angela. 

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Hi Bill,

No problem. Glad the battery swap was able to confirm the issue is the battery.