Smart-UPS SMT1000I strange behaviour

[Anonymous user]

Hello to all.

I'm here to share my experience with this APC's product and, mainly, have your opinion about

I bought it last November 2013, everything works fine until one month ago:

Suddendly, without any reason, all the Group 1 outlets went OFF. The Others outlets were OK (tested). I had to manually switch the UPS completely OFF and then back ON to resume everything to the original conditions

As soon as I had all my peripherals back ON (this issue switched brutally OFF my two PCs, modem, monitor, etc.) I checked the eventlog and I found:

"11/09/14 23:19:55 Outlet Group 1 commanded to: turn off using delay

11/09/14 23:19:55 Shutdown process started

11/09/14 23:19:55 Battery Discharged

11/09/14 23:19:55 Online (Green Mode) - Exited"

On datalog instead:

Date and Time    Maximum Line Voltage    Minimum Line Voltage    Line Voltage    Output Voltage    Battery Voltage    Output Frequency    UPS Load    UPS Internal Temperature    Probe 1 Temperature    Probe 1 Humidity    Probe 2 Temperature    Probe 2 Humidity    Input Frequency    Battery Capacity

"11/09/2014 23:05:43    N/A                                    N/A                     230,4                 230                     27,2                    50,0                    29,9                   29,7                                    N/A                        N/A                         N/A                            N/A                      50,0                     100

11/09/2014 23:30:18     N/A                                    N/A                     230,4                 230,4                   27,2                   50,0                    31,8                   29,7                                     N/A                        N/A                         N/A                            N/A                      50,0                     100

So, if in the datalog everything is fine, what started the events showed in the previous log?

Of course I have already contacted APC Customer Support and they offer me a replacement. Ok, I said to myself, wonderful!

But everything is shining is not always gold....

The device received was a refurbished one, Ok, I can survive if it works as stated.... BUT, unfortunately, the upper case is not in perfect conditions and the front panel doesn't stay attached correctly.

I finally refuse that device and I kept my original one, the Customer Support request me some photoes and they decide to send me another replacement, never received

Now, yesterday I check, found it possible and did a firmware upgrade of my UPS, resetted both eventlog and datalog entries and now I'm monitoring it, but a particular entry make me curious:

10/12/14	01:22:16	Monitoring Started
10/12/14	01:22:19	Communication Established
10/12/14	01:21:22	Monitoring Stopped

Also before the firmware upgrade there were a lot of entries like those ones, anyone can tell me if it's normal or not?

Actually those three are the only ones present in the eventlog since yesterday, after the firmware upgrade

Tks in advance!

[BillP]

In PowerChute Business Edition, my first guess would be that the Batteries Discharged event was configured to start a shutdown of the system/UPS. Batteries Discharged would typically appear if you have low runtime - whether because of an older battery or a battery that was exhausted after a power outage. The two lines of the data log don't help a lot because they are also far apart (per the timestamps). Can you check the Event Action configuration for Batteries Discharged? And how much runtime does your UPS report as available with the load attached?

Monitoring Started/Stopped is explained in the help file and user's guide. It refers to when the PowerChute Business Edition agent service was stopped or unable to monitor the UPS. If it is happening frequently, we'd usually see if you're using USB or serial and see if we can pinpoint it to the UPS or the computer you're using. It can also happen in expected situations such as when you reboot your computer (and thus the PowerChute service), when the UPS is rebooted, and a few other times. From what you said, it sounds like it was happening frequently.

Ideally, we'd want to see the full logs to see the history of the unit to investigate further.

[Anonymous user]

Tks for your reply

I pasted just two datalog entries because, I think, they should be enough to understand there is something crazy. Here what I mean:

With that load the UPS, in normal conditions, report always a runtime remaining not less than 39 minutes

So, if you compare the datastamps in the two logs:

HOW can be possible that the battery from 100% of its capacity goes to minimum in 14 minutes?

HOW can be possible the battery is back fully charged in 11 minutes (100%)?

The settings were to initiate the switch off procedure 180 seconds at runtime limit, but why the Group 1 outlets only? The settings are valid for all the outlets

The settings were to switch back the outlets ON as soon as the main power returns, but the power was not missing at all!

So, as you can suspect, the questions became a lot.

I bought that UPS via Trade online APC website, is possible that it's not brand new? Uhmmm....

The battery was connected in the middle of November 2013, just after I unbox the UPS, connected to the electrical house plug without any load for more hours than the requested by the installation manual

Are they able to sell a new UPS with an old battery?

The computer where the UPS is attached is ON 365 days per year, it reboot just one time per month, after the MS updates, but having a look in the event log seems that it reboots at least one time per week.

The PC and UPS are connected via USB, the serial port can't be considered at all because the modern PCs born without it, also as a plug on the motherboard, you can't find it

Now the logs entries are resetted, firmware upgraded and I'll wait to see.

I attach now the eventlog involved, the same I sent to the Customer Support, just to make you smiling

For sure I learned a main lesson: never buy from an APC's store, I'm using APC since years, for me and parents, never a problem, this time was the first one I choose an APC shop and these are the results. Wow!

About the Customer Support, let me to shut up, is better

Tks again for your time, I'll keep you informed about any news

[BillP]

Hi again,

I will see about having someone more senior reach out to you from our EMEA support region. There are a few possibilities here that might be better explained in detail offline regarding why Batteries Discharged may have showed and maybe it is not the battery that caused the issue. Any units purchased via Trade-UPS, unless clearly specified as open box or refurbished would be new. Batteries are consumable items and can also have manufacturing defects sometimes and not hold their capacity or function as they should. I see what you mean in the log on how there was no Power Failed message before the Batteries Discharged.

If the Battery was the case and it was under warranty and a problem was identified with it, it would be replaced under warranty. I am still unclear here exactly what happened though and am not convinced it is a battery if the UPS never went to battery so that is why I'd like to have someone reach out to you to work through it or review the support case you already started to make sure it is being handled efficiently.

[Anonymous user]

Hello Mrs Angela and tks for your answer.

Right now I have mainly to understand why that PC reboots, I discover yesterday it reboots at 7:19 pm and today at 7:10 pm. There is something hidden to me in its settings.

For the UPS, I'll see the eventlog in the next days, if I'm lucky the firmware upgrade solve everything (I'm also convinced that it's not a battery problem)

Tks again for your time!

[Anonymous user]

After more than one year, seems that the PC connected to the UPS decide itself to set windows update to reboot after updates.... Now I did everything to stop it!!

For the rest..... no news, good news. No strange event recorded, it's like a baby sleeping...

I still wait before to organize a party, but the sensation is that I (not the customer support) fixed the issue with the firmware upgrade..... sssshhhhh, shutup Andy!

[Anonymous user]

Hellooooooo

Finally, after about nine days after the firmware upgrade, still there aren't no entries in the eventlog.

Checking the old one I attached to my previous post, between each daily entry there is a minimum of one day up to a maximum of six days.

By my side, after nine days with no entries at all, I can surely affirm that the UPS is finally enjoying a new life!!!

So, at this point, I don't have any more questions.

Tks again for your time and support, very appreciated!!!

Have a nice time and I wish you a merry Christmas and a best new year!!

[BillP · Accepted solution]

I'm glad to hear. Thanks and same to you!!