SmartUPS 1500 is beeping -- more like a chirp -- every three seconds

[Anonymous user]

If I turn it on by pressing Test all bars on the battery status light up and the online LED lights up. After a few seconds the battery status bars go off, the online LED remains on and the chirping starts.

Both the Smart UPS and battery pack are relatively new and there had been no indication the battery was going bad before the chirping started.

Any idea of what the problem could be?

[BillP]

So just to confirm, with the chirping, only the online LED is lit? The battery bar graph on the far right hand side is not illuminated at all?

Does the UPS appear to work properly? (Not sure if you tried testing it at all as far as pulling the plug to see if it operates on battery power). Also, I don't suppose you monitor it via USB or serial or with a UPS Network Management Card?

Lastly, just for the most accurate information, can you confirm the exact model from the back of the UPS on the white sticker? It sounds like a variety of SUA1500 but I just want to double check in case it is a specific option/custom unit.

[Anonymous user]

Thanks for the post. Sorry to be slow in replying. Just got back from a trip.

The UPS is a model SUA1500. All the other computers are on SUA1000 UPS's. When this UPS started acting up,  I placed the computer it had been supporting on a spare SUA1000.

I just ran a simple test. I loaded the SUA1500 with a100 watt incandescent light and unplugged the cord. The light went out so the  UPS is not working from batteries.

When the UPS is first turned on all five of the battery charge LEDs light up and the online indicator. After about ten seconds a relay clicks inside, the battery charge LEDs go off and the chirping starts. The Online indicator stays on

[BillP]

No problem!

When you did the test and the lightbulb went out, did the UPS turn off too or stay on? If it stayed on but the output turned off, it seems like a problem with a relay (maybe the output relay specifically) or something.

[Anonymous user]

Not sure what you mean by "did the UPS turnoff too or stay on?" The online indicator stayed on until I unplugged the power when it went off at the same time the shop light I had plugged in as a resistive test load did. I can't do a battery swap with one of the SUA 1000 UPSs since the SUA1500 uses an RBC7 battery pack -- totally different than in the SUA1000

[BillP]

I was wondering if the battery continued to support the UPS and just the lightbulb turned off. Sounds like UPS and light went off at the same time.

How about this - if you have the UPS turned on and disconnect the battery in it (or unplug the triangular battery disconnect on the rear of the UPS), do you get a flashing replace battery LED on the front (the LED near the battery with an X in it)? I was thinking this was a problem with the UPS but it is feasible that maybe there is a problem with the replace battery LED and this is a battery issue. What I just asked you to do should illuminate the replace battery LED so we can see if it works or not. When the battery is disconnected, the UPS is designed to flash the replace battery LED and then also chirp. So if anything, I expect it to continue chirping and flash the replace battery LED at you. It might be already doing that yet the replace battery LED is damaged or doesn't work is my theory.

[Anonymous user]

Gustav I hope you (or someone) can help.  I have exactly the same problem as reported here.  PCB reports the unit is a 1400 RM XL.  I have 3 of these UPS.  Two of them exhibit this problem. 

The batteries are brand new.  The load on the units is high or low - it doesn't make any difference.  The chirping sounds like a drummer clicking his drum sticks together.  The time between chirps is random - ranging from about 1 second to 10 seconds.  The amber LED occasionally lights for about 10 to 30 seconds, then goes out.  The random chirping never stops! 

PCB reports the UPS Status goes into into Self-Test mode.  At the same time the Diagnostic Self-Test reports Passed.  The battery status is anywhere from 20% to 70%.  The unit then again goes into Self-Test mode - even though the battery status is less than 100%.  This cycle repeats every 2 to 3 minutes.  The random chirping never stops!

I've logged into the unit's Web-URL and reset the unit to Factory Defaults.  Self-Test to Never. Sensitivity to Low.  All to no avail.

I tried the BrainDead reset - as suggested elsewhere on this forum - unplug AC (the unit does not transfer to battery as it should), hold the Power button until lights go out, then the Test button until 2-beeps.  But the unit never gives that "2-beep" sound.  All it does is flash all the lights for about 1/4 second.  The random chirping never stops!

I tried the other full reset method suggested - unplug power, unplug batteries.  Wait a few seconds (I gave it 5 minutes), then re-plug in the batteries and then AC.  No good.  The random chirping never stops (except of course when the unit has no power).

With the UPS on AC power, unplugging the battery pack does nothing - the "Replace Battery" LED does not light up, and does not transfer to battery.

Pressing and holding the power button shuts the unit off.  After releasing the power button, the unit comes back on, then flashes the Utility Power LED continuously.  And the chirping starts again.

Please help!!

Lew

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Hi Lew,

I have a few questions to try to get to the bottom of this:

- What's the model and serial number of this UPS? This should be found on a white sticker.

- You mentioned the batteries are new - what's the serial number on those or did you use third party batteries?

- Is the amber LED you are referring to the on battery LED? Are there any other LED's lit?

- Do you have any external battery packs connected? And if so, have you tried all of this without it?

- What's the background on this UPS? Was it working fine for a while, bought this second hand and just installing it, etc.

Look forward to hearing from you and hope you have a good weekend.

Thanks,

Tommy