Help
  • Explore Community
  • Get Started
  • Ask the Community
  • How-To & Best Practices
  • Contact Support
Notifications
Login / Register
Community
Community
Notifications
close
  • Forums
  • Knowledge Center
  • Events & Webinars
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
Help
Help
  • Explore Community
  • Get Started
  • Ask the Community
  • How-To & Best Practices
  • Contact Support
Login / Register
Sustainability
Sustainability

Join our "Ask Me About" community webinar on May 20th at 9 AM CET and 5 PM CET to explore cybersecurity and monitoring for Data Center and edge IT. Learn about market trends, cutting-edge technologies, and best practices from industry experts.
Register and secure your Critical IT infrastructure

Why frequent "blackouts" when my actual power is seems to be fine?

APC UPS Data Center & Enterprise Solutions Forum

Schneider, APC support forum to share knowledge about installation and configuration for Data Center and Business Power UPSs, Accessories, Software, Services.

cancel
Turn on suggestions
Auto-suggest helps you quickly narrow down your search results by suggesting possible matches as you type.
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
  • Home
  • Schneider Electric Community
  • APC UPS, Critical Power, Cooling and Racks
  • APC UPS Data Center & Enterprise Solutions Forum
  • Why frequent "blackouts" when my actual power is seems to be fine?
Options
  • Subscribe to RSS Feed
  • Mark Topic as New
  • Mark Topic as Read
  • Float this Topic for Current User
  • Bookmark
  • Subscribe
  • Mute
  • Printer Friendly Page
Invite a Co-worker
Send a co-worker an invite to the portal.Just enter their email address and we'll connect them to register. After joining, they will belong to the same company.
You have entered an invalid email address. Please re-enter the email address.
This co-worker has already been invited to the Exchange portal. Please invite another co-worker.
Please enter email address
Send Invite Cancel
Invitation Sent
Your invitation was sent.Thanks for sharing Exchange with your co-worker.
Send New Invite Close
Top Experts
User Count
BillP
Administrator BillP Administrator
5060
voidstar_apc
Janeway voidstar_apc
196
Erasmus_apc
Sisko Erasmus_apc
112
TheNotoriousKMP_apc
Sisko TheNotoriousKMP_apc
108
View All

Invite a Colleague

Found this content useful? Share it with a Colleague!

Invite a Colleague Invite
Solved Go to Solution
Back to APC UPS Data Center & Enterprise Solutions Forum
Solved
Anonymous user
Not applicable

Posted: ‎2021-07-01 01:30 AM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 01:38 AM

0 Likes
3
1376
  • Mark as New
  • Bookmark
  • Subscribe
  • Mute
  • Subscribe to RSS Feed
  • Permalink
  • Print
  • Email to a Friend
  • Report Inappropriate Content

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Posted: ‎2021-07-01 01:30 AM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 01:38 AM

Why frequent "blackouts" when my actual power is seems to be fine?

I recently moved my UPS to a new house and different computer. I installed the latest version of PowerChute. In just a few days, I have 12 reported blackouts totalling 1 min 24 sec. There have been many more, short switchovers to battery not reported.

The odd thing is that there have not been any actual blackouts. No flickering lights. Any blackout longer than a second or so would have thrown my stove and microwave into a clock reset mode. Hasn't happened.

I reset the sensitivity from medium to low an hour ago. No reported blackouts yet, but two brief switchovers to battery.

If the reports were low or high voltage, I could see talking to my power company. But non-existent blackouts?

Any suggestions or explanations? Too bad this software doesn't keep a log or show a voltage graph. I have not seen the status page showing anything other than 120 or 121 input voltage.

Windows 7 Ultimate
Back-UPS XS 1200
Firmware revision: 8.g1.D
Software version: PowerChute Personal Edition 3.0.2
Date of last manual self-test: 9/6/2012
Result of last manual self-test: Passed
RAM: 2.87 GB
Not powering very much - max load is usually under 40 watts. Monitor, laptop charger, cordless phone.

Labels
  • Labels:
  • UPS Management Devices & PowerChute Software
  • Tags:
  • back-ups
  • blackout
Reply

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

  • All forum topics
  • Previous Topic
  • Next Topic

Accepted Solutions
Anonymous user
Not applicable

Posted: ‎2021-07-01 01:30 AM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 01:38 AM

0 Likes
0
1376
  • Mark as New
  • Bookmark
  • Subscribe
  • Mute
  • Subscribe to RSS Feed
  • Permalink
  • Print
  • Email to a Friend
  • Report Inappropriate Content

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Posted: ‎2021-07-01 01:30 AM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 01:38 AM

To answer your first question:

I unplugged my laptop, cordless phone, and external monitor from the UPS. I plugged a 75 watt incandescent lamp into the UPS and pulled the main power line. I reported to the APC person on the discharge progress. To me, it seemed like a slow, smooth discharge rate. On that basis, he (Ravishankar is a male name, I think) said it was not a failing or weak battery. His (or his cheat sheet's) conclusion: Internal fault.

As for your point about the quality of power, my old house is a four hour drive (each way)! I don't know how I would determine what is a good power location in the rural area I live in now. My power here comes from a 75 KV overhead line. It drops underground and then 450' to a big transformer next to my house. From the pole to the transformer to my house everything is barely a year old.

I do know that there have not been any actual blackouts during the recent period. You could still be correct about electrical anomalies. The question would be why the UPS reports "blackouts." It reports no low or high voltage, nor line noise. Now, reporting every "event" as a blackout could be a design weakness. For the price of a home UPS like a BX 1200, I wouldn't expect super sophisticated line monitoring circuitry. Or it could be an "internal fault."

For now, with the sensitivity set on Low, I've only had a couple of instances of brief UPS activity. None were long enough to show up on the "Performance" tab. Unless it gets bothersome again, I'll probably stick with the current setup. Otherwise, next test would be to switch this UPS with the smaller APC model on I have in a utility room to power the modem and router. I wouldn't know if that one has kicked in ever, as it has no computer attached to it.

See Answer In Context

Reply

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Replies 3
Anonymous user
Not applicable

Posted: ‎2021-07-01 01:30 AM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 01:38 AM

0 Likes
0
1376
  • Mark as New
  • Bookmark
  • Subscribe
  • Mute
  • Subscribe to RSS Feed
  • Permalink
  • Print
  • Email to a Friend
  • Report Inappropriate Content

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Posted: ‎2021-07-01 01:30 AM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 01:38 AM

A helpful Chat person walked me through some tests. Conclusion was that it's not a battery problem. It is an "internal fault." Out of warranty, of course.

The tech gave me a link to an APC trade up page. In order to qualify for the "trade" discount, one has to buy one or more units with a total VA rating at least as high as the model being traded in. I found a similar model to my current one. The "discount" price was almost identical to the price from various online retailers, plus or minus a couple of dollars.

If anyone has seen this problem and knows of a way to fix it without tossing out the whole unit, I'd like to hear about it. I don't mind opening up the box and doing a little soldering if necessary.

Reply

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

voidstar_apc
Janeway voidstar_apc
Janeway

Posted: ‎2021-07-01 01:30 AM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 01:38 AM

0 Likes
0
1375
  • Mark as New
  • Bookmark
  • Subscribe
  • Mute
  • Subscribe to RSS Feed
  • Permalink
  • Print
  • Email to a Friend
  • Report Inappropriate Content

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Posted: ‎2021-07-01 01:30 AM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 01:38 AM

Randy,

I'm not sure how you guys determined that the problem is an internal fault. Pretty annoying if the UPS failed out of warranty!

Your first post sounded like the electricity to your new house is a bit flaky. Electrical anomalies can trigger the UPS without visibly disrupting other electronic devices. Especially since you stopped seeing it as much when lowering the sensitivity. An easy way to eliminate or implicate the UPS as the problem would be to plug it back in at the old house or another known-good location.

Reply

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Anonymous user
Not applicable

Posted: ‎2021-07-01 01:30 AM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 01:38 AM

0 Likes
0
1377
  • Mark as New
  • Bookmark
  • Subscribe
  • Mute
  • Subscribe to RSS Feed
  • Permalink
  • Print
  • Email to a Friend
  • Report Inappropriate Content

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Posted: ‎2021-07-01 01:30 AM . Last Modified: ‎2024-03-06 01:38 AM

To answer your first question:

I unplugged my laptop, cordless phone, and external monitor from the UPS. I plugged a 75 watt incandescent lamp into the UPS and pulled the main power line. I reported to the APC person on the discharge progress. To me, it seemed like a slow, smooth discharge rate. On that basis, he (Ravishankar is a male name, I think) said it was not a failing or weak battery. His (or his cheat sheet's) conclusion: Internal fault.

As for your point about the quality of power, my old house is a four hour drive (each way)! I don't know how I would determine what is a good power location in the rural area I live in now. My power here comes from a 75 KV overhead line. It drops underground and then 450' to a big transformer next to my house. From the pole to the transformer to my house everything is barely a year old.

I do know that there have not been any actual blackouts during the recent period. You could still be correct about electrical anomalies. The question would be why the UPS reports "blackouts." It reports no low or high voltage, nor line noise. Now, reporting every "event" as a blackout could be a design weakness. For the price of a home UPS like a BX 1200, I wouldn't expect super sophisticated line monitoring circuitry. Or it could be an "internal fault."

For now, with the sensitivity set on Low, I've only had a couple of instances of brief UPS activity. None were long enough to show up on the "Performance" tab. Unless it gets bothersome again, I'll probably stick with the current setup. Otherwise, next test would be to switch this UPS with the smaller APC model on I have in a utility room to power the modem and router. I wouldn't know if that one has kicked in ever, as it has no computer attached to it.

Reply

Link copied. Please paste this link to share this article on your social media post.

Preview Exit Preview

never-displayed

You must be signed in to add attachments

never-displayed

 
To The Top!

Forums

  • APC UPS Data Center Backup Solutions
  • EcoStruxure IT
  • EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert
  • Metering & Power Quality
  • Schneider Electric Wiser

Knowledge Center

Events & webinars

Ideas

Blogs

Get Started

  • Ask the Community
  • Community Guidelines
  • Community User Guide
  • How-To & Best Practice
  • Experts Leaderboard
  • Contact Support
Brand-Logo
Subscribing is a smart move!
You can subscribe to this board after you log in or create your free account.
Forum-Icon

Create your free account or log in to subscribe to the board - and gain access to more than 10,000+ support articles along with insights from experts and peers.

Register today for FREE

Register Now

Already have an account? Login

Terms & Conditions Privacy Notice Change your Cookie Settings © 2025 Schneider Electric

This is a heading

With achievable small steps, users progress and continually feel satisfaction in task accomplishment.

Usetiful Onboarding Checklist remembers the progress of every user, allowing them to take bite-sized journeys and continue where they left.

of