APC BackUPS Pro BR1500GI does not meet the advertised specifications.

[BillP]

Yesterday I went to my brother's home, he has a BackUPS Pro BR1500GI like me.
I put a 800W load on it (haswell-e + GTX980 Ti SLI clocked) and the UPS shutted down with F02 error, just like my BR1500GI.

We spent 800€ for two UPS that are advertised for 865W, this unit can't handle more than 770-780W without shutting down with strange error.

What APC has to say about this?
I would like to hear an official statement on this.

[BillP]

Davide,

How are you monitoring the load on the UPS to determine the wattage draw?

Is the error happening when the UPS switches to battery or when on AC?

If you are switching the UPS to battery how are you performing that? Unplugging from AC source?

What is the serial number of the BR1500?

Is the battery in the unit the original battery?

[BillP]

I'm monitoring the load using the LCD present in the display and with a digital watt meter that I put on the AC socket.

The error happen when the UPS switches on battery. I discovered it when the UPS tried the self test when my PC was on and the PC immediately shutted down.

Yes, I unplug the AC source to test the UPS.

Serial Number: 3B1115X19770

The battery is new and genuine/original.

[BillP]

Hi,

I tested similar units today. BR1500G (120 V) manufactured in 2012. I put a 856 watt loaded on the UPS (see screen shot). I ran a self-test and put the UPS on battery. In nether case did the UPS crash or give the F02 error. I also tested a BX1500G (120 V) from 2009 and it handled the load as expected. Both units had the original batteries. I was pleasantly surprised that the 2009 unit did not have an issue based on the battery age. Both units showed 3 minutes of run-time which matches our on-line graph. 

Note: I split the load between 2 outlets on the UPS. 600 watts on one and 256 on the other. Also, PowerChute warned me that the UPS would not sustain the load for 5 minutes which was the configured shut down threshold however it did power down the OS properly. 

I am looking for test information for units based on your serial number range. If I can find the information I will pass it on. 

[BillP]

for what it worth in europe we use 220V not 120V.

[BillP]

PS: can you tell me what you used to simulate a load of 865W?

we connect PSU to UPS not simulated pure load.

[BillP]

Hi,

The load I used was static. Quantity 4 200 watt incandescent light bulbs, 1 40 watt incandescent light bulb, and 1 Dell 17 inch computer monitor. I used this load knowing that the bulbs would stay consistent through the test cycle.  

[BillP]

your test is much much easyer than a real load coming from an Active PFC Power Supply.
My Corsair AX860i has a PFC as all PSU in the world from ten years and PFC can create this kind of problem in cheap UPS.

APC UPS costs two times a "normal UPS", I didn't expected this behaviour from a unit of this cost.

PS: I tried with bulbs and I have no problem with bulbs. The problem comes when using a PC PSU. Do you test your UPS for PC use or for lighting? 
Really disappointed, I will spread this things on forums.

[voidstar_apc]

It's not so much the active PSU but the design of the power supply. Some of them exceed their power limit when the voltage drops. Exceeding the UPS specs will eventually cause it to shut off the output.

[BillP]

If overloaded the UPS should give the overload error, not the F02 battery short error.

[BillP]

On 2/15/2016 4:34 AM, Davide said:

If overloaded the UPS should give the overload error, not the F02 battery short error.

Hi Davide.  I think it's a matter of semantics.  I believe that the F02 error is not a battery short error but, rather, an output load "short" while on battery power.  The F02 error is much like an F01 (overload) error but taken to another level.

[BillP]

Ok, in any case for the price of this unit I expected a little bit of "over engineering" other than "sub engineering".
I'm using a PSU that got a 10 out of 10 from jonny guru, no a cheap one.
the overshoot during outages must be small and at 810W (including 40W monitor) of load an UPS that is advertised for 865W should handle it.

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Just to inform other people, I bought an Atlantis Land, I paid it half the price of the APC and it works like a charm.