APC UPS 1500VA UPS intermittenly switches between plug and battery all day long

[jpatrich]

The unit is 11 months old, and in the past, two or three times a day, it would switch between plug and battery, and there were no problems. Now, it does it about once every minute! I unplugged it, and it powered everything OK, and was using battery. For what ever reason, yesterday, it kept switching until the battery was dead. I had to bypass the system to keep my computer on line. It took all day to recharge the battery (because of the constant switching?). There is no way this unit should be failing in only 1 months.

[Teken]

Please call out the exact SKU of this APC UPS. The model you have stated is a generic name.

It will be easier to upload a photo of the front and back of the unit. If the system is connected to APC Power Chute software.

Upload the event, data, and ups logs for review.

Questions Ask . . . 👍

[jpatrich]

BX 1500M
APCRBC124

Will send picture of label after logging in (did not know it would kick me out to log in)

[jpatrich]

[jpatrich]

To my knowledge, the unit is not conected to Power Chute software, and there are no APC or other programs showing on my program list/

[Teken]

Please install the APC Power Chute software that’s included with the system and connect the two together. 

You have the ability to export the various logs and upload them here for review. If there are active faults / errors both the LCD display and logs will capture these.

I want to see what is happening in your environment as it relates to input / output voltage & frequency. 

[jpatrich]

I would be glad to install the software, if I had it. None of the documentation that came with it, had that program included. If it was, I would have installed it. That was 11 months ago, so I just did a search, it looked like the personal version was discontinued a couple of months ago, and the network one did not have a link for downloading on the pages I tried. Please advise...

[Teken]

You may use the following resource link to download the APC PCSS. You may need to create an account and register before doing so:

https://www.se.com/us/en/product/SFPCSS/software-powerchute-serial-shutdown-unattended-graceful-shut...

The same link includes the installation manual and outlines how to export the logs. As such please upload the same once available for review.

Questions Ask . . . 👍

[jpatrich · Accepted solution]

So, I went out of town for a week. I left the UPS off line, with the loads bypassing it.

I was outside working in the yard the day after we got back...under the transformer supplying the house. Heard an alternating static sound coming from the overhead transformer. Called the power company, thinking this may be the only problem I have, since I felt this could alter the volts and sine wave. They come out and said the transformer was bad, and replaced it (about 20 years old). After the new one was installed, they said the volt output was still alternating...They went upstream, off my 7 acres, and found a bad link coming to the transformer...fixed it. Guess what, that cured everything! This thing had gotten progressively worse for about 5 months.  The voltage drop was enough for the UPS to sense it, but very little other electronics saw it (why I thought it was the UPS). I have had the UPS back online for two days.

Thank you for your great support for all this, and sorry to put you through so much trouble.

[Teken]

Appreciate the detailed reply, root cause, and final solution. 

Rock On . . . 👍