Allowable fan clearance for Back-UPS 1500

[ByteCrawler_apc]

I have a Back-UPS 1500 under my desk and that area is starting to get a little crowded. There are fans on both sides and the top of the unit which makes me very hesitant to put it up against a wall or the side of the desk. How much clearance do I need on the sides and top of the unit to ensure adequate cooling?

Also, I'm thinking of adding an additional battery pack. In the documentation, this pack is shown as being placed flush along side the main unit. Does this change the clearance required for the other fans?

[BillP · Accepted solution]

I have mine under my desk and I do just fine with about 3-4 inches clearance on each side. I would say whatever is needed to keep the ambient temp of the unit closest to 70-75ºF as possible. Beyond my own anecdotal information and general experience working with UPSs, I don't know of any "official" information regarding fan clearance.