BE750G battery install procedure

[Anonymous user]

Is there a correct sequence or procedure when replacing the battery in a BE750G? I've tried THREE different batteries, and with a 120W or so load, it's only showing about 2-3 minutes of runtime, and it starts continuous beeping after barely a minute.

Do I have to unplug it before changing the battery? Do I need to unplug and try to power on to drain any stored power in the monitoring electronics after removing the battery but before unplugging?

[voidstar_apc]

I'm not intimately familiar with the BackUPS, but generally UPS runtime prediction needs calibration for a new battery. Sometimes there's a way to do this in software so I'd check PowerChute Personal Edition. But it can also be done by having steady load on the UPS (120W should work), unplugging the UPS, and letting it run until the battery is discharged. The load must remain on during this process. Based on a 120W load, that'll take  20-35 mins.

[Anonymous user]

I ran a test today using a 100W incandescent bulb. It ran for 5 minutes before starting continuous beeping. It then ran for 10 minutes before shutting down. I'm letting it recharge and will try again tomorrow.

[voidstar_apc]

The procedure I mentioned above is listed here under "option 3":

http://www.schneider-electric.us/sites/us/en/support/faq/faq_main.page?page=content&id=FA156538

It's written for SmartUPS models but it's worth a shot with BackUPS. The SmartUPS seems to require at least 30% load, so if that holds true for BackUPS, yours is 450W so 30% of that is 135W load or greater. Sorry I said before that 120W should be fine; I should've done the math.

[Anonymous user]

I gave it 24 hours and tried with a 150W load (2 x 75W bulbs). It started continuous beeping instantly and shut down after about 15-20 seconds.

I'm letting it charge up again, but will connect the USB to a computer to check the charge level first before trying again. That said, I'd think even if it wasn't fully charged, I should have gotten a few minutes.

[BillP]

Andrew,

Can you confirm the model and serial number of the batteries you have attempted to install?  Also, are they brand new APC batteries or have they been in storage?  If you could also provide the serial number of the unit, that would be helpful.

Regards,

[Anonymous user]

The battery is only 2 weeks old (to me). It's an RBC17, ser # 7A1513L02441. Under the label, it's a CSB brand HR1234WF2.

The UPS itself is a BE750G, ser # 3B0747X51269. Looking at my records, I think it may be from 2008.

This is the 3rd or 4th battery I've had in it.

[Terry_Kennedy_apc]

My general rule of thumb with the lower-end units (mostly Smart-UPS, but likely valid on Back-UPS as well) is that the batteries in a new unit will last somewhere between 2 and 5 years, with the lower end of the range being more likely. The second set should last 2 or 3 years. After that, things go downhill rapidly. A 3rd set may work for a year or so. You may get lucky and get more, but I wouldn't bet on it, particularly without calibration of the float voltage (not supported or recommended by APC). APC used to offer a program called Charge-UPS that included a battery and a warranty extension. Now they just sell the batteries and the next level is Trade-UPS, where the whole UPS is replaced on the lower models. Charge-UPS still seems to be available for certain larger units (at least they aren't listed as discontinued on the APC site). They've never said (that I know of) why they discontinued it on the smaller units, but I suspect that they had a large number of warranty claims which made it no longer cost-effective to offer.

Your UPS is from late 2007. If this were my unit, I'd say it had a good run and purchase a new unit and recycle the old one. That would also be a good time to see if I needed a unit with more (or less) capacity, and also evaluate if the added features in the Smart-UPS line are worth moving up the product line.

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

I may have to give up on it. I tried another test, and it lasted only about 90 seconds. Wasted alot of money on batteries that will now just sit around and sulfate to death. Maybe we are making the UPS's too smart for their own good, or it's some form of deliberate planned obsolescence.

I don't need too much wattage, but I'd prefer some good runtime. Not as big a deal for this one I use with the computer, but I also have UPS's for a cable box and modem/router.

I recently bought a Cyperpower 1000PFCLCD. It's similar to a Back-UPS Pro in that it has a display, but it's also a true sinewave output like a Smart-UPS, but at the Back-UPS Pro price. I was going to use it for something else, but I will probably only use it for the computer now (I've been using it while testing the BE750G.) It appears to use the same 12V/9Ah battery as the 750G, so the runtime should be similar.