BR1500S Lock‑Up (Green LED On, LCD Blank, No Output) – Firmware 952.e4 .D

[WildBillTX]

Yesterday I had a serious lock‑up issue with my Back‑UPS Pro BR1500S.

Details:

• Model: BR1500S
• UPS Firmware: 952.e4 .D
• Display Firmware: 01.01a (1201‑19)
• Battery: less than 1 year old
• Environment: air‑conditioned, surge‑protected
• Unit passes self‑test

Problem:
The UPS stopped delivering power to all outlets. Interestingly, this occurred during a routine monthly test of our Generac whole-house generator. During this test, the generator powers on and delivers power to the entire house for 30 minutes. At a particular moment during the test yesterday, our 3-ton air conditioner kicked on, an event that always has a momentary impact on voltage delivered to the house and to the UPS. However, the UPS has worked successfully in this scenario for months. Yesterday was the first time I’ve seen this lock-up. Symptoms:

• The front green LED stayed on (as if everything was normal).
• The LCD was blank and unresponsive.
• None of the battery‑backed outlets had power.

Pressing the power button had no effect. Unplugging and re‑plugging wall power had no effect. The only way to restore output was to disconnect and reconnect the internal battery, which forced a reset.

Questions:

1. Is there a firmware update newer than 952.e4 .D that resolves this lock‑up condition?
2. If not, is APC treating this as a known issue (warranty replacement, etc.)?

Kind Regards

Wild Bill in Texas

[Teken]

There is no firmware available for any APC Back-UPS that an end user can obtain and load. This must be done at the factory / repair facility.

Please upload the following logs from PCPE / PCSS for review: Event, Data, UPS

In the interim perform the following test and report back the results. Remove AC Mains from the wall and report back what happens.

Does the unit remain operational and if so how long does it run for in minutes. Compare this to the APC Runtime Calculator.

If the system turns off immediately the RBC needs to be replaced as it’s end of life.

Lastly provide the serial number of the unit and a photo of the RBC showing the production date of the cell.

Questions Ask . . . 👍 

[WildBillTX]

Unfortunately I did not have powerchute configured for this UPS at the time of the issue.

I unplugged the UPS from the wall and it worked, supplying power to the attached equipment. I did not wait for it to drain the battery completely on this trial.

I searched for and did not locate a UPS runtime calculator for my particular model and load. If you have some guidance as to where I can find such a calculator, I would be happy to try it. In the meantime, can I just use the estimated runtime that gets displayed on the front panel?

I believe the serial number for the UPS itself is 4B2044P44787. I am attaching a photo of the batteries. I believe this date code indicates that one of the two cells was manufactured in April 2023 and the other in August 2023. But I’m no expert in interpreting these codes.

 

I located the record of my purchase of this UPS. The purchase date was July 2024

[Teken]

You can obtain some information via the LCD to see the last ten faults / errors. Please take the time to connect the unit to a computer running Power Chute Software so more information can be obtained during the next event.

Please upload a photo of the battery which shows the production sticker. The image you provided is not the production date.

Runtime: The LCD provides only an estimate as to runtime. If the system was running for at least 10-15 minutes with a moderate load that’s fine for now.

The grid down test was to simply verify on the extreme side if the RBC was EOL. If so the system would have immediately dropped the load and turned off which didn’t happen here.

I would suggest you contact APC Technical Support if you believe the unit is faulty or wait to see the next generator self test to see how the unit behaves and engage the AC to replicate the same conditions.

If you decide to contact APC Technical Support please have the serial number, receipt, and brief description of the problem.

Questions Ask . . . 👍

[WildBillTX]

This? Sorry I don’t know the lingo. 

[Teken]

If this is the OEM CSB battery cell the production sticker indicates it’s from August 15, 2020.

The service life is approximately 2-5 years based on usage, temperature, and environmental conditions.

This specific cell is passed its useful service life and should be replaced. If you did in fact purchase this in July 2024 it’s obvious the hardware was sitting on the shelf for a long time before you bought it.

Contact APC Technical Support and provide them with the purchase receipt. They will send you a new RBC (Replacement Battery Cartridge) for your system.

NOTE: It’s imperative that you make clear you purchased the unit in July 2024 and show them proof (receipt). Otherwise they will simply go by the production serial number of the unit.

Which in your case is produced 2020, 44th week.

Questions Ask . . . 👍

[WildBillTX]

Thank you. I opened a ticket. As it turns out, the unit that I bought from an authorized reseller in July 2024 was manufactured in 2020. Go figure. At any rate, Support agreed to send me a replacement battery. If that doesn’t solve the problem, they will do a warranty replacement on the unit itself.

I appreciate your help with this!

[Teken]

That’s great to hear and please do follow up with the final outcome once the RBC has been replaced.

As a gentle reminder the following action items must be completed once the RBC has been replaced:

Battery: In Power Chute (PCPE / PCSS) update the battery installation date.

Self Test: Manually initiate a self test via LCD Menu / PCPE / PCSS and wait for it to pass & complete and return to 100%.

Battery Calibration: If this feature is available in Power Chute. Manually initiate this process with at least 30% attached load. Once complete allow the system to recharge the RBC back to 100% SOC (State of Charge).

Doing so will help the system reflect the correct operational runtime in both LCD Menu & Power Chute.

Questions Ask . . . 👍