Back UPS 350 beeps when there is no apparent interruption of power, sometimes shuts off computer

[Anonymous user]

My wife and I each have model Back UPS 350G battery systems that beep when there is no apparent loss of power at our home. No flickering of lights or digital clocks resetting, etc. Also, my wife today had her computer (an Apple iMac) turn off a couple of times when her UPS beeped today. There was no interruption in power to our house at the time, however, and my computer (which I disconnected from the UPS backup a few days ago) kept right on working. It was plugged into a standard surge-protected powerstrip.

So my questions are:

• What causes these fairly regular beeps when there is no seeming loss of power to the house?

• And, why did my wife's computer shut off while attached to her UPS, when my computer, which was just plugged into a regular surge-protected powerstrip, did not?

My troubleshooting to date:

Power outages are not uncommon experiences where we live. I asked a technician at our local electric coop if there were surges or interruptions in our power service that could explain this problem. He said, basically, no. He and his fellow employees even have UPS devices connected to their computers and they don't have this problem of the UPS being activated when there is no apparent change in the electrical flow. He suggested I check the UPS battery, which I did by plugging in a lamp when the devices were disconnected from an electrical outlet. Lamps came right on, so the batteries in both our UPS devices seem fine.

I bought the devices in 2012, which also appears to be their manufacture date based on my reading of the serial number.

Anyone have any suggestions of things to try? 

[Anonymous user]

I have a Back-UPS XS 1300 and have a similar problem. The UPS chirps randomly throughout the day, some days (like today) worse than others. The speaker icon on the display alternates from ON to OFF and then back ON at the next beep. I can't turn the sounds off. It is driving only 210W and the load display shows 2 bars. I tried to use the PowerChute software to change the sensitivity, but there was no change. I also tried to change the load setting on start up as described in the manual, but I couldn't get it to change between menu items. All it would do was turn ECO on and off.

The voltage is steady on 119 and there are no power events in the log.

All this chirping is driving me nuts. Any ideas?

Steve

[BillP]

Mark - On the BE350G, this could be due to an overload. This UPS can only support 200W max and if the iMac is overloading it, you'll only find out when the UPS goes to battery. Many Back-UPS models can only detect overload on battery versus online mode due to the UPS topology. In consulting here, it sounds like the BE350G is going to battery mode for one reason or another and then possibly is overloaded and turned off. Unfortunately, this model doesn't support PowerChute so you can't see load information. You can try adjusting its sensitivity thresholds via the ON button though as opposed to the software (instructions here for that - http://www.apcmedia.com/salestools/SCON-89HJYJ/SCON-89HJYJ_R3_EN.pdf but that will adjust how often the UPS may go to battery). Though, how long has this unit been installed and successfully supporting the iMac? Did you add new load recently? Adjusting the sensitivity could help on why the UPS goes to battery often but won't solve the possible overload of the UPS if that is the issue.

Steve - on your UPS, that is strange. Can you issue a UPS self test and it successfully passes? And it is definitely a chirp versus on "on battery" type beep?

[Anonymous user]

Thanks for your reply, Angela. I'll check out the pdf.

To answer a couple of questions you raised: The UPS only has the iMac plugged into it. And the unit was only used for maybe a month a couple of years ago and just recently for another month or two. It sat unused for maybe a 18 months because it wasn't working properly and I didn't make time to try to figure out why.

If adjusting the sensitivity doesn't solve the problem, what do you suggest? Should I look for a UPS with a higher load rating? And if so, what load rating should I look for?

Thanks!

Mark

[BillP]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the information. I think changing the sensitivity will maybe prevent the UPS going to battery as frequently as it might be now though if there is a true power outage and the BE350G switches to battery, that is when it will still realize it is overloaded. I just wanted to make sure I was clear.

I would see what the UPS selector spits out at you when you provide details about the specific iMac size-wise -> http://www.apc.com/tools/ups_selector/ The size of UPS you pick will depend on what else you're connecting (printer, etc) and how much runtime you except to get. 

Depending on that, you probably want to look at something at least in the 700VA range or even a little more. Though once you see what the UPS selector gives you, let me know. I might also suggest the sales chat/email on our website as I do mostly technical support and I'd trust them a little more than myself to make sure we evaluate all options 

[Anonymous user]

Hi Angela,

I worked with the UPS Selector, but I'm not sure whether I filled in all the blanks correctly. The selector said my load was 364 watts. (I asked for a 15-minute runtime, btw.) I have no idea if that is high, low or about right. What I got for a cheapest recommendation still cost $400. It was the APC Smart-UPS C 1500VA LCD 120V.

I also checked online for a recommended UPS for an Apple iMac with 21.5" monitor and found this on the Apple site: http://store.apple.com/us/product/TY121LL/A. Would that do the trick?

Thanks,

Mark

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Hi Mark,

I checked with my colleague who knows a little more about the sales side and what to recommend. Here is what I'd say:

iMac's do not technically require a Smart-UPS. We have seen issues with certain Dell systems which require units a pure sine wave, but we haven't run into that with iMacs. Since iMacs do have Power Factor Correction (PFC) power supplies, we do have to be sure the unit is sized correctly. You mention 364 watts, so 364 x 1.25 is 455 watts, so at a minimum you needs something rate for 455W.

Some additional information from us on PFC: http://www.apc.com/support/index?page=content&country=ITB〈=en&locale=en_US&id=FA158939

BE750G might cut it close since its rated for 450W and you said you wanted 15 minutes runtime. Something like BR1000G might be good to look into or if you find a BX1000G at a retailer (BX is retail only and also does not offer boost or trim voltage regulation - I forget which one.)

Let me know if you have any other questions.