Back-UPS ES 750 has developed a hot plastic smell

[Thunderknight_apc]

This was originally posted on APC forums on 7/21/2009

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I have a Back-UPS ES 750. I purchased it about 8 months ago on sale and then put it on the shelf for a few months. Recently my previous APC UPS died, so I pulled out the ES 750 and placed it in service.

After a few days, I began to notice a "hot plastic" smell in the vicinity of the UPS. None of my older (2-4 years) APC UPSes do this. After a couple of days of this smell, I finally disconnected it.

Is this normal? I did some searching and it does not (to me) smell like sulfur or "magic markers". I would definitly say it smells like plastic that is overheated. I ran my hand across the unit and it felt warm, but I do not feel any hot spots.

The UPS is not overloaded, just 1 PC and 2 LCD panels. In fact this UPS is larger than the previous one.


Thanks

[Techie_apc]

This was originally posted on APC forums on 7/21/2009

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M D,

There is something wrong in the UPS unit. I recommend you to call in the APC Customer Care Center to troubleshoot the issue, and get the replacement unit if it is defective under factory warranty.

[BillP]

This reply was originally posted by Gary on APC forums on 8/5/2009

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I have the same problem with my ES 750. I have noticed a whiff of burning plastic for some time but could not pin down where it was coming from. I happened to be close to the unit when reconfiguring my desktop and located the smell at the unit. After reading this and other posts I rechecked the unit and found the only hot spot is on the bottom of the unit under the three outlets powered by the master outlet. It is not hot, just a little warm. The rest of the unit is cool to the touch. I would never have considered this warm spot as anything out of the ordinary, except the smell and this thread.

I bought this one from Office Depot.

thanks

[Erasmus_apc · Accepted solution]

This was originally posted on APC forums on 8/5/2009

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With new Back-UPS ES and RS LCD units you will sometimes have a smell that is reminiscent of hot plastic. This is due to the coating and cleaning materials used on the plastic before the UPS' are released for distribution, as well as the fact that many plastic electronic devices retain a faint plastic smell for a short time after beginning use. This is not harmful and can be considered in the same vein as a "new car" smell, and will go away in a fairly short amount of time. However, if you smell an actual distinct sulfur/rotten egg or acrid smoke/charring smell, this is different and you should call tech support about the issue immediately.