Back UPS RS 1500VA LCD battery not charging.

[Anonymous user]

Hello there,

I am supporting a remote office that has a Back-UPS RS 1500VA LCD. I don't have physical access to the device, so I can't personally verify the model number, but going by what the staff have told me I believe it is one of these: http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=br1500lcd.

According to the staff a the remote office, the device is currently displaying that it is on-line, and the battery is completely empty, with the battery bar blinking. The word 'Low', however, is not illuminated. Further, even when plugged into utility power, with a load of only 28% according to the display, the battery is never charging. Estimated run-time is 0 minutes, always.

Normally I would expect this to be a simple case of battery past it's lifespan which needs to be replaced, however usually in that case the replace battery icon is illuminated, which it is not.

Further symptoms: the problem was first recognized when all the equipment connected to the device lost power, as well as the device itself, even though other devices plugged into adjacent outlets were still powered. After unplugging the UPS and plugging it back in, everything was able to power back on. The first time this happened the local staff assumed it was a fluke and didn't file a trouble ticket, however it occurred again a few weeks later, at which point they contacted me.

Currently I have asked the staff to remove all the equipment from the device and try charging it with no load, so we'll see how that goes. In the meantime, I thought I would ask here: is the behavior we're seeing indicative of a battery in need of replacement (even though it doesn't match up with what the manual says is necessary in the case of a bad battery), or does it mean the unit is bad, possibly because the battery charging circuit is failing?

Thanks in advance for your help,

Adam Gardner

Technical Operations Specialist

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Hello,

A replace battery indicator only comes on when the UPS fails its self test which is one of the ways a bad battery can present itself but depending on the specific situation, the UPS can also show a flashing battery icon to indicate it has no capacity left, or like you said, is not charging properly.

I'd probably want to know the UPS serial number or approximate age of the battery to see if this makes sense. If the battery is anywhere from 2-5 years old, it is likely it is just a battery issue. If the UPS/battery were fairly new, it still could be a battery issue but I'd be a little more skeptical that it is definitely a battery only issue.

You can also have someone in the location maybe do a quick "pull plug" test and see what happens. By this, I mean plug something non critical into the Battery Back Up + Surge outlets (making sure it is not Surge only outlets), and then unplug the UPS from the wall to see if it actually supports a load or if the load turns off and/or the entire UPS.

The reported runtime of 0 minutes is just an estimate so it could be reporting that erroneously too based on prior events that happened to the UPS and it being potentially completely discharged or at the end of its useful life.

Let me know if you have any questions.