Back-UPS XS900 Fan Problems (Urgent)

[Anonymous user]

Hello,
I recently purchased two new XS900s from my local electronics store...
After several days of use, I noticed that the fans on BOTH units were running all the time...

According to PowerChute Personal, the batteries were charged and the unit was using AC power...
The constant running of the fan is unaceptable... Are these units supposed to do this?

I have a Smart-UPS 2200 running my server and it doesn't run it's fan unless the battery
is in use or is chargeing...

I'm guessing that I got two units from a bad lot or something...

I am thinking of replacing them with two [XS1300LCDs|http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=BX1300LCD].

Are the XS1300LCD units supposed to run their fans all the time or would that be a problem with the unit if they did?

I also thought that the UPS's AVR might be causing the fan to run... Is that possible?

Thanks,
Aix59

[Anonymous user]

Hello,

The BackUPS XS series fans have no real running parameters. But they do run when the inverter is hot, the battery is charging, and during AVR. Try running the units for a little while longer with stable input power, see if the fans cease. The LCD models would work under the same "parameters" for fan usage.

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

I just purchased this same model last night. Its been plugged in for about 24 hours. I can hear the fan running full time as well. its pretty quiet but the unit i replaced only ran the fan during Battery Operations.

i wasnt sure if the fan was going to run all the time or eventually turn off.

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc]

Is your fan still running all the time? I'd love to be able to throw in my $.02 with how my Beta 900 works at home, however, my heat sync fan on my PC kicks in so much that it's not quiet enough for me to hear whether or not the fan is running on the UPS.

[Anonymous user]

I am having almost identical problem as above. About 2 days ago, I started hearing a humming sound like a fan was having a problem. I thought it was one in my computer. After blowing the dust out of the computer and setting everything back up, the noise continued. This morning I was awaken to an Overload alarm on my XPS900. I unplugged everything from my UPS, and the fan noise continued. The fan in the UPS had apparently died tripping the overload alarm. Now I am out a UPS and a lot of money. -_- How long are the warranties on the UPSes? Mine is just over a year old. It worries me that it did not last. I have other (lower model) APC UPSes that have lasted years and are still working. Is this a problem with this model?

[BillP]

If it was purchased prior to January 2006. it is a two year warranty. Anything after January 2006 is a three year warranty. i cant say i havent seen this issue before but it sounds like you are under warranty for a replacement. after a year, it shouldn't happen but if the UPS had been running for several years straight then i would remind everyone, it is susceptible to heat or dust damage.

[Anonymous user]

Reading with interest as the descriptions match to a 'T' the problems with my 10 month old XS900. Disappointed in having a problem with a 10-month old unit marketed as a fail-safe device. Nevertheless, look at replacement (although reading a few more threads about this unit, I'm seeing a very clear parallel in problems . . . I don't want to just get another unit that will have problems with the fan at some short date in the future). Saying that, in the 1000V range, what are the preferred/more reliable units available for home office usage? Rather naive, general query, but that is unfortunately the point that I am at right now.

[Anonymous user]

Anyway I got a fan from Jameco - doesnt quite fit the slot even though it specs out to the same size
but it fits with a bit of persuasion. Item # is 1928281

Same situation here. It took me two days of scouring to find that Jameco fan. I'm surprised I didn't come across this thread sooner.

Anyway, yeah, the OEM Y.S. Tech fan has countersunk mounting holes, so the machine screws fit more deeply into the holes and protrude out the opposite side much farther than with the ADDA AD0424HB-G70 sold by Jameco. I ended up using zip ties to mount the aftermarket fan. They and the new fan work like a charm. Zip ties for the win!

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

I just received a replacement XS 900, and the fan's been running non-stop since shortly after I plugged it in to charge 2-3 days ago. The unit has been turned OFF since day one, and has not been plugged in to the computer yet. My last XS 900 did the same thing. I'm suspicious of the fan being part of the reason the last unit failed, it was making varying speed fan noise toward the end, then it wasn't running at all. That fan ran from day one also, even with the unit powered off. Might the fan having a meltdown have tripped the overload alarm with the unit charged, plugged in to a wall outlet, powered off, and unplugged from the computer? An curious thing I noticed is that even though it has a cooling fan, the case doesn't appear to have venting to allow heat to escape. Would opening the molded recess's on the topside of the case allow the fan to properly cool the heat sink enough so it could shut down between cycles occasionally?
Being of Scottish descent, I don't like the idea that the fan runs all day and night, when nobody's using the computer, Arggghhh: Costin' me money!

On the upside, the last unit worked GREAT in the event of a power outage. My wife called my work a week after we installed the unit to tell me the beeper sounded, then a notice came up on the display to inform her of the power event and gave her the options while she was working. She hadn't even noticed the power was out until PowerChute told her, it was perfectly seamless! It performed this well through a few more outages also

Can this unit be charged from a portable generator to keep our phone's cable modem lit, or is the voltage too varied for this unit?

Thank You for your terriffic service,
Dave

[BillP]

hi dave,

i dont believe the fan running would cause any type of overload alarm. if anything, it just keeps the unit cooler but i understand that it could get noisy after a while. if you wanted to charge the unit with a portable generator, you may need to lower the sensitivity via the APC powerchute software to help the unit deal more with the generators "dirty power" that a generator may produce.

[Anonymous user]

It's the fan. My unit was out of warranty, so I diagnosed the problem myself. The fan is a 24V DC brushless fan, and mine had gotten stuck (evidently). There is a thermal couple attached to the heatsink the fan is mounted too. When this thermal couple detects overtemp, the overload light comes on.

My malfunction appeared after the UPS had run about 20 minutes one night. I figure the fan didn't come back on when I started everything back up, causing the charging circuit to overheat.

I have the guts of my xs900 on my shop floor, and the fan appears to need to run all the time (though it was running faster when the heat sink was warmer). I just need to find a fun of the same size, but 24V, which may be difficult (I am sure it will die again at some point).

Also the fan is 40mm, and if you're warranty is out and you are feeling adventurous (not responsible for electrocution, etc. or personal failure to be careful), you are looking for a 40mm square & 10mm depth 24V DC brushless fan. Also, use a ball bearing replacement (if you can find one).

Message was edited by: Aqua225

[Anonymous user]

Any luck finding a suitable (quiet) fan?

The best i could find is a 40x40x20mm EFB0424LD, but haven't ordered one yet.

[Anonymous user]

Hello,
I recently purchased two new XS900s from my local electronics store...
After several days of use, I noticed that the fans on BOTH units were running all the time...

According to PowerChute Personal, the batteries were charged and the unit was using AC power...
The constant running of the fan is unaceptable... Are these units supposed to do this?

I have a Smart-UPS 2200 running my server and it doesn't run it's fan unless the battery
is in use or is chargeing...

I'm guessing that I got two units from a bad lot or something...

I am thinking of replacing them with two [XS1300LCDs|http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=BX1300LCD].

Are the XS1300LCD units supposed to run their fans all the time or would that be a problem with the unit if they did?

I also thought that the UPS's AVR might be causing the fan to run... Is that possible?

Thanks,
Aix59