Back-Ups XS 1300 LCD battery has gone bad

[BillP]

Now I was planning on buying a replacement battery, but in the meantime, I wanted to remove the old battery so I could recycle it. I'm having difficulty removing it however, its stuck, I can only get it to move about half an inch, and if I try to pull it any further I hear a crackling sound coming from the battery. I do not want the battery to explode in my face if I force it. The battery was warm to the touch, and up until last night, was still working, but had failed the self test and was able to run only 6 minutes at 200w, when it used to run almost 30 minutes. As of last night, PowerChute kept reporting that the battery was disconnected, and it would reconnect every 10 seconds, looping these messages

Anyway, I just want to remove the old battery, but I'm worried about the crackling sound, and I can't tell if the battery is swollen, but I think thats why I'm having difficulty removing it. The crackling sound only happens if I pull on the battery hard, when its just sitting there, I hear no sounds.

[BillP]

i would definitely turn off and unplug the UPS to stop the charging if you haven't already and then give it several hours to see if it cools down and shrinks, assuming it is swollen. do you know how old it is? if you can give us the first several digits of the UPS serial number, such as JB0635, it would tell us the age of the UPS and most likely the battery if it is the original. usually on larger systems, if the batteries get swollen, we put a fan on it too to expedite cooling. i am not sure if it will help too much here with the tight space but if you have one, it might be worth a try..

[BillP]

My UPS is just over 3 years old, I swear once the warranty expired, it broke down. I unplugged it while making this thread, but have been busy with work so I was unable to attempt to remove it until today. The crackling is mostly gone, still there a little if I try to pull the battery out, but it doesn't sound like anything to worry about anymore. I still can't get the battery out though. It is the original battery.

Message was edited by: ExEvolution

[BillP]

well, batteries tend to last 3-5 years depending on environment and usage since its consumable. once you get the battery out, if its not too much trouble, can you post a picture? that shouldnt happen after 3 years and it usually happens when its in a poorly ventilated environment or been neglected.

[BillP]

Ok I attached a photo, and as you can see, it doesn't exactly look swollen from this end, but I can't see on the other side, and I can't explain why it was only able to move about half an inch before getting stuck

[BillP]

After a bit more effort, I managed to get the batteries out. There are 2 of them attached in a series. The 2nd battery, which was the one I couldn't see, had popped. Here are photos. This is the reason why I couldn't remove it.

Fortunately, it doesn't appear to have caused any damage to the inside of my UPS, and no acid leaked into it, so I can just replace the batteries and go on with life.

Message was edited by: ExEvolution

[Anonymous user]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I'm having the exact same problem with a XS 1300 LCD myself. I got this one from a friend who upgraded all of his UPSes. It sat on the shelf for maybe 12-18 mos and by the time I got it the battery was dead. So I bought a brand new OEM battery from APC, then went to replace it. Unfortunately the battery casing has already ruptured on both sides as you can see from the following photos, and I can't move it more than 1/4-1/2 inch before it stops hard and I cannot get enough of a grip on it with anything to try and force it. I was planning to disassemble the case, but it appears at least one screw is inside the battery compartment and cannot be access with a battery installed!

Help?

!http://www.morrisonline.us/pics/ups_batt/IMG_0182.JPG!

!http://www.morrisonline.us/pics/ups_batt/IMG_0183.JPG!

[BillP]

David,

It is going to be hard to remove that battery without totally destroying the battery which I wouldn't recommend doing at tall. At times like that we advise the customer to just replace the entire UPS. We do have a program that we call TradeUPS, this is a program wherein you could exchange your current UPS whether APC or a different brand into a brand new APC UPS on a discounted price and even a higher VA rating.

If you will be able to remove the battery on the UPS, we're unsure yet if it hasn't done damage on the unit itself.

[Anonymous user]

If I hadn't already spent $85 on a new battery, it would be easier to let this go since the UPS didn't cost me anything. So as it stands, I really have nothing to lose in trying, and now it's become sort of a personal challenge. 🙂

Any tips on getting the case open without access to the inside of the battery compartment? Other than just expansion causing the battery to stick to the sides, what could it be hanging up on? It feels like more than just friction stopping it, more like it's banging against a hard edge or some obstruction that is blocking it from moving further. If I had an idea where that could be happening, it would direct my efforts to that area. Also, is it true this double-battery pack is held together by double-faced tape? If so I may be able to hook some tool in between and separate them by force -- maybe it's easier to remove one battery at a time than to try and remove both at once.

Message was edited by: dmorris68

[BillP]

Do you have the exact model number of your UPS? It would help me take a look on the batteries that it uses.

[Anonymous user]

It's a BX1300LCD, using the RBC109 battery pack (2 batteries stuck together).

[BillP]

Just in case, here is the URL for your battery [APCRBC109|http://www.apc.com/products/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=APCRBC109]. Aside from the double sided adhesive tape that there's also the battery wires inside the UPS that connects to the battery.

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

Yeah I've already disconnected all the battery wiring. I just need to get them unstuck.