BackUPS Pro 1500 randomly losing power

[Anonymous user]

Hello!

I've got a BackUPS Pro 1500 that I've had for a couple years now, and I'm starting to have problems with it randomly going into UPS mode.

My machine is set up incorrectly, and hibernates immediately when the UPS goes into battery mode.  This is how I first knew something was wrong. I kept coming home (or trying to remote into my machine) and finding that it was powered off.  I looked at logs and found that the machine was hibernating because it detected the battery backup was active.  I already know how to fix this, but the more puzzling part is why my UPS is doing this.

I was finally able to witness it last night playing Fallout 3 (because I am not allowing myself to buy Fallout 4 until I finish my MS Server 2012 certs).  Everything was working normally, then suddenly I heard the UPS click over to the battery as well as the tell-tale buzz that it makes on battery for about half a second, then it went back to normal "power on" mode.  My machine immediately hibernated, confirming my findings in the logs.  This is happening almost daily, but at least every couple days.

Nothing else in the house powered off, nor did anything on the power strip that shares an outlet with the UPS (2 of my monitors, printer, etc.).

I really hope this isn't failing, because it's only a couple years old and it's had a very, very easy life!

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

There could be noise on the power line or a voltage swing (too high or too low) that exceeds what the UPS will tolerate. I'd bet on possible line noise myself. Minor to moderate voltage level changes can be compensated for without the unit going to its battery.

The UPS can have its sensitivity adjusted downward, You can adjust it from within PowerChute on your computer if that is installed. (apcupsd may also be able to do it.) If not, the setting can be changed right from the UPS control panel:

1. Shut down everything safely. You'll need to turn the UPS off to do this. The UPS should be plugged into a working outlet.

2. Press and hold the power button for six seconds. You'll see the "load capacity" part of the display begin flashing. When it does, release the power button.

3. Press and release the power button quickly to step through the available settings. Your choices are LOW, MEDIUM or HIGH sensitivity. Medium is the default. Low is represented by only one bar being displayed. High is represented by all bars being displayed.

4. Once you've reached whichever setting you want to try, the UPS will beep after a few seconds to indicate that the setting was saved.

If you still notice a problem, you may want to consult with an electrician or your utility company. Should the problem persist even after that, the UPS could be having a problem.