Burning out UPS power

[Anonymous user]

I am in a manufacturing environment. My servers are powered by several APC UPS's. Regardless of the model they last between 3 and 6 months. After which time I need to replace the batteries or the entire UPS. I've gone through 5 or 6 already.

I am confident this is a utility power condition that is causing the problem but I need a way to prove it. Are there any tools that are available to show I have poor quality or insufficient utility power? In past empoloyment just using the Power Chute reports I was able to make my case. But now I need more.

Are there any suggestions? Thank you in advance.

[BillP]

what types of UPSs are you using? are these Back UPS, Smart UPS, etc

i know a lot of people/electricians use oscilloscopes in this situation to see if there is strange voltage, sine wave impurities, etc

but what exactly is happening to these when they fail? are they not turning on anymore, not going to battery during an outage, etc? any more information will help us see if we have any ideas.

thanks!

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Also, something to try perhaps...

Most power companies will at your request put a power monitor on the circuit if you believe it is providing poor/disruptive power. If they wont, or it could be an internal issue due to the manufacturing equipment dumping allot of distortion on the lines or causing constant brownout conditions, you can always look into getting one yourself or as I Picked said, something like an O-Scope.

Otherwise we can look into the type of unit you have as mentioned, but you may find that to sufficiently point a finger at any particular issue, a good passive circuit monitor may be your best bet.

You could do a google search for a power circuit quality monitor, that should get you started if you choose to go that route.