How do I keep the LCD display in power saving mode during power outage?

[Anonymous user]

Hi,

My model is Back-UPS XS 1000 (BX1000G).

My setup is that I only power a work-related (and usually sleeping/charging) laptop plus my wireless internet router on the "surge-only" outlets.

This way if the power fails while I'm at work, neither is draining battery power until I get home to plug into the battery backup outlets when I'm ready to get on.

Recently during a snowstorm, I saw my power going out as I was leaving for work, around 5am. 13 hours later I return.

My LCD display is lit up, apparently all day, and telling my I have 230 minutes left. Since it normally tells me I start with 875 minutes with nothing plugged in

the battery backup outlets, I apparently drained over 600 minutes because the display would not turn off and drained it down.

It seems like a MAJOR oversight that the LCD display's power saving mode can't be used while on battery!!

The Power saving mode turns OFF when on battery only (thus keeping the display permanently lit).

That's the time you most want to save power!

You can't even manually turn off the display while on battery only. Another major oversight in my opinion.

Is there a workaround for this, other than me turning off the fully charged UPS each morning when I leave, and turning it on again for charging when I get back?

Thanks,

Kurt

[BillP]

Hi Kurt,

This is actually a feature - the idea is that a user can have their display turned off as a user preference and beeper muted - if this was the case, they'd never know the UPS was on battery. Thus, the display is forced on to let the user know this. And I don't know the exact figures here or evidence to back up my opinion, but I don't think the UPS LCD is a major power hog and that in the long run, it would affect the runtime of the UPS severely enough to be concerned - again, all my personal opinion and experience there.

Now, something else that had been discovered in the past is that the display setting (on/off) preference, is not currently saved when the UPS is turned off and I know we have logged that as a request to address. So, if your UPS does shut down completely, theoretically (to me anyway), it makes sense to have it go back to either display on or off, depending on what I had set. I would then understand the feature to force the display on while it is on battery and have it turn back off when the UPS is operating online.

Unfortunately, there is no option here or workaround to adjust your initial question.

[Anonymous user]

Hi Angela,

Thank you for your answer. I think this still seems like an engineering oversight. Even if just to make the user feel better about it, it seems to make sense to be able to kill the display while on battery. Generally, unless I was sleeping, I would know if the power was out, and could therefore assume the UPS is on battery, so it seems unnecessary to require the display to automatically be always on. (I should still be able to manually kill it when present).  And if I wanted an update on how many minutes were left, it seems reasonable that I should be able to just hit the display button once to check it, and let it go out a minute later, like it does when on power saving mode with utility power.

I understand an LCD screen doesn't sound like a power hog, but why would they have a power saving mode for it, if it wasn't? And why design it only for during times when one has utility power? Could it be that it is that much of a power hog that one would want a power saving mode to cut down on their electric bill? Using up 600 minutes worth of power in 13 hours seems like a lot for a battery that otherwise just sits around doing nothing, when nothing is hooked up to the battery outlets.

I turned the ups off when I left the house this afternoon and I will turn it back on about 24 hours later to see how many minutes are left on the unused battery. If it is anywhere in the general region of the original 875 minutes it started with, I think I can assume that something within the unit, whether or not the LCD display, is draining the battery.

I may find out that it would be better to turn off the fully charged unit when I leave the house at times when inclement weather is expected in the near future.

Do you know generally why they felt the need to create the power saving mode for the display? (just curious)

Thanks Angela,

Kurt

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Hi Kurt,

I can't say I was involved in reviewing this user's guide, but I am involved for reviewing them for other products I support as part of my role. I bring this up because I don't know if I agree with the statement that this is a "power saving display" in terms of actual, quantifiable amounts of energy being saved when the display is off but I think the reference in calling it that, as well as many other features of this UPS, revolve around this being a more green and efficient UPS than previous generations. Regardless, it appears that this power saving display mode is available in online mode only. This works with the Master By Controlled outlets energy saving feature too which I do think saves a lot more energy than keeping the display off.

Keep in mind that the runtime remaining value is always a "really good" estimate while the UPS is running online. When the UPS operates on battery, it constantly updates the figure to more accurately report it based on the current load, battery health, etc.

I don't disagree with what you're saying personally as far as being able to disable the LCD always on while the UPS is on battery - maybe force it on when the UPS first goes to battery to notify the user and keep it on until user intervention can potentially disable, but at this time, there is no workaround to disabling it unfortunately.

I have one of these UPSs at my home and I guess I just have never thought about it or had it bother me. I do disable the beeping when it is on battery for long periods of time but I like the LCD on to actively watch the status of the UPS, and like you said, the runtime remaining, etc but I guess it is just preference if you don't want to have to see it. I never really also thought it'd give me any additional runtime to keep it off during this timeframe and I think the manual is a bit misleading in the fact that it could save so much energy that it'd affect the overall runtime.

Let me know if you have further questions.

[Anonymous user]

no further questions Angela, thanks for the input!