Non APC batteries a real 'hazard'?

[Anonymous user]

So APC says "Only use APC replacement batteries, or damage to the UPS can occur.".

Is this just APC pushing their higher priced batteries or is there a real potential for damage?

Seems to me that batteries are batteries and given them not being extremely cheap and ending up belching acid all over, what's the difference, how can another manufacturer's battery harm the UPS?

From what I've seen as far as pricing goes, I can purchase batteries from say Batteries + for about half the price...

[BillP]

There is nothing necessarily "special" about apc batteries. Depending on which UPS you are referring to, if you get the correct type of 3rd party battery with the proper size,shape, battery specifications, you will probably be OK.We recommend using our batteries for a few reasons but mainly because we can stand behind our batteries. Since you posted this is in the PC & Workstation section, I'm guessing you have a smaller back up but if you had a LARGE UPS, such as ones to back up a server room, building etc, they bring additional concerns. The other common problem with 3rd party batteries is that they don't always come with the proper hardware(if they have multiple batteries in series, they will have additional connections to connect them to each other). For smaller units, this may not be a concern.

[Anonymous user]

Good point about APC being able to stand behind batteries they sell...

As always answers lead to more questions.

"if you get the correct type of 3rd party battery with the proper size,shape, battery specifications, you will probably be OK"

Is it an issue if the capacity (amp/hour rating) of the replacement battery is slightly higher? It seems this would provide a bit more backup time, but does it tax the UPS? Dimensionally the batteries are the same.

Thank you for your helpful response.

[BillP]

You Can But Don`t Go Buying The $10-20 Dollar A Battery Crap (Or The "Universal Batteries" Such As UB1280) Because The Ups Will Have Problems And They Might Crack Or Bulge Due To High Current When Charging Or Using The Batteries

If You Aren`t Going To Use APC Batteries Go With Wrecker Batteries,Interstate Batteries, Or "LONG" Batteries

Apc Uses "LONG" Batteries

[Anonymous user]

I have learned the hard way.. Cheap e-bay or local battery specialty stores will not last. If I purchase APC batteries I have never gotten less than 3 years out of them. For a while, I was buying the cheap imports.. I got a year tops.. Probably more like 10 ~ 11 months.

Once I had a pair of 12V 12ah batteries (cheap) in one unit. One failed, only one out of the two in about 9 months. I only replaced that one battery. A couple of months later, the other one failed.

If you buy a quality sla battery it will last as long as the OEM's but the price will be about the same or even more than getting them from APC or an APC dealer.

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

Thanks, your experience is the same as mine. I bought 4 replacement batteries from a local battery franchise store and though they came with a year warranty, they ALL went bad (within a week of each other) about 13 months after I purchased them.

What, do these things have an internal clock? Tick tick tick, warranty up, time to die...

I know that's silly but I'm amazed at the seeming accuracy related to the failure of the batteries and the expiration of the warranty.

And as you said, the original batteries (the APC ones) went well past 3 years of life.

I've seen this kind of behavior from other 'low cost' batteries I've bought on line, they just don't last as long.

Darn another case of "You get what you pay for..."