Smart UPS: 1500 odd error

[BillP]

Hi all, just for mention of it, today at one of my managed sites the staff had no power.

The Smart UPS: 1500 controls a c/b which powers on the network and it was hit by a power surge prior to the staff arriving, it turned off after just two seconds according to the log.

The UPS was given a warm-start but wouldn't go off battery so I had to attend as the network was down for over an hour (first time in the three years of APC protection is fair going I reckon).

Two other main SUI2200 iNet APC's weren't affected (on the same supply) and were waiting to supply the load when the main device could power on to close the master c/b.

Upon investigating the UPS provided run time (33 minutes) off the warm-start only on battery then switched itself off, when I arrived almost an hour later it was hot to touch and showed 3/5 battery leds, would not power on or do anything!

Isolating the battery and reconnecting it, would power on with mains present but no self test, although it did pass a forced test from the NMC (AP9617) which is used to control the UPS.

Have warned the owner that it maybe developing a fault!

Heat could be a bit of a killer when a power surge from the supplier happens like this, don't think it has an internal fan in this model?

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc]

The SUA1500 should have a fan contained within it. Anything larger than 1400VA should. On a side note, if you know it is a "surge" that the UPS took, would you risk continuing to use it? What if it in fact harnessed that surge, and is not capable of performing in the same manner the next time a surge comes through (as they're pretty much designed to sacrifice themselves then just be a UPS w/out surge protection). Have you discussed with the end-user the possibility of having to get another 1500 due to that?

[BillP]

Thanks for the reply, thought there should be an internal fan, once the device was reset it did cool promptly, but I was disturbed to initially feel how hot the whole unit was, especially underneath the transformer which had been delivering it's runtime into a 33% load nearly an hour prior.

This is the logging which took it down yet didn't worry the two other units in the server centre:

12.03.2008 07:13:26 UPS: The output power is turned off.
12.03.2008 07:13:25 UPS: Compensating for a high input voltage.

The device refused to go off battery and ignored front panel input, even though normal line voltage (244) was present, reducing the line sensitivity to low from medium didn't help either.

I think it is faulty and the owner will want to run the risk of it being unreliable despite it's age of < 3 years.

The good news is the big old SUI2200 iNets I have leased there are immune and power on.

Now to dispose of that Symmetra 6kVA in the same server centre, anyone want a cheap one in Eastern .au? Full redundant spares set (virtually a second device). 🙂

[TheNotoriousKMP_apc]

Neville,

At 244, on a 230V UPS, it will use AVR trim. Your Transfer Point must have been set higher since the nominal 5% high or low would put the input voltage range high at 241.5 Usually anything > 5VAC will force the UPS into AVR Trim.

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Yes that is correct, the energy supplier (CountryEnergy) often pumps 249V.

Transfer standard here is 264V on all my managed UPS's with a nonimal 240V setting (not 230V).

The fault here as explained previously was that the UPS showed a logged spike and could not be brought off battery via VPN nor could the staff present reset it, to re-iterate for you I had to attend personally, isolate the battery then restore the unit, whereafter it cooled somewhat.

The line trim event did not occur on the other two similarly configured UPS's in the data centre, subsequently the unit has responded to three power outages and a self test, all looks promising that it was an isolated problem.