Ticking/Beep Sound Last Night

[Anonymous user]

Hi All,

Last night in the middle of the night I heard a very faint ticking/beep sound. It was quiet and I couldn't tell where it was coming from. It would occur about 10 times in a row and then stop. It would then occur again in 10-15 minutes or sometimes every hour, all throughout the night. I actually thought it was coming from outside my bedroom until I finally woke up at 3AM to wait for it to happen and find it. I noticed it was coming from my APC UPS-550 that is under my desk. I have nothing plugged into it, and it's plugged into the wall. When it make the light (not too loud) ticking/beeping sound the status light would flicker/fade a light green.

Does anyone know what causes this? I left my house at 5:30am this morning, and left it as is. I'm hoping it stops tonight. Is there anything I can do to ensure it doesn't happen again? I very rarely use the computer that it's for and kept it plugged in the wall.

Please let me know if anyone has a quick resolution. I can't afford to lose another night's sleep, and want to make sure I'm taking care of it properly.

Thanks!

- Brad

[BillP]

Hi Bradley,

Could you please provide the exact model # and Serial number of the unit? This can be found on the small white sticker on the bottom.

With this information, I will have a better idea of what were dealing with.

Secret Squirrel

[Anonymous user]

Since you mentioned that nothing is presently connected to the unit, I'd unplug it and move it away from where you sleep, so that it won't bother you.

It's not unheard of (nor unusual) for these units to make some noise when charging the battery. The power LED shouldn't have been flickering or fading, though. (It will blink on and off during a power line disturbance.) I'd suspect a failure of the UPS or its battery. If the battery is more than three to five years old, it's probably bad and the UPS itself is probably OK.

[Anonymous user]

Thanks for the quick responses guys! I won't be home for a bit, so I'll update the model number at that time. 

Its at least 5+ years old if not way more. I barely ever use the desktop PC it's setup for. 

Is it possible this noise will have stopped by the time I get home? It started last night.

IIf not, is there something I can  put on top of it to lower the small tick sound? I don't really have another place to put it since I live with roommates and it's a small place. My only option would be to dispose of it outside. 

Thanks!

[Anonymous user]

Hi guys,

I didn't hear any noises for a few days. Just right now I started to hear the very faint beeping sound. It basically sounds like it's dying while it beeps. Very faint and trails off as it beeps. 

I removed all plugs that were plugged in and I unplugged it from the wall (for the first time). There's no more noises at all. I was under the impression that it must stay plugged into wall, if I leave it as is, will it be fine and not make any more sounds?

So far so good...

The model number is Back-UPS ES 750. I thought it was a smaller one. It's now under my desk unplugged from wall and nothing plugged in. 

Please let me know. Thank you. 

Best Regards,

Brad

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

I really think that you may be hearing sounds made by the charging circuit within the unit. I think it's trying to charge a battery that is weak and worn out. (The batteries in the units last around 3-5 years.)

The unit only has to be plugged in if you're actually using it. (The battery will self-discharge over time, and if you let it go long enough, it might be ruined through excessive discharge. Plug the UPS in every couple of months for a few hours if you feel that's a problem -- or just remove the battery that is in there now and submit it for recycling, and buy a fresh battery when you're ready to use the UPS again.