Warn me in advance

[ARobert]

I work at home.  When my BackUPS XS1000 experienced an error (F01) it emitted an alarm that woke me up in the middle of the night.  I want a new UPS that will warn me in advance of impending problems, OR shut down my computer without triggering a loud alarm.  What do you recommend?

[Teken]

A F01 error indicates a battery overload fault. Assuming the system is not overloaded the most common cause is a failing battery (RBC).

The average service life is 2-5 years based on usage, temperature, and environmental conditions. 

The RBC is designed to provide 260 full cycles before degradation. Some APC UPS models allow the user to permanently mute the beeper in specific conditions such as when (on battery) only power.

The beeper can not be permanently muted if the fault is related to overload, over heat, internal fault, failed battery, fan failure, relay weld, etc.

Questions Ask . . . 👍

[ARobert]

Thank you!  I wish there were a warning before that fault.  I try to look at the LCD panel regularly - the unit is right on top of my desk, not on the floor.

[ARobert]

Thank you.  That's a great explanation.  

I have the unit on top of my desk, not on the floor, so I check the panel regularly.  I didn't notice any decrease in the "bars" before the failure.  I wish the unit could predict a battery failure.  

What is odd is that there was no power failure which might have required battery power.  Yet the unit stopped delivering power to the computer.  Could that have happened simply due to a battery failure?

[Teken]

The APC (Weekly) Self Test on paper is supposed alert you of a pending battery / system failure.

In reality by the time the Self Test alerts you of an issue the problem(s) are already present!

As such monthly inspection of the RBC (Replacement Battery Cartridge) must be conducted. 

As stated earlier the average service life of the RBC is 2-5 years based on usage, temperature, and environmental conditions.

If the system falls on the extreme period 3-5 years - Replace RBC.

You can test the system now by mimicking a lights out grid down event by simply removing AC Power. Time how long the system continues to operate for and compare it to the APC Runtime Calculator.

If the system shutdowns immediately you know the RBC is expired and needs replacement.

If the system operates for 1-2 minutes vs the expected 10-15 minutes or whatever the runtime calculator indicates - Replace RBC.

If the online runtime calculator indicates X load (watts) should provide 30 minutes and you see 15-20 minutes schedule a purchase of a new RBC in the future.

Keep in mind the runtime calculator is based on a new (fresh) RBC at a specific load (watts) at a given ambient temperature.

As such what you see and observe on this unit will be different. But, it gives you a general idea of how the system should operate. So to reflect the most accurate information use the same (watts) load during your lights out test.

Keep in mind if the RBC is already marginal this test will cause the battery to suffer and degrade more so.

NOTE: If the system is still under warranty consider submitting a warranty claim with APC Technical Support.

The RBC is covered by a 2 year warranty and the hardware is 3. Should a replacement RBC not solve the problem than the hardware will be replaced during the RMA process.

Have ready the serial number, receipt, and brief description of the problem. If there are any active faults / error codes provide them to APC Technical Support.

If the system is connected to APC Power Chute Software you may download the following logs for their review: Event, Data, UPS.

You may also upload the same here to the APC Forum for review. Both the event and data logs will provide more insight as to the power quality and past faults seen at the site.

Questions Ask . . . 👍