bx1500m squeaking/chirping every few seconds

[unforgiven91]

Approximately every 6 seconds my new UPS will make a squeaking sound, almost like shoes on a basketball court. Some might classify it as a chirping noise, or liken it to a low battery warning on a smoke alarm. It's not very loud and the device doesn't throw any alerts at me.

It's kinda driving me crazy, is this normal or is something amiss?

[Teken]

Make a video of the noise and post a link for review. In the interim I would recommend you submit a service request with APC Technical Support.

You’ll need the purchase receipt, serial number, and description of the problem. 

[unforgiven91]

Ignoring the abundance of dust in my setup (I can never win the dust wars), you can hear the chirping 2 or 3 times in this video. It's pretty quiet but definitely comes from the unit.  The way the sound bounces is a bit misleading sometimes, but I can put my ear up to it and clearly hear it. 

[Teken]

I would suggest you take the unit outside and flush out the entire housing with canned air. Obviously focus on the fan assembly as I’m sure it’s caked with all kinds of dirt / debris. 

Once done spin the fan and see if it makes any kind of noise. 

[unforgiven91]

APC replaced my unit with a different one. Still the same chirping noise.

It's intolerable. Either this is by design and nobody else has this same complaint, or this SKU is faulty.

These are both brand new, by the way. The original one was only a few days old so it wasn't dusty.

[unforgiven91]

here's the new unit making a very similar squeaking noise.

[Teken · Accepted solution]

Appreciate the new video as it does offer much better insight regarding the noise. The sound you hear is coming from the power supply / inverter section.

The noise can often sound like buzzing, hissing, and hum. The only remedy is to request another unit in hopes of receiving a unit with less noise.

Keep in mind all APC UPS are given a stated noise output level measured in dBA. Your specific model indicates a noise output level of 45 dBA which is equivalent to a quiet office.

Meaning, all of the hardware is designed and produced to meet a target specification. As such if you had a dB meter it would certainly pass the stated output for sound level.

My suggestion is to either request another replacement in hopes of getting a less annoying sounding unit. 

Move the unit to another location and use an extension cord / power bar to connect the equipment.

To upgrading to another system that meets your needs. You should review the stated literature as it relates to the dBA output for any model under consideration! ☝️

Probably makes sense to order a few online via Amazon. Set them up in your specific environment and see which hardware meets your needs. 

Any hardware that doesn’t just send back during the 30 return window. 👍

https://www.apc.com/ca/en/product/BX1500M/apc-backups-pro-1500va-tower-120v-10-nema-515r-outlets-avr...

[unforgiven91]

thanks for the reply. This unit in particular is much better with the noise but it's still present at times. though much less than the original unit. I think I can live with it.