According to experts, 80% of uninterruptible power supply problems are caused by a dead battery. While this may be true in some cases, it is not the best way to restore your UPS system.
A UPS system can have many consumable components, not just batteries. Other components in this most important of power devices are fans and capacitors (AC or DC), in different quantities depending on the UPS type. You’ll be able to see the damage thermal runaway can cause even if you have a safety-disconnect cap. As an UPS system age, it is more likely that internal electronics and wiring harnesses are subject to heat damage. This can lead to cable insulation cracking, or even becoming brittle.
Do you need to be concerned? You shouldn’t worry in the initial years of a UPS system (up until years 7-8), but what is the expected lifespan of a UPS? For a five-year lead acid battery, the best guideline is to expect a battery replacement in years 3-5 or 7, respectively. Year 7-8 is a good year to replace a UPS, or at the very least to calculate your budget. This is due to several factors. This is due to the average battery life. You may have changed at least one five-year-old design life battery by the age of 7-8. A ten-year battery set will require a more expensive replacement. Over a long period of time, the UPS industry has also advanced at a rapid pace with system prices falling, footprints shrinking and warranties being extended, operating efficiency rising, and system prices increasing.
It’s easy to replace your UPS if it is more than 10 years old. The calculations almost always support this. If the environment in which the UPS is operating is clean and dust-free, then replacement of the battery may be necessary. These are all good qualities that a good UPS maintenance company will identify during an annual preventative maintenance check.
This is the last thing to remember. You should ensure that the UPS maintenance agreement covers preventative maintenance visits. If possible, add battery testing to your contract. Too many UPS companies neglect visits until sites chase them or set up UPS alarms. Pre-booking visits is a good idea when an UPS maintenance contract has been signed. This can be particularly important for work that takes place after hours.
This will help prevent your UPS system from failing to the ‘80% failures’ data pool. Additionally, with regular annual battery testing by a engineer, you can begin to predict future battery performance as well as identify weaker battery cells. Multi Link Engineering provide you brand new UPS and also give you repairing services for all types of uninterruptable power supply units.
