[TriLUG] UPS Batteries

[al johson]

Well, sorry I missed this thread before the last Cary Amateur Radio Club
meeting in Cary, because I could have invited you to a program which the
club held on just this subject: fixing UPS systems primarily by simply
replacing the batteries. Actually if you know where to look, the batteries
you need are rather easy to obtain. And they can be bought very cheaply if
you buy them in pallets. Sorry I don't remember the precise source that the
speaker recommended, but I do know his name and if there is still any
interest in this subject, I'd be happy to email him and find out this
information for the group. There is also a way to rejuvenate a lot of the
batteries that go bad in UPS's, if you're handy with some simple tools. This
may differ slightly with the particular batteries that are in your UPS, but
if it is a Yuasa battery, all you have to do is to take note of the solid
plastic cover that covers the top of each battery, then carefully take a
screwdriver and break the glue sealing this top to the bottom case of the
battery. After you've done that you will note that this battery looks much
like your car battery with several individual cells. Most of these batteries
are sealed lead acid batteries. The major problem is that the water in some
these cells may have evaporated during use. While this may or may not work
depending on how badly the battery is damaged, you simply have to obtain
some distilled water and punch a hole small enough to refill each cell (some
will probably need more water than others). DO NOT USE ORDINARY TAP WATER TO
FILL THEM. Then when you've filled all of them you can glue the cover back
on and recharge the battery using preferable the UPS the charger in the UPS
itself.
YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THIS TO BE AN EXPERIMENTAL PROCESS WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT
WORK. But considering how inexpensive it is to try (assuming you do this
OUTSIDE) and WEAR EYE PROTECTION WHILE RECHARGING the batteries, it is very
safe indeed. Naturally this is not as good as simply replacing the batteries
with new ones (which are indeed available if you know how to look in
ELECTRONIC battery catalogues). The gentleman who put on this program for
the Cary Amateur Radio Club, said that theoretically you should never have
to buy any UPS, because so many corporations just throw them away in their
dumpsters whenever their batteries go bad. And if you're lucky enough to
work at such a corporation you can salvage them, replace the batteries and
have what amounts to a perfectly new UPS.  He also said that he has a house
full of these things which he has salvaged and uses to put all his computers
on clean battery power (no CP&L power spikes for his computers). There is
one place where you can buy used UPS's and that is an Amateur Radio Hamfest.
Hams recycle just about everything electronic and there are almost always
several used ones which have been rescued from the dumpsters offered for
sale very cheap. Really sorry I missed this message earlier.---Al Johnson.
--=--------------------

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Beimler" <john at radiomind.com>
To: <trilug at trilug.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2002 10:41 AM
Subject: Re: [TriLUG] UPS Batteries


> On Thu, 2002-08-29 at 10:25, Steve Kuekes wrote:
> > I have two UPS's that recently quit UPSing.  It appears that the
> > batteries are dead.  Is there a way to replace the batteries without
> > getting a whole new UPS?  Or I can just wait for a sale at Best Buy
again.
>
> There is a battery place near the corner of Maynard and High House in
> Cary across the street from the Kroger, I think its name is Battery
> Plus.  Anyhow, I got replacement batteries for a industrial UPS there at
> one point, but it was expensive.
>
> Peace.
>
> john
>
>
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