[TriLUG] OT: Diagnosting APC Back-UPS Misbehavior

[Paul Holzworth]

In addition to Pete's suggestions, make sure you have them wired correctly.  Some of the UPS's wire multiple batteries in series so they effectively run at 24 volts.  They have a jumper that connects the positive terminal of one battery to the negative of the next.  The positive and negative UPS leads then go to the remaining terminals on different batteries.  

If you want to test the batteries, you can use a car headlamp (sealed beams work well for this).  They put a good load on the battery and you can get a quick test of the batteries' ability to power a load, not just provide open circuit voltage.

My experience with APC UPS's has been excellent so I doubt that they both went bad at the same time.

Paul


On Mar 6, 2013, at 3:49 PM, Scott Chilcote <scottchilcote at att.net> wrote:

> Hi Folks,
> 
> Sorry to wander OT, but I've seen good advice on this list related
> to UPS problems and I'm hoping someone has some insight.
> 
> I have two APC Back-UPS XS 800 units that I took offline last year when
> they showed the "Replace Battery" light.  I ordered new batteries last
> week, and put them in one of the units.  It did not come back to life as
> expected.  It showed the "On Battery" light instead, and started beeping
> four times.  This is what they do when the power goes off.
> 
> I tried resetting the unit (disconnecting the battery and the AC plug,
> holding down the "On" switch for 60 seconds).  No change. 
> 
> Then I tried setting the unit's sensitivity to the lowest setting.  This
> caused it to power up normally (green light).  However, it soon started
> making a relay chattering sound, which is quite loud.  I shut it off.
> 
> Since I had another Back-UPS XS 800 that needed batteries, I moved the
> batteries over to that unit.  I even changed out the cable and spacer
> for the battery pair.  When I plugged it in - lo and behold - I had the
> identical misbehavior.  Same "On Battery" state.  Same relay chatter
> with the sensitivity set to low.
> 
> Next step: Read the manual.  It says to check the AC voltage level in
> the house.  I tried the UPS on several different outlets around the
> house, same problem.  I measured the AC voltage, and got 113VAC on my
> meter.  We have four other UPSes of varying kinds, and they are working 
> fine at the default sensitivity level.  The manual also says to
> check the circuit breaker on the back of the unit.  I did that
> earlier and found that neither one had tripped.
> 
> I checked the voltage on both of the new batteries (disconnected).  They 
> make the meter swing to at least 12 VDC.
> 
> These UPSes were both made in late 2004 according to their serial
> numbers.  Did they die at the same time, while unplugged?  Do they count
> the number of battery replacements and self destruct (humor)? 
> 
> I spent some time looking at APC's forums, this does not appear to be a
> frequent problem.  I tried their online support chat, but the trees
> outside my window were visibly growing while I waited (both of their
> level ones may be off this week).
> 
> Thanks for any cluefulness!
> 
>    Scott C.
> 
> -- 
> Scott Chilcote
> Cary, NC USA
> scottchilcote at att.net
> 
> -- 
> This message was sent to: pholz at nc.rr.com <pholz at nc.rr.com>
> To unsubscribe, send a blank message to trilug-leave at trilug.org from that address.
> TriLUG mailing list : http://www.trilug.org/mailman/listinfo/trilug
> Unsubscribe or edit options on the web	: http://www.trilug.org/mailman/options/trilug/pholz%40nc.rr.com
> TriLUG FAQ          : http://www.trilug.org/wiki/Frequently_Asked_Questions