“How long will my battery last?” and “what is the best practice for maintaining my UPS?” are very common questions posed from UPS owners.
No battery lasts forever, and UPS batteries are no different. However, the life span of the UPS battery can be maximized by operating your UPS under the manufacturers’ recommended conditions which are typically described in the user manual.
In the past, it was difficult to test and monitor a UPS battery. However new designs provide users simpler, yet more advanced ways to monitor their UPS batteries. Today’s UPS models, for example, are designed to provide regular, automatic status updates via the LED display on the UPS itself, an audible alarm or via SNMP and monitoring software to tell you when your UPS batteries need replacing.
Despite the inclusion of self-monitoring software and auto-notification features of many new UPS models, timely inspections are still necessary to assure a UPS is operating properly. Proper care and regular maintenance will help avoid unnecessary downtime, saving time and money.
The most commonly used battery type in a single phase UPS is a valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) battery. The forecasted life span of these batteries is typically 3 to 5 years under the manufacturers’ recommended conditions; however, this life expectancy will fluctuate greatly.
Be proactive. This is always the best approach to both battery and UPS replacement. Planning your UPS batteries to be replaced at regular intervals, rather than waiting for the battery to fail is the best way to maximise uptime and eliminate costly and disruptive downtime.
As well as supplying replacement UPS batteries we also offer an on site battery replacement service which includes removal and recycling of your old UPS batteries. To find out more about or battery replacement services contact one of our team today.
