• Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Replacement all major brands, Liebert, APC, Gamatronic, MGE, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Best, Ferrups, Chloride, Emerson, Eaton, Powerware
• Ensuring the proper environment for batteries
• Proper Care
• Float Voltages
• Accounting for batteries on your budget
• On-Site UPS Battery Inspections
• UPS Battery Life Analysis
• Trained & Certified Battery Experts In-House, 20+ Years Experience
• Warranty provided for batteries and labor
• Preventative Maintence (PM) & Predictive Maintenance Service Contracts
• Emergency Service Available 7 x 24
• AC & DC Load Testing
• UPS Battery Removal & Recycling, proper disposal

Budgeting for UPS Batteries

Many customers have often been inconvenienced by unforeseen and costly uninterruptible power supply battery replacements that were not originally accounted for on that year’s budget.  As part of our value proposition we provide ways to address this issue by utilizing the techniques above to determine the true life of the battery.  Capacity discharge tests are utilized to gage and determine true battery age and predict replacement timelines.  This enables our customers to foresee future replacement costs and preemptively account for them on upcoming budgets.

Brief technical synopsis of UPS battery maintenance

First and foremost, batteries need to be stored in a conditioned environment to ensure reliability and longevity.  No exceptions.  We can make sure this is the case.

During the maintenance of VRLA batteries, if at all possible, the UPS is left running, the batteries are isolated, and readings are then taken on the batteries. By isolating the batteries, we can safely test the open cell voltages and then apply a 100 amp load while checking voltage drops of each battery.

Normal UPS battery voltages are 2.25 volts per cell or 13.5 volts DC for a “12” volt battery. Battery voltages under charge should be 13.5 volts on average for all batteries. After isolation, the open cell (non-charging state) should be slightly lower than 13.5. These readings are recorded and any discrepancies are noted. Depending on the size of the battery, the voltage will drop to 11 volts or so under load. All battery voltages under load are recorded.

Anything 8 VDC or less is considered bad and should be replaced soon. 4-8 VDC should be replaced very soon. Less than 4 volts should be replaced immediately, in which case, if a battery isn’t immediately available, we would jump out the bad battery and adjust the float voltage accordingly. (This will depend on how many bad batteries are found and other factors)

Any maintenance free uninterruptible power supply battery over four years old should be considered potentially at end of life. If the battery set is 5 years old or older, we do not recommend replacing one or two bad batteries. Under these circumstances we would recommend that all the batteries should be replaced.

Although we are aware of the use of impedance testing and “trending”, after years of experience, we believe an actual load test is, by far, the most reliable indicator of a battery’s condition.

While inspecting the batteries, we also check and correct any terminal corrosion, cable deterioration or other anomalies. We also check terminal connections for correct torque.

On systems where the battery can not be safely isolated, we will visually inspect the battery and do a unit self test where possible.

For wet cell applications, an extensive maintenance list is available.