Power failure fixes battery back-up

[Magic Static]

I have an APC battery back-up on my computer and LAN. After a few years the batteries no longer passed a self-test. I bought some replacement cells at a local battery supply. They are supposed to hold more power But after a year the Unit complained the batteries would not pass a self-test anymore and needed replaced. Well it worked fine other than that so I pretty much ignored the battery warning going on over a year now.. Last night the power was off for 5 hours, the Battery back-up went totally dead and recharged when the power came back on. It now passes a self-test. I'll take it!!

 

[Anole]

Do they need an annual workout to stay in shape ?
Wonder how the original batteries would have responded to a power cycle?

What technology are the cells?
Sealed lead/acid?
Think that's what are used on motorcycles.

Oh , alarm system panels use little batteries like these.
Wonder if -they- recommend any sort of maintenance cycle?
.

 

[Foxbat]

Did you tell your APC that you replaced the battery? With the APC units at work we need to run a re-calibration a day or two after we replace the battery pack(s) so the unit knows that it needs to recalculate runtime for the new battery pack(s).

 

[Magic Static]

I believe they are a pair of sealed lead acid batteries. One is upside down on top of the other with a serial connector plate between them. The software that comes with it "Power Chute Personal Edition" doe not have the option to recalibrate the unit. No maintenance is indicated in the user manual. They have a "check here when batteries changed" box. The status indicator says it can run the 311 watts being used for 21 minutes. It ran my network; modem, router, two switches, and one data hub and my computer in off position for two hours before it lost power.

 

[Foxbat]

I would say that the deep discharge took the place of the calibration so the control unit "knows" you have good batteries now.

The lead-acid chemistry batteries are good for anywhere from four years to seven years, after which they need to be replaced (and recycled). Create an event on your smartphone to remind you in 2018 to check your UPS battery!

 

[Magic Static]

Sounds like an idea ... wait! .. they make phones that last 5 years??

 

[Anole]

Probably not any more!

I got 5..6 years out of my Motorola RAZR V3i
(had iTunes & better camera),
Was a handset not well known in the USA.
The bulk of sales were plain Jane, with VGA camera.

And in the end, it needed a new battery, too!

 

[Magic Static]

After thinking this over, I have an answer, I think. The self-test is very simplistic. It uses only voltage recovery data to base it's decision. It applies a fixed load to the battery and watches the voltage recovery. It has to recover x amount of voltage to pass. The newer batteries have more capacity. The fixed load won't drop the voltage far enough to recover enough to pass the test. I wouldn't doubt after a few weeks on the charger these batteries won't pass again. I should be then able to repeat this phenom.

 

[Magic Static]

After thinking this over, I have an answer, I think. The self-test is very simplistic. It uses only voltage recovery data to base it's decision. It applies a fixed load to the battery and watches the voltage recovery. It has to recover x amount of voltage to pass. The newer batteries have more capacity. The fixed load won't drop the voltage far enough to recover enough to pass the test. I wouldn't doubt after a few weeks on the charger these batteries won't pass again. I should be then able to repeat this phenom.

Failed a self-test this morning. I unplugged the battery back-up and let it run down. I recharged and tested. Passes again