If your IT infrastructure is already protected with an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) you are not taking any chances on unpredictable power failures. To make sure these UPS systems are kept in optimal order it is essential to plan your UPS maintenance and battery replacements at various intervals.
No battery invented will last forever and the UPS is no exception. To gain the greatest value from their protection it will be necessary to institute a plan for maintenance and care. Part of this regular service will include an impedance test from a service engineer, these tests will provide a better assessment of your UPS battery life and ensures that replacements can be made with no loss of power.
When planned and orchestrated ahead of time, UPS battery replacements can be carried out in a safe and effective manner. Part of effective planning will be considering some important risks associated with these procedures.
UPS Protection for the Load Maybe Lost Momentarily – flaws in the cabling can lead to a converter or rectifier breakdown. This will mean that the power will be switched to the auxiliary system and this will leave the load unprotected.
The chance of such a fault occurring can be increased by improper handling which can lead to electrolyte leakage. Electrolyte leakage in the areas around the UPS and battery location can also cause serious injury to technicians working in the area. Further risks to personnel can occur from not properly using PPE.
Flaws in the battery calibration can also lead to fire, explosion or thermal runaway.
Prosecution: Incorrect disposal of batteries can also lead to legal action from local government authorities. The result could be considerable financial penalties.
Source UPS is an Approved Distributor of Yuasa Batteries. We specialise in UPS systems and their battery components.
Our experienced engineers have the qualifications and experience to handle repairs, maintenance and replacements for all UPS models after 1kVA to 1mVA and never cause a disruption to your load. We also offer a flexible working schedule and can perform our services during or after regular working hours. We offer certified disposal and removal services for battery systems too. All of this is carried out under the guidelines stipulated in the Environmental Agency’s WEEE Directive.
If you have not had your UPS systems serviced or maintained in a while or noticed a failure in your systems, visit our UPS Battery Shop and purchase a new set of batteries as soon as possible. If you would like more information about our battery replacement services or plans for annual maintenance contact our representatives today.
Selecting Replacement UPS Batteries
Once you know which of the battery blocks in your array have failed it is then important to consider the age of the set. You will find that power dips downward to the weakest battery in the array. It is not a sustainable or cost effective plan in the long run to change out the entire blocks. The best solution is to change the strings or sets and this is the most common option as well.
It is important to remember that when you change your batteries that the configurations of the replacements are a match to the original set in terms of DC bus voltage (Vdc). The Battery Ampere Hour does not have to be the same if the back-up tame is being increased or decreased. But, it is also a good idea that the technology or type of battery matches. In other words, if the original battery being replaced is a sealed lead acid battery that is the type of battery it should be replaced with.