Anyone who cares for his/her IT infrastructure has a UPS system installed to provide energy during sudden power outages and help protect the IT equipment from power surge and unpredictable interruptions. The UPS battery helps provide continuous power to the load for some time until the power is restored or allows the systems to be shut down properly.
This alone helps reduce the risk of data corruption, data loss, to name but a few. Thus, the batteries need to be in the best condition possible to maintain maximum uptime, one of the reasons they should be replaced regularly. However, you need to know just when the batteries should be replaced and then plan well for the same.
UPS batteries don’t have the longest lifespans. Having the batteries serviced and maintained regularly and monitoring their condition can help predict just when the batteries will need to be replaced. The servicing engineer may also have to run an impedance test on all batteries to determine their health and when/if a replacement is due. It is by replacing damaged and weak batteries that the UPS system’s risk of suddenly giving in is eliminated. A data centre design is an integral part of your back up system.
With proper planning, the process of replacing the UPS batteries can be relatively easy, safe, and effective. You, however, need to be aware of the risks involved with replacing the batteries. The most significant ones include:
- The load is no longer protected when the batteries are disconnected. Faulty connections/cabling can lead to rectifier/inverter breakdown, forcing the UPS to switch to auxiliary supply. This again leaves the load unprotected from sudden power interruptions.
- Incorrect handling of the batteries can lead to electrolyte leakage, increasing the likelihood of a fault.
- The electrolyte spillage around the UPS and battery installation can cause serious injury to anyone it comes in contact with. It is for this reason everyone, including the servicing engineer, should have the correct PPEs on when replacing/handling UPS batteries.
- Increased risk of thermal runaway, explosion, or fire, especially if the battery charger calibration is wrong.
- Failure to dispose of UPS batteries accordingly can lead to legal prosecution, which could attract heavy financial penalties.
We at Source UPS are an Approved Distributor of Yuasa Batteries. We specialise in UPS systems, UPS battery integration, and replacements. Our team of certified and experienced engineers can handle battery replacements for all UPS makes and models from 1kVA to 1mVA and higher. The battery replacement and installation can be carried out within, and outside of, your regular working hours with no load disconnection whatsoever. We also offer to have the old batteries disposed of properly according to WEEs Environment Agency’s directive.
You can also order new UPS batteries from our online UPS Battery shop or even request professional battery replacement service from one of our engineers. We also do offer annual UPS maintenance on request/contract.
Choosing the Right UPS Replacement Batteries
Several factors ought to be considered before replacing UPS batteries. The overall age of the battery is one of the top factors to consider. There are also times when the battery blocks will start failing or fail altogether.
While you may be tempted to replace the failed/failing battery blocks, doing so might only reduce its performance in the long run. This is particularly so for old batteries where the next weak battery block will take precedence. A fresh set of a battery string is thus ideal for this setup.
The new batteries must match the UPS’ Vdc (DC bus voltage). However, the Ampere-Hour (Ah) of the new batteries can be different depending on whether looking to increase or decrease the required runtime. You might also want to match the type of battery used initially in the UPS. I.e., A sealed lead acid battery should be replaced with the same. A UPS firmware reconfiguration might be needed if looking to use a different type of battery, say gel batteries. A certified engineer will, however, know this, and ensure everything is configured correctly.
UPS batteries don’t have the longest lifespans. Having the batteries serviced and maintained regularly and monitoring their condition can help predict just when the batteries will need to be replaced.
The servicing engineer may also have to run an impedance test on all batteries to determine their health and when/if a replacement is due. It is by replacing damaged and weak batteries that the UPS system’s risk of suddenly giving in is eliminated.
With proper planning, the process of replacing the UPS batteries can be relatively easy, safe, and effective. You, however, need to be aware of the risks involved with replacing the batteries. The most significant ones include:
- The load is no longer protected when the batteries are disconnected. Faulty connections/cabling can lead to rectifier/inverter breakdown, forcing the UPS to switch to auxiliary supply. This again leaves the load unprotected from sudden power interruptions.
- Incorrect handling of the batteries can lead to electrolyte leakage, increasing the likelihood of a fault.
- The electrolyte spillage around the UPS and battery installation can cause serious injury to anyone it comes in contact with. It is for this reason everyone, including the servicing engineer, should have the correct PPEs on when replacing/handling UPS batteries.
- Increased risk of thermal runaway, explosion, or fire, especially if the battery charger calibration is wrong.
- Failure to dispose of UPS batteries accordingly can lead to legal prosecution, which could attract heavy financial penalties.
We at Source UPS are an Approved Distributor of Yuasa Batteries. We specialise in UPS systems, UPS battery integration, and replacements. Our team of certified and experienced engineers can handle battery replacements for all UPS makes and models from 1kVA to 1mVA and higher.
The battery replacement and installation can be carried out within, and outside of, your regular working hours with no load disconnection whatsoever. We also offer to have the old batteries disposed of properly according to WEEs Environment Agency’s directive.
You can also order new UPS batteries from our online UPS Battery shop or even request professional battery replacement service from one of our engineers. We also do offer annual UPS maintenance on request/contract.
Choosing the Right UPS Replacement Batteries
Several factors ought to be considered before replacing UPS batteries. The overall age of the battery is one of the top factors to consider. There are also times when the battery blocks will start failing or fail altogether.
While you may be tempted to replace the failed/failing battery blocks, doing so might only reduce its performance in the long run. This is particularly so for old batteries where the next weak battery block will take precedence. A fresh set of a battery string is thus ideal for this setup.
The new batteries must match the UPS’ Vdc (DC bus voltage). However, the Ampere-Hour (Ah) of the new batteries can be different depending on whether looking to increase or decrease the required runtime.
You might also want to match the type of battery used initially in the UPS. I.e. A sealed lead acid battery should be replaced with the same. A UPS firmware reconfiguration might be needed if looking to use a different type of battery, say gel batteries. A certified engineer will, however, know this, and ensure everything is configured correctly.