APC Smart-UPS 1250 cold start

[zap]

I recently found a Smart-UPS 1250 in a trash pile.  It's an old design but this one was in good shape.  The batteries were toast but the unit ran fine once I hooked up 2 good batteries to it. However, I could never get it to cold start.

I scoured the web looking for information, including the many posts here, and no combination of button pressing did the trick.  I was pretty certain the unit was capable of cold starting from reading things online but every thing I read talked about "contacting customer service".  I finally found a pdf copy of the owner's manual and it didn't even mention cold start.

After messing around for a few days and doing every possible combination of button pressing (it has a test and an off button)... I finally got it to cold start by:

1. -Pressing and holding the test button.
   
2. -Turning on the "UPS ENABLE" switch on the back of the unit.
   
3. -Releasing the test button on the second beep.
   
   

She runs offline fine now.

[scottsAI]

Zap,

All SmartUPS 1kw and above can cold start. Pro line not true.

Lightly loaded not very efficient, maybe 50%. Tested out a 1kw UPS vs 350w inverter with 40w load. UPS run time was half. Full load good.

Problem with UPS as an inverter is a 1kw unit is Peak 1kw.

Most 1kw inverters support overloading to 2kw for a few sec. (even minutes)

UPS are on all my computers, lost too much data in years past.

Have fun with your new find.

Scott.

[BruceDownunder]

I have them ,, generally have to hold the button down for ,say, 3 seconds ,maybe I have a couple trys ,. then maybe have to leave it alone til I hear the relay click before I try again.

Been working for 15 years now ,just small loads up to ,say, 700 watts , can't start an electric drill..nice for soldering irons,fluro lights,quartz lights,radio's cb's Etc

bruce.

[bob g]

i have several of the smartups 1000's and several of the smartups 1400xl's

they all start fine "if" the battery bank is in decent shape "and" if i press the

test button "once" then release, and press and hold for 3-4 seconds then release

and they start right up.

some are better than others at cold start and i don't know why for sure, they

are all connected to the same battery bank so voltage is not the problem, but

i do notice that the more difficult ones to start indicate lower battery voltage

on the 5 led battery level indicator?

the 1000's won't start much of anything, but are good for up to 750watts of resistance heater if the battery is well charged

the 1400's on the other hand will start my drill press 1/2hp delta (12spd?)reliably

and my delta 8 inch bench grinder as well, although that is a stretch and sometime

it won't quite startup so i have to reset before the motor spins down, second time

always gets the job done.

i have one 3000 series that as soon as i get my trigen setup for 48volt charging

will start some testing with it, i suspect it will be far better at starting motor loads.

also the powerfactors of both the bench grinder and the drill press are horrible

anywhere from .25 to .38 pf, it might be with some pf correction caps starting might be aided but i am not sure of that.

bob g

[zap]

Thanks for the comments.

Scott, I really don't intend to use it too often.  I have a CyberPower 1250 that works fine but the power has been so much more reliable around here in the past 7 or 8 years that I don't even use it any more.  Back when, I could count on the power going out around here about 4 or 5 times a year.

The CyberPower starts right up without the grid using just it's power button btw.

The reason I like the APC is for the sine wave... the CyberPower is a modified sine.

bruce & bob, trust me, I tried every combination of pressing, holding, etc.  I waited way too long for beeps or relay clicks and... nada!  I was very close to trying the "hammer" method.

The only one that worked was the one using the switch on back, maybe the 1250 is a different beast because I did notice APC doesn't really give any info on battery replacement for 1250.

I just figured I'd post it here in case someone else comes across a 1250 and needs the information.

[Blimpman]

I'm looking for schematics and repair manual for a Powerware Personal 1000. It's an old unit, but I like the fact that it doesn't have those microscopic smd's. I think it could be fixed, and I would learn a lot in the process. No help from Powerware or Exide, the unit is obsolete.