UPS low runtime

[(unknown)]

I have 2 units APC brand (smart 1400 and smart 1000), installed new batteries in both units and waited for them to charge before running battery calibration using PowerChute software. Still no run time.

[ghurd]

Do you have enough battery?

Maybe you know all this...

(Battery amp hour stamped on one battery) / (amp draw from batteries) / 2 or 3, maybe even 4 = hours of use time.   (Hours of use) / 60 = minutes of use

If you not comfortable or can't test the amps drawn from the battery, add all the watts of the things you are running together.

(total watts)X 1.2 / (battery bank volts)= (amp draw from batteries)

Battery bank volts- if you have 1 12v battery, then its 12. If you have 2 12v batteries, then its probably 24. 4 is 48. etc.

Kind of a ball park (I 'adjusted' it for what your situation seems to be).

If minutes of use is at all close to what you are getting, its working like it was designed.

I'm not familiar with either of those.  Most of those things are only designed to operate for a few minutes from the batteries, to close and save your stuff before its lost.

G-

[(unknown)]

I have no run time at all with 100 watts load on the units (either or).

[ElectricJim]

Nice to hear you are keeping up the maintenance to the ups by installing new batteries, in my time I have come across brand spanking new batteries that have been reversed charged, not saying yours are, but you would certainly know it if they had been as arching would occur when you re-attatched the Heavy Duty Leads.

However, I have also come across batteries where a single cell was completly dry, ie no paste or electrolite. If you have one of these in your UPS it will be open circuit (battery) and it wont work. If there is a faulty or weak cell, you will get a short cutoff time limit when you cutover to the UPS.

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT ENDORSED BY ME

IF IT WONT WORK IT IS NOT MY FAULT

Hints for so called "sealed" throw away acid batterys, I have managed to recover my own UPS battery by replacing (topping up)distilled water in each of the cells.

I know, battery manufacturers want you to go out and buy another and so you should, but, what if you live in outback australia like me, there is no battery shops just around the corner to "pop" into, and you just gotta get your UPS up and running cause there is a power outage next day!

1/ Take a thin sharp knife and prise up and off the round flatt cover above each

   cell. Be careful and take it slowly.

2. / Remove the "rubber" upsidedown cup that seals the "electrolite" acid in the cell.
   
3. / Get a sirenge and measure up 50mils of "distilled" water, now you will have to  
   
   

   ("estimate" the quantity as there are hundreds of different size volume cells)  

   and put it into the cell, just like topping up a car battery.

   Dont try and ask battery makers how much to put in, they wont tell you.

   BUT, to find out, Weigh a "dry" faulty battery, get an identical good battery,

   weigh it, subtract one from the other, divide by 6 and this is the amount of

   weight of distilled water to put in each cell

You see, just like all acid batteries, they give off gas when charging, some more than others, this is water being changed into oxygen and hydrogen, and is normal.

If the UPS charger is correct then your battery should be OK for several years.

4. / Do all cells, a 12V DC battery will have 6 cells
   
5. / Place on charge for 1 hour (if you have a charger)or
   
6. / Replace all the rubber seal cups and put the plastic round disks back on the cells
   
   

   Use a small amount of glue, they can be taped over with masking tape also.

7/ Put it back into service.

If this dosn't work, then go out a buy another battery by all means, just letting you know that batteries can be recovered if you want to spend a little time with them, and you will learn at the same time.

Remember to dispose of batterys in the correct manner, don't dump them, take them to a battery disposal place or area, ask at the local garage or mechanic.