How to prolong your UPS battery

A UPS is an important home appliance especially if you live in an area with frequent power surges or voltage fluctuations. A cheap APC UPS comes handy in case of power outages and gives you time to save important files on your computer i.e. gives you enough time to turn your computer off.

Moreover, it protects electrical home appliances from getting damaged due to voltage fluctuations.

Normally a UPS battery would work for 3 to 5 years; however, if certain requirements are met, it is entirely possible to prolong its life.

Following are some of the things you can do to prolong the life of your UPS battery effortlessly:

Installation

A UPS should be installed in a temperature controlled environment that meets the prescribed temperature i.e. below 25 degree Celsius. Moreover, avoid placing it in a high moisture environment and keep it away from windows. It is important to protect the UPS from dust and corrosive fumes.

Operating the UPS with high levels of temperature and humidity would damage it and reduce its life considerably. Proper ventilation should be provided i.e. ventilation openings at all sides of the UPS should not be blocked. To allow airflow leave at least 2-inch space at each side of the UPS.

Maintenance

Regular commercial single-phase UPS batteries are grouped as “maintenance free” which is misleading to most people. The term is misunderstood as batteries that do not require regular maintenance which is not true. In fact, the term “maintenance free” defines a battery that does not require replacement fluid. Therefore, knowing how to perform regular battery maintenance is crucial from someone that wishes to prolong battery life.

Recharge a completely discharged battery within two days so that the battery doesn’t get damaged. Furthermore, over-charging as well as over-discharging can significantly reduce battery life and spoil it.

Batteries have an internal resistance that increases due to corrosion as well as with age. A battery with more than 30% internal resistance should be immediately replaced with a new one. Alternatively, a battery with an 80% drop from its original capacitance should be replaced.

Replacement Batteries

Some people keep spare batteries, which is good; however, keeping the replacement battery for too long will have a negative effect on the spare. New batteries can be stored for a year without any problem. The capacitance of a stored battery reaches its end if stored for 18-30 months.

In order to prolong the life of a spare battery, keep it in less than 10 degree Celsius temperature.

Energy Saving Equipment

Use LED lights rather than ordinary bulbs because LEDs give the same level of brightness with almost 75% less power consumption. These LED lights not only last longer but also help save energy and are good for a UPS backup. Moreover, an efficient wring will have less resistance, consequently lowering the load on the UPS. Devices that consume less power keep the temperature of the cheap APC UPS under control; which in turn increases its life.