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Tips

There’s no such thing as refurbished UPS batteries

by Tony ExcessUPS

People ask us all the time if it’s okay to buy refurbished UPS batteries, or they found a great deal on a UPS with refurbished batteries and they want to know if it’s a good deal. Even worse, some people have bought a used UPS under the pretense that it came with refurbished batteries, only to find out that the batteries are totally dead and need to be replaced.

 

A lot of of this stuff comes from online marketplaces and classifieds where people advertise their old UPSs as being sold with refurbished batteries. Everyone wants a good deal, but you have to be aware of the facts and not get scammed.

Refurbished UPS Battery 225x300 Theres no such thing as refurbished UPS batteries

 

We need to dispel this myth once and for all.

 

THERE’S NO SUCH THING as refurbished UPS batteries! UPS batteries can not be refurbished, serviced, revitalized, rebuilt, repaired, or re certified.

Recertified UPS Battery 300x199 Theres no such thing as refurbished UPS batteries

Once UPS batteries have reached the end of their service life, they’re finished. Higher quality UPS batteries are designed to provide 3-5 years of life time. Some will last even longer depending on use/abuse. We’ve seen UPS batteries that have provided decent run time at 7 years! But, once this life time is over, the battery is no longer usable and needs to be recycled. It can not be repaired or serviced.

 

So next time someone offers you that amazingly cheap UPS with “refurbished” batteries, know that it’s a scam and turn the other way. If you want reliable power protection, always get fresh new high quality batteries for your UPS.

 

How to cold start a Smart-UPS

by Tony ExcessUPS

A cold start is when you start a UPS without input power. This is useful if you need to test if the UPS is not turning on due to bad input power or if you need to turn the UPS on to operate during a power outage/failure. It’s also a good test to see if the battery in the UPS is functional (not necessarily at full charge, but holding some charge)

SUA1500med How to cold start a Smart UPS

To cold start a Smart-UPS:

1. Turn OFF and Unplug the UPS from the wall

2. Press and HOLD the power button (Test) on the front of the UPS until you hear a long beep

3. During the long beep, let go of the TEST button. If you waited too long and the beep stopped, you’ll have to do it again

4. If you let go during the long beep, the UPS should start, go through the self test and run off battery power. The unit will beep to let you know that it’s running on batteries

5. If you’r testing to see if the wall outlet is working, you can plug the UPS back in to the wall socket, if there is acceptable power, the UPS will switch to normal operation

 

 

APC SmartCell “No Battery Communication” with Matrix UPS

by Tony ExcessUPS

If you’ve recently added or changed a SmartCell on a Matrix-UPS and you’re seeing a “No battery communication” fault on the LCD display of the Matrix, try the following suggestions.

APC SmartCell No Battery Communication with Matrix UPS

The SmartCell communicates with the Matrix-UPS using an RJ22 (telephone handset) cable. This cable goes from the OUTPUT (BATT COMM OUT) on the SmartCell to the Matrix EU (top part of the Matrix) INPUT (BATT COMM) jack. So OUT on the SmartCell, IN on the Matrix. SmartCell Cable 300x251 APC SmartCell No Battery Communication with Matrix UPSThis is one of the most common mistakes, make sure to check this first and check this several times as it’s easy to overlook such a small detail.

Remember: Out on the SmartCell, IN on the Matrix

APC SmartCell No Battery Communication with Matrix UPS

If several SmartCells are installed, change the order of the comm cables and the battery packs. Take the comm cable from one and plug it in to the OUTPUT (BATT COMM) of another.  Are you plugging it in the right order? If you have a lot of SmartCells, disconnect all and start one by one.  Is at least one registering in the system, is that one wired properly? Add on another SmartCell, did that one show up in the system? Check on the front LCD display, go to the “UPS Status” menu and scroll down to see how many battery packs are attached, you can also check in the UPS Diagnostics menu.

If several Matrix UPSs are available on site, take the battery pack to another Matrix and see if it registers in the UPS Status menu. Try a different RJ22 cable, that could be the problem. If you’ve changed the cable and it starts showing up on the second Matrix, it should show up on the first one as well. Even RJ22 cables can go bad once in awhile!

If the SmartCell is working properly on one Matrix but not on the other, you could have bad “BATT COMM” jack on that Matrix. If none of these combinations work, you may have a problem with the SmartCell.

Smart-UPS Battery LED’s Flashing

by Tony ExcessUPS

If  all of a sudden the Battery Charge LED’s on your Smart-UPS started blinking, there could be several things going on.

 

1. The battery LED’s start blinking once the UPS knows it can’t support the attached load for longer than 2 minutes. This could be because your batteries are aging and at that load, you won’t have more than two minutes of run time. It could also be because you increased the load. Try and take some of the load off and see if the LED’s stop blinking.

2. Reset the Low Battery Signal – For example, take a Smart-UPS 1400 with 15 minutes of run time at the current load, if the low battery signal is set to 9 minutes, then if there’s less than 8 minutes of run time available the LED’s will start blinking. Set the battery signal warning time to a lesser value in the configuration menu and the UPS shutdown parameters sub menu in Powerchute plus.

3. Perform a run time calibration – this will give you accurate run time availability. This will also let you know if it’s time to change your batteries, they might have aged to the point where they can’t provide enough run time, but they haven’t completely expired. Follow the calibration procedure to do a calibration.

APC Back UPS RS 800 BR800BLK Flashing Overload and Replace Battery Light

by Tony ExcessUPS

APC Back-UPS RS 800 flashing the overload and replace battery lights

APC BR800BLK front med APC Back UPS RS 800 BR800BLK Flashing Overload and Replace Battery Light

This is indicative of a board failure, this is not a battery problem. This could have been caused by a surge or by aged components. This is not repairable, the UPS will need to be replaced. If your battery is still fairly new, you can save some money and make use of your batteries by buying a refurbished core (the unit itself) without the batteries. If your batteries are over 3 years old it’s best to either buy a refurbished br800blk ups with new batteries or buy a brand new UPS.

If you need a refurbished core without the batteries, get in touch with us to check availability.

APC Back UPS 900 BR900 Chirping, beeping and cycling through the lights

by Tony ExcessUPS

If  your APC Back-UPS 900 (BR900) is chirping, beeping and cycling through all the lights, it’s not a battery issue, it’s a board problem. The cycling, chirping and relay noises are indicating that the unit had a board failure. This isn’t repairable, the unit needs to be replaced. If the batteries in the unit are fairly new (less than 3 years) then you could save some money by replacing the core of the unit and using your batteries.

0527EFFC 5056 9170 D3585FA57EF28566 pr APC Back UPS 900 BR900 Chirping, beeping and cycling through the lights

 

Get in touch with us to see if we have a refurbished BR900 in stock. If we do, we can sell it to you without the batteries.

APC UPS won’t power up with a dead battery

by Tony ExcessUPS

A Smart-UPS that has a dead battery or doesn’t have a battery will not turn on. If you’ve stored your unit for a few years and when you brought it back out it didn’t turn on, most likely the battery died but the unit is functional. If you removed the battery from your UPS or bought one without a battery, it also won’t turn on.

UPS batteries don’t have a long shelf life when they’re being stored, six months to a year is enough to completely drain the battery and make it unusable. A Smart-UPS requires a specific minimum voltage to recognize that there is a battery installed, and if it doesn’t see it, it’s as if the battery is not there at all.

The quickest way to test the unit to make sure it’s working is to try a good working battery from another unit. If the UPS turns on with the good battery, your issue was just a dead battery.

The newest APC units (SMX/SMT) will power up with a dead battery, all the other ones require a working battery in order to turn on.

APC Back-UPS HS (BH500NET) Password Problems

by Tony ExcessUPS

When you’re setting up the password on the Back-UPS HS 500 web interface, don’t put an exclamation mark in the password. If there is an exclamation mark in the password the UPS will lock you out.  The unit will be need to be reset and a manual reset through the reset button  won’t necessarily fix it.

bh500net f v APC Back UPS HS (BH500NET) Password Problems

Although the real source of this problem is unknown or admitted, it is assumed that it must be a firmware issue with the unit. When the exclamation mark is put in the password, it doesn’t register properly and causes the lock out. The firmware on these units is not upgradeable.

Advice: Don’t put an exclamation mark in the password

If you’re stuck and unable to reset the unit through the reset button, call APC tech support and they should be able to give you a back door password over the phone that will reset the login and password. You will need to provide them the unit’s serial number, they will generate a backdoor password and provide you instructions on the reset.

 

In the USA & Canada, APC Tech support can be reached at: 800-555-2725

 

Battery Backup for the Mac Pro 8-Core & Mac Pro 12-Core

by Tony ExcessUPS

We’ve been getting a lot of emails and calls about a battery backup to protect the Mac Pro 8-Core and the Mac Pro 12-Core. People have been getting confused by the power consumption specifications provided by Apple. Can it really consume that much? Do I really need to have a massive UPS? Do I need to run a circuit just for the Mac? All great questions. After all, if you bought that awesome machine you want to protect your investment from harm. I’m going to demystify the subject.

features subnav mac 20110720 Battery Backup for the Mac Pro 8 Core & Mac Pro 12 Core

 

Here are the power specs for the Mac Pro 8-Core and the Mac Pro 12-Core

 

Line voltage: 100-120V AC or 200-240V AC (wide-range power supply input voltage)

  • Frequency: 50Hz to 60Hz single phase
  • Current: Maximum of 12A (low-voltage range) or 5A (high-voltage range)

 

The Mac Pro 8-12 Core can use a maximum of 12A; this is the maximum, with it being fully loaded and about to pop! In actuality, the Mac Pro consumes a lot less power during normal operations. We’ve tested several, and we were pleasantly surprised by how efficient they were.

The best UPS for the Mac Pro 8-Core and the Mac Pro 12-Core is the APC Smart-UPS 1500, model  SUA1500. This is a UPS that outputs a sine wave (always preferred by the Mac Pro), regulates the power, has great surge protection, and will provide you more than 15 minutes of run time. We’ve even tested it with a few external hard drives plugged in and a cable modem/router. This UPS plugs in to a regular household 15A outlet, so you don’t need to run any kind of electrical wiring.

SUA1500sm Battery Backup for the Mac Pro 8 Core & Mac Pro 12 Core

While operating, the Mac Pro 8-Core and the Mac Pro 12-Core consumed less than 30% of the capacity on the UPS, allowing for additional accessories to be plugged in and protected. If you’re doing heavy duty operations, you’ll consume more power, but it won’t overload the UPS — it can take it. You can also safely plug in your cable modem, router, and external hard drive.

As you attach the devices, you’ll see the load meter on the left side of the UPS light up. There are a total of 5 lights; with the equipment described here you’ll be under three. It’s a good idea to run the UPS with less than 4 bars of load, since that will ensure the UPS components don’t overheat and you have adequate run time to safely shut down in case of a power outage.

The refurbished Smart-UPS 1500 is the best value and protection for this  set up. The UPS comes with a one year full replacement warranty so your purchase is protected. If you really want to splurge, buy yourself a brand new SMT1500, the newest generation of the Smart-UPS 1500. Same features, just newer!

Save yourself the headache and don’t buy a cheap $30 Back-UPS for the Mac Pro.  That UPS will do a good job on a small PC or a cash register, but it won’t offer any protection for your Mac Pro.  You’ll end up buying it, trying it and then have to go back to the store to return it.

monkey Battery Backup for the Mac Pro 8 Core & Mac Pro 12 Core

If you have any questions about this UPS or need help deciding on a UPS for your particular configuration, get in touch anytime at 866-311-1945 or email at sales@excessups.com, we’re always eager to help.

APC Back UPS ES 750 BE750G – Refurbished with New Batteries

by Tony ExcessUPS

APC BACKUPS ES 750VA BE750G med APC Back UPS ES 750 BE750G Refurbished with New Batteries

We have the APC Back-UPS 750VA in stock! These are fantastic units for a small home/office set up. The unit has 5 battery protected outlets and 5 surge protected outlets for a total capacity of 450W.  As always, these units are fully tested, refurbished, come with fresh new batteries and a one year replacement warranty.

When setting up this UPS, make sure to plug in your computer, monitor, cable modem and router in the battery protected side. If there is a power failure, you don’t lose power, save your work and safely shut down.

The non essential stuff like speakers, scanners, and desk lamps should be plugged in to the surge protected side. The non essential equipment doesn’t need to be protected by the batteries, it just needs surge protection. Save the battery for the important stuff.

If you’re looking to get a battery backup for your TV set up, this UPS will work perfect. Plug in your LCD/Plasma TV in to the battery protected outlets, plug in your DVR in to those as well.  Blu-Ray players and DVD players should be plugged in to the surge protected outlets.

These units are going fast, if you need a few get them today. If you have any questions about this UPS or any others, call us at 866-311-1945 or email at sales@excessups.com today.

 

APC Smart-UPS 750 LCD & APC Smart-UPS 1500VA LCD

January 16, 2012

For everyone who has been asking us about the Smart-UPS 750VA LCD and the Smart-UPS 1500VA LCD refurbished with new batteries, we finally have them in stock ready to go. We only have a small quantity at this time so if you need them grab them quick!      

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Don’t buy “clearance”, “overstock”, or “end of the line” UPS Batteries

January 16, 2012

It’s a  bad idea to buy “clearance” or “overstock” UPS batteries. Batteries are perishable goods, you’re probably buying batteries that have been sitting on the shelf somewhere for a few years, mostly drained and won’t offer much run time. UPS batteries need to be fresh new stock in order to provide you proper protection and [...]

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APC PowerChute for Mac

January 16, 2012

Do I need to install PowerChute for Mac to setup and monitor my APC UPS? We recommend using  the native Mac software  (Energy Saver) to monitor and control the UPS. When you attach USB cable to your Mac, the Mac will auto recognize the UPS and will provide settings in the energy saver pane. * [...]

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Quick TEST to make sure UPS is working

January 16, 2012

The quickest way to determine if you’re UPS is working? The quickest test is to pull the plug out of the wall and see what happens. If the attached load drops (ie computer turns 0ff) then you have a UPS or battery problem. If everything is powered and keeps going, then your UPS is working! [...]

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How often should I replace the batteries inside my APC UPS?

January 16, 2012

If you’re replacing your UPS batteries with high quality batteries, they should last 3-5 years. If you’re buying junk batteries then don’t be surprised if you’re getting less than a year. High quality UPS batteries are designed to have a 3-5 year life time. It’s a good idea to test your batteries once a year [...]

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Help! I can’t figure out which UPS system is right for me!

January 15, 2012

If you’re browsing through the site and can’t figure out whether you need a Smart-UPS 1000 or a Smart-UPS RT 10,000 we’re here to help. Don’t waste your time braking your head trying to figure it out, that’s what we’re here to do. Give us a call at 866-311-1945 or email at sales@excessups.com, let us [...]

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Power Backup and Surge Protection for Home Theater Systems

January 15, 2012

If you have a high end home theater system it’s definitely a good idea to put a UPS on it to make sure it’s protected when there’s a power problem such as a spike, sag, surge, or a brown out.  That high end equipment on which you’ve spent thousands of dollars can get damaged by [...]

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SMT1500 Fan Problems

January 15, 2012

We’ve been hearing from our customers that the SMT1500 has a louder fan than anything they’re used to. The fan on  the SMT1500 runs more often because of APC’s green initiative, the idea is to keep the UPS cool and save energy. Now unless you’re running a data center, the fan of the SMT1500 can [...]

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