[gentoo-user] [OT]UPS battery dead?

[gentoo-user] [OT]UPS battery dead?

[maxim wexler]

Hi group,

Lookee here:

kyzyl linux # apcaccess status
APC      : 001,034,0852
DATE     : Tue Apr 28 19:26:47 MDT 2009
HOSTNAME : kyzyl
RELEASE  : 3.12.4
VERSION  : 3.12.4 (19 August 2006) gentoo
UPSNAME  : kyzyl
CABLE    : USB Cable
MODEL    : Back-UPS ES 350
UPSMODE  : Stand Alone
STARTTIME: Tue Apr 28 15:47:20 MDT 2009
STATUS   : ONLINE
LINEV    : 120.0 Volts
LOADPCT  :  71.0 Percent Load Capacity
BCHARGE  : 100.0 Percent
TIMELEFT :   2.8 Minutes
MBATTCHG : 5 Percent
MINTIMEL : 3 Minutes
MAXTIME  : 0 Seconds
LOTRANS  : 088.0 Volts
HITRANS  : 139.0 Volts
ALARMDEL : Always
BATTV    : 13.4 Volts
LASTXFER : Input frequency out of range
NUMXFERS : 0
TONBATT  : 0 seconds
CUMONBATT: 0 seconds
XOFFBATT : N/A
STATFLAG : 0x07000008 Status Flag
MANDATE  : 2007-10-16
SERIALNO : 3B0742X02836
BATTDATE : 2000-00-00
NOMBATTV :  12.0
FIRMWARE : 23.B1.D USB FW:B1
APCMODEL : Back-UPS ES 350
END APC  : Tue Apr 28 19:27:34 MDT 2009

Only 2.8mins left? The UPS unit, fairly common I suspect, is a Back-UPS ES 350 and less than a year old. It only saw service once last year during an electric storm when the house power failed for a few minutes. Why isn't it charging. Or is it? It says BATTDATE 2000-00-00. Huh?

I'd like to test it further but the apcupsd manual recommends at least 5mins time left. If I just unplug it from the back of the PC, will it charge? Is the battery caput?

Maxim 


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Re: [gentoo-user] [OT]UPS battery dead?

[Eric Martin]

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maxim wexler wrote:
> Only 2.8mins left? The UPS unit, fairly common I suspect, is a Back-UPS ES 350 and less than a year old. It only saw service once last year during an electric storm when the house power failed for a few minutes. Why isn't it charging. Or is it? It says BATTDATE 2000-00-00. Huh?
>
> I'd like to test it further but the apcupsd manual recommends at least 5mins time left. If I just unplug it from the back of the PC, will it charge? Is the battery caput?
>
> Maxim
I had a similar problem at work (but with the windows client).  APC told
me to charge the UPS overnight with 0 load and then see what that run
time is after performing a self test.


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Re: [gentoo-user] [OT]UPS battery dead?

[Mark Knecht]

On Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 6:40 PM, maxim wexler <blissfix@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Hi group,
>
> Lookee here:
>
> kyzyl linux # apcaccess status
> APC      : 001,034,0852
> DATE     : Tue Apr 28 19:26:47 MDT 2009
> HOSTNAME : kyzyl
> RELEASE  : 3.12.4
> VERSION  : 3.12.4 (19 August 2006) gentoo
> UPSNAME  : kyzyl
> CABLE    : USB Cable
> MODEL    : Back-UPS ES 350
> UPSMODE  : Stand Alone
> STARTTIME: Tue Apr 28 15:47:20 MDT 2009
> STATUS   : ONLINE
> LINEV    : 120.0 Volts
> LOADPCT  :  71.0 Percent Load Capacity
> BCHARGE  : 100.0 Percent
> TIMELEFT :   2.8 Minutes
> MBATTCHG : 5 Percent
> MINTIMEL : 3 Minutes
> MAXTIME  : 0 Seconds
> LOTRANS  : 088.0 Volts
> HITRANS  : 139.0 Volts
> ALARMDEL : Always
> BATTV    : 13.4 Volts
> LASTXFER : Input frequency out of range
> NUMXFERS : 0
> TONBATT  : 0 seconds
> CUMONBATT: 0 seconds
> XOFFBATT : N/A
> STATFLAG : 0x07000008 Status Flag
> MANDATE  : 2007-10-16
> SERIALNO : 3B0742X02836
> BATTDATE : 2000-00-00
> NOMBATTV :  12.0
> FIRMWARE : 23.B1.D USB FW:B1
> APCMODEL : Back-UPS ES 350
> END APC  : Tue Apr 28 19:27:34 MDT 2009
>
> Only 2.8mins left? The UPS unit, fairly common I suspect, is a Back-UPS ES 350 and less than a year old. It only saw service once last year during an electric storm when the house power failed for a few minutes. Why isn't it charging. Or is it? It says BATTDATE 2000-00-00. Huh?
>
> I'd like to test it further but the apcupsd manual recommends at least 5mins time left. If I just unplug it from the back of the PC, will it charge? Is the battery caput?
>
> Maxim

Unplug all your electronic devices and plug in a lamp with a 100 Watt
incandescent light build. With the lamp on unplug the UPS from the
wall and see what happens. If the battery is dead it won't last all
that long.

I've had batteries last for 5 years, and I've had others die after 1-2
years. 2000-00-00 obviously isn't real. That's a software glitch.

- Mark

[gentoo-user] Re: [OT]UPS battery dead?

[James]

maxim wexler <blissfix <at> yahoo.com> writes:

group,

> Only 2.8mins left? The UPS unit, fairly common I suspect, is a Back-UPS ES 350
and less than a year old. It only
> saw service once last year during an electric storm when the house power
failed for a few minutes. Why isn't
> it charging. Or is it? 


13.4 volts looks good on a 12V battery. I'm not sure I'd trust all the numbers.

One easy thing to do is to, just swap in another (hopfully 7AH) 
standard 12V battery), give it a few days, and see what the numbers
say. If you have lots of UPS's then getting a low cost 12V batter
tester for 'Jell-Cell' batteries is not a bad idea. If you see signs
of corrosion, toss the battery to the nearest recycle agency near
you.


It says BATTDATE 2000-00-00. Huh?

Ignore. This looks like a default firmware value if not is correctly
entered during manufacture or by the person that does maintenance.
Some firewares include it, but the manufacture does not have a 
software application, where the info can be updated. 
Gel-Cell batteries are not smart (i.e. no microp) so there is no
way for the battery to provide this info, to the UPS firmware.
It's gimmickery.





> I'd like to test it further but the apcupsd manual recommends at least 5mins
time left. 



I'd use manual testing techniques with the battery removed from the ups.
You could have leaky or degraded circuitry in the ups. I canabalize
old ups for good circuits and batteries and such. If you have
several similar models you can do the same. Best to buy UPS in
qty 2 or more to cannabalize parts. Never by a ups that does not
use the standard 7AH or multiples of that standard battery. The further
away from those batteries you get, the more you'll get 'ripped'
at replacement time. One more thing. The smaller UPSs are of poor 
quality. I usually never bay an ups with less than 1KVA rating,
although 800VA seem to be OK. The smaller ones just dye as the
electronic swithcing circuits (how AC is made from DC) are just
crappy and often fry or fatigue. Try not to run a UPS at more than
40% of the duty cycle, if you want it to last very long.

Hooking up any arrangement of AC lighting will allow you to see how the
battery performs over test intervals of 5,10,20,30 minutes.  An amp meter,
the kind that clamps around the power cord will give you the current
draw of the load. From those numbers and the measured voltage
across the battery, you can plot performance curves. After you do
a few batteries, you can just watch the lights and pretty much 
tell if a battery is cooked. Battery testers are also cool, and convenient.


If you are in the US, here is a great supplier for replacement batteries.
They have an 8AH replacement of the standard 7AH battery 
(same form factor) that is usually less expensive, better quality 
and will give you a 1/7 longer life, nominally,

Battery Wholesale Dist.
40120 Industrial Park Circle
Georgetown, TX 78626

800 365 8444  not sure the website...



hth,

James