OT: UPS question

[Dave Labrecque]

Yesterday and today my computer suddenly turned off. Yesterday it coincided with a power outage. Today, I think not, but I could be wrong. My powered monitors, also plugged into the UPS, went out, too, FWIW. The UPS came back to life (along with the connected gear) after resetting it.

I've replaced the backup battery once for this unit, more than four years ago.

Is it simply time for a new battery? The display is showing a full charge. Should I suspect circuitry in the UPS itself?

https://www.tripplite.com/support/smart1300lcdt

Thanks.

[UpTilDawn]

have you run a self-test on the unit?
Does the self-test show you the life of the battery, by chance? I ask, because I've never done this with my own tripplite ups and probably ought to.

[cgrafx]

Four years is a long time for batteries in a UPS. I have to replace my APC batteries every 2-3 years.

As suggested you should run the self test to check current battery status. Actually a little surprised the Tripplite UPS doesn't do this automatically on a regular schedule.

[Dave Labrecque]

Self-test. What a good idea. Why didn't I try that first? Well, I might as well download the manual if I'm gonna get all serious about this. Okay, so THAT'S how you run a self-test.

Running the self-test I get an icon that looks like a battery with a big X through it. What do you suppose that means?

Do you get the feeling I'm not intimately familiar with the workings of my UPS? Thanks for the info, gents. Looks like it's new battery time again.

[John Ludlow]

Running the self-test I get an icon that looks like a battery with a big X through it. What do you suppose that means?

Perhaps you drained it accidentally merely with your touch? Sounds suspiciously like the origin story for a new Marvel character. Don't be surprised if you begin to experience excess static electricity, sticking to walls or the ceiling, or find yourself constantly encountering desperate, but worthy, people in need of saving. Do right by them Captain Megawatt.

[Dave Labrecque]

Perhaps you drained it accidentally merely with your touch? Sounds suspiciously like the origin story for a new Marvel character. Don't be surprised if you begin to experience excess static electricity, sticking to walls or the ceiling, or find yourself constantly encountering desperate, but worthy, people in need of saving. Do right by them Captain Megawatt.

Okay, but first I need to install my new batteries. Priorities.

[Sean McCoy]

In my extensive experience with many, many UPS's, at some point the circuitry just becomes unreliable, even with fresh batteries. Nowadays if a supposedly working UPS fails me just once during a power blink, it's outta here.

[Dave Labrecque]

In my extensive experience with many, many UPS's, at some point the circuitry just becomes unreliable, even with fresh batteries. Nowadays if a supposedly working UPS fails me just once during a power blink, it's outta here.

Yeah, I've heard that they "wear down" over time from line spikes. But how can you know when that time has come? I guess with fresh batteries, if it acts funny, it's outta here. But if it doesn't act funny, it still may be compromised; so your approach is no doubt the safest, Sean.

[UpTilDawn]

Yeah, I've heard that they "wear down" over time from line spikes. But how can you know when that time has come? I guess with fresh batteries, if it acts funny, it's outta here. But if it doesn't act funny, it still may be compromised; so your approach is no doubt the safest, Sean.

Problem being that you don't know for sure, or even find out, until the day it dumps the last hour of recording or editing you've feverously slaved away on with pinpoint focus and forgot to save - even if your policy is "if a supposedly working UPS fails me just once during a power blink, it's outta here." (not that I think that's a bad policy)... but what does a person do to safeguard against the possibility that a "good" ups will just up and konk out one day?

[mr_es335]

UpTilDawn,

...but what does a person do to safeguard against the possibility that a "good" ups will just up and konk out one day?

... Simple. Have a backup to the backup.

The backup UPS does need to be as expensive as the in-place one...but if you simply cannot afford the down-time, then this preventative measure will always justify the added cost of redundancy.