SmartUPS dead?
 

Hi. I have an APC SmartUPS 2000, which I got in about 1996. It had
been discarded because it was deemed "dead". (From what I hear, "dead"
UPSes can often be revived by replacement of batteries. True?) It
consists of two boxes, each about 7"W x 8"H x 37"D, and uses four 18Ah
sealed-lead-acid batteries in series, for a total of 48V DC. It's rated
at 2KVA/1.5KW out, 20A@120V in.

My father thinks (after testing parts of the circuit) that it's well and
truly dead, and new batteries won't bring it back, but he's been known
to be pessimistic. My friend (an EE grad from UF) thinks so also after
discussing the unit with me, and he hasn't been know to be pessimistic.

Without the batteries or load, the head end does nothing when I press
the "I" (as opposed to "O") button.

I replaced one battery in about 1997, but since the UPS was DOA to me,
haven't used it. The batteries have been disconnected from any
electronics since that time.

* Before I invest $100+ in new batteries, why should I think that
that'll fix this beast?

* Is the battery I already replaced dead now?

I have an idea of buying the batteries locally (near Tampa), then
returning them if the UPS fails to charge.

* Should I scrape together four car/motorcycle batteries, connect them
in series, and test the UPS with that?

* Is there anybody (locally, as it's too heavy to ship) who can check
out the brains of the UPS, to verify its operation?


--
-eben m home.tampabay.rr.com/hactar
"God does not play dice" -- Einstein
"Not only does God play dice, he sometimes throws
them where they can't be seen." -- Stephen Hawking

SmartUPS dead?
 

I have bought these from the school system in the same condition, replaced
the batteries and usually they have worked fine. I agree with your problem
though. You never know for sure as my success rate has been 90%, some were
really bad. If you can hook up any lead acid battery with the correct
voltage, if smaller current it just won't have the lasting power, and test
before spending the big dollars. If you bought it in 1996 then this would
be about time to buy batteries.

Kurtis


"Hactar" wrote in message
...
Hi. I have an APC SmartUPS 2000, which I got in about 1996. It had
been discarded because it was deemed "dead". (From what I hear, "dead"
UPSes can often be revived by replacement of batteries. True?) It
consists of two boxes, each about 7"W x 8"H x 37"D, and uses four 18Ah
sealed-lead-acid batteries in series, for a total of 48V DC. It's rated
at 2KVA/1.5KW out, 20A@120V in.

My father thinks (after testing parts of the circuit) that it's well and
truly dead, and new batteries won't bring it back, but he's been known
to be pessimistic. My friend (an EE grad from UF) thinks so also after
discussing the unit with me, and he hasn't been know to be pessimistic.

Without the batteries or load, the head end does nothing when I press
the "I" (as opposed to "O") button.

I replaced one battery in about 1997, but since the UPS was DOA to me,
haven't used it. The batteries have been disconnected from any
electronics since that time.

* Before I invest $100+ in new batteries, why should I think that
that'll fix this beast?

* Is the battery I already replaced dead now?

I have an idea of buying the batteries locally (near Tampa), then
returning them if the UPS fails to charge.

* Should I scrape together four car/motorcycle batteries, connect them
in series, and test the UPS with that?

* Is there anybody (locally, as it's too heavy to ship) who can check
out the brains of the UPS, to verify its operation?


--
-eben m home.tampabay.rr.com/hactar
"God does not play dice" -- Einstein
"Not only does God play dice, he sometimes throws
them where they can't be seen." -- Stephen Hawking

SmartUPS dead?
 

In article ,
nge says...

snippety

* Before I invest $100+ in new batteries, why should I think that
that'll fix this beast?

* Is the battery I already replaced dead now?

I have an idea of buying the batteries locally (near Tampa), then
returning them if the UPS fails to charge.

* Should I scrape together four car/motorcycle batteries, connect them
in series, and test the UPS with that?

* Is there anybody (locally, as it's too heavy to ship) who can check
out the brains of the UPS, to verify its operation?

The problem with APC UPS's is that, without a GOOD set of
batteries attached, they will not fire up at all.

I'd say you stand a good chance of resurrecting the thing by
installing new batteries. That is, by far, the most common failure with
any UPS.

HOWEVER -- you should know that there is some risk that the unit
may have other problems. Again, though, it's a Catch-22: You won't be
able to even test it without hooking up a good set of batteries.

Good luck.


--
Dr. Anton T. Squeegee, Director, Dutch Surrealist Plumbing Institute.
(Known to some as Bruce Lane, ARS KC7GR, kyrrin (a/t) bluefeathertech
[d=o=t] calm
http://www.bluefeathertech.com
"If Salvador Dali had owned a computer, would it have been equipped with
surreal ports?"

SmartUPS dead?
 

Kurtis Bahr wrote:
I have bought these from the school system in the same condition, replaced
the batteries and usually they have worked fine. I agree with your problem
though. You never know for sure as my success rate has been 90%, some were
really bad. If you can hook up any lead acid battery with the correct
voltage, if smaller current it just won't have the lasting power, and test
before spending the big dollars. If you bought it in 1996 then this would
be about time to buy batteries.

Yeah, and it was old then, so I have no idea how old the batteries
_really_ are.

Thanks for the encouragement; I'll round up four vehicle batteries and
test it.

--
-eben m home.tampabay.rr.com/hactar
Your pretended fear lest error might step in is like the man who
would keep all wine out of the country lest men should be drunk.
-- Oliver Cromwell

SmartUPS dead?
 

We use a lot of these on our client sites. If the UPS controller does not
see the correct battery characteristics, it will not start up. You have an
excellent chance that with new batteries, it will work. You have to try to
know.

--

Greetings,

Jerry Greenberg GLG Technologies GLG
=========================================
WebPage http://www.zoom-one.com
Electronics http://www.zoom-one.com/electron.htm
=========================================


"Hactar" wrote in message
...
Hi. I have an APC SmartUPS 2000, which I got in about 1996. It had
been discarded because it was deemed "dead". (From what I hear, "dead"
UPSes can often be revived by replacement of batteries. True?) It
consists of two boxes, each about 7"W x 8"H x 37"D, and uses four 18Ah
sealed-lead-acid batteries in series, for a total of 48V DC. It's rated
at 2KVA/1.5KW out, 20A@120V in.

My father thinks (after testing parts of the circuit) that it's well and
truly dead, and new batteries won't bring it back, but he's been known
to be pessimistic. My friend (an EE grad from UF) thinks so also after
discussing the unit with me, and he hasn't been know to be pessimistic.

Without the batteries or load, the head end does nothing when I press
the "I" (as opposed to "O") button.

I replaced one battery in about 1997, but since the UPS was DOA to me,
haven't used it. The batteries have been disconnected from any
electronics since that time.

* Before I invest $100+ in new batteries, why should I think that
that'll fix this beast?

* Is the battery I already replaced dead now?

I have an idea of buying the batteries locally (near Tampa), then
returning them if the UPS fails to charge.

* Should I scrape together four car/motorcycle batteries, connect them
in series, and test the UPS with that?

* Is there anybody (locally, as it's too heavy to ship) who can check
out the brains of the UPS, to verify its operation?


--
-eben m home.tampabay.rr.com/hactar
"God does not play dice" -- Einstein
"Not only does God play dice, he sometimes throws
them where they can't be seen." -- Stephen Hawking

SmartUPS dead?
 

"Hactar" wrote in message
...
Kurtis Bahr wrote:
I have bought these from the school system in the same condition,
replaced
the batteries and usually they have worked fine. I agree with your
problem
though. You never know for sure as my success rate has been 90%, some
were
really bad. If you can hook up any lead acid battery with the correct
voltage, if smaller current it just won't have the lasting power, and
test
before spending the big dollars. If you bought it in 1996 then this
would
be about time to buy batteries.

Yeah, and it was old then, so I have no idea how old the batteries
_really_ are.

Thanks for the encouragement; I'll round up four vehicle batteries and
test it.

--
-eben m home.tampabay.rr.com/hactar
Your pretended fear lest error might step in is like the man who
would keep all wine out of the country lest men should be drunk.
-- Oliver Cromwell

You have the right idea. hook up 4 small batteries in series to the device.
enough to allow it to see 48v and take a charge and pass a self test wothout
load. then you can be sure its the batteries.

I have sucessfully tested a 5kva smart ups using 4 x 7aH batteries.
Ridicuallsly small but enough to get it running without load. Thus proving a
good unit and dead batteries.

Every UPS I have ever had in for repair has been dead batteries. Not just
APC smarts but backups pros, and other makes too.

SmartUPS dead?
 

Kurtis Bahr wrote:
I have bought these from the school system in the same condition, replaced
the batteries and usually they have worked fine. I agree with your problem
though. You never know for sure as my success rate has been 90%, some were
really bad. If you can hook up any lead acid battery with the correct
voltage, if smaller current it just won't have the lasting power, and test
before spending the big dollars. If you bought it in 1996 then this would
be about time to buy batteries.

OK. I replaced the batteries with

+
car battery
motorcycle battery
motorcycle battery
battery from a 350VA UPS
-

I figure if I get the UPS to work, I'll try out the UPS battery I bought
in ~1997, but haven't used since then.

With the front panel (AC) off, and the back panel (DC) in either
position (I tried it both ways), and the UPS plugged in, I get a big
spark when I brush a clamp (completing the DC circuit) to the car
battery terminal. I did not connect it, fearful of what would happen
with that large current (no fuses on the batteries, and a car battery
can supply a LOT of current).

I'm pretty sure the polarity of the batteries is correct; I checked it
several times, using as reference the red/black wires inside, and the
+/- stamped on the plug.

What could be wrong?

--
-eben m home.tampabay.rr.com/hactar
A. A Top Poster
B. Who's there?
A. Knock-knock -- from

SmartUPS dead?
 

"Hactar" wrote in message
...
Kurtis Bahr wrote:
I have bought these from the school system in the same condition,
replaced
the batteries and usually they have worked fine. I agree with your
problem
though. You never know for sure as my success rate has been 90%, some
were
really bad. If you can hook up any lead acid battery with the correct
voltage, if smaller current it just won't have the lasting power, and
test
before spending the big dollars. If you bought it in 1996 then this
would
be about time to buy batteries.

OK. I replaced the batteries with

+
car battery
motorcycle battery
motorcycle battery
battery from a 350VA UPS
-

I figure if I get the UPS to work, I'll try out the UPS battery I bought
in ~1997, but haven't used since then.

With the front panel (AC) off, and the back panel (DC) in either
position (I tried it both ways), and the UPS plugged in, I get a big
spark when I brush a clamp (completing the DC circuit) to the car
battery terminal. I did not connect it, fearful of what would happen
with that large current (no fuses on the batteries, and a car battery
can supply a LOT of current).

I'm pretty sure the polarity of the batteries is correct; I checked it
several times, using as reference the red/black wires inside, and the
+/- stamped on the plug.

What could be wrong?


Could be a short somewhere, if I were you I'd try connecting it with a 15A
automotive fuse, if the fuse blows something is certainly shorted.
--
-eben m home.tampabay.rr.com/hactar
A. A Top Poster
B. Who's there?
A. Knock-knock -- from