Ups?

K

Kathy

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 3, 2004
Messages
205
I have an old UPS (Backup power supply) that I've not used in over 3 years. Does the battery go bad in these if there not used? Would it be safe to try it?

Also, do they make a UPS that would run a computer, monitor & keyboard for at least 2 hours if I lost my power? I live/work in the country and our power goes out if the wind blows from the wrong direction,lol. Well almost that bad. :) Thanks!

Kathy
 
It's safe to try it. If it's a decent UPS, the diagnostics built-in to it should test the battery and let you know if it needs replacing.

If you go to the American Power Conversion website, you'll find a selection wizard that helps you choose a model based on your load and desired runtime.

With no specs on your computer, I'd guess that a SUA750XL with an external SUA24XLBP battery pack would get you through two hours on a well-optioned system and a bigger LCD monitor... and some room to grow.
 
Thank you! I appreciated the info and the link, now to see if I get sticker shock! :D

Kathy
 
It'll be pretty expensive. You'll save a lot by reducing capacity -- that is, lowering your runtime requirements.
 
When lead-acid batteries sit around that long without a charge, much like a car battery, they won't hold a charge very well anymore even if you recharge them. It's safe to try it out, but don't expect it to work well. 3 years is the normal amount of time I would recommend someone replace used batteries anyways, whether it was powered on during that time or not. If you want the UPS to be reliable (which is the main point I would think) replacing the battery(s) with a new one would be the best choice.

2 hours run time on the system you have listed in your specs will require a very large capacity UPS, or one with some type of add-on capacity option.
 
Thanks guys!

I checked them out and the one I'd need is $738.00 and that was for a 2.5 hour run time. And then you say I'd need to replace the battery in 3 years? Well I know where I'll be when the lights go off..... in the dark! :D

But thanks for the help and I still might go with a smaller one. I hate not having anything to do when the power is out. Last night we had high winds and it went out for almost 3 hours. :(

Kathy
 
Just get a UPS good enough to give ya a few minutes to save your work and properly shutdown, that goes a long way. As far as having enough power to run your machine for several hours at full load.. well... that would cost more than it is worth!
 
3 year old batteries will be very close to dead, if they aren't already. The ones I've replaced in my APC's were around 5-6 years old (manufactured date) when they croaked.

And for a 2 hour runtime I'd estimate you'll beed around 3000 VA worth of UPS to do that. I use APC Smart-UPS 1000 and 1400 VA units, and the 1400 VA will run my workstation (similiar to yours in spec) and a 21" CRT for about 45 minutes.
 
2 hours is kinda getting into generator territory. $738 would probably get you a decent UPS that'll keep you going for about 10 minutes plus a generator that'll keep you going the rest of the way. If you want the generator to automatically power up and switch over when the power goes out, then that will obviously add a bit to the cost. But if your power does go out often for extended periods, then it might be worth it. If you do go for a UPS that'll keep you going for 2.5 hours, it's probably going to cost at least $150 for replacement batteries, so keep that in mind. You will have to replace them in 2-3 years, even with minimal use. Also, a lot of the higher capacity UPSes need a 30 amp feed(at least my smart-ups 3000 does), since they are designed to be connected to a lot of equipment.
 
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