UPS Battery Systems | Our Top 5 Essential Considerations

The central component of UPS systems is widely acknowledged to be the UPS batteries, which unfortunately are also the most susceptible to malfunction, with battery failure being the primary cause. While various factors can contribute to UPS battery failure, inadequate maintenance is often the underlying reason. By acquiring a thorough comprehension of the most effective maintenance and service techniques, you can increase the lifespan of your UPS batteries, minimize downtime, and safeguard your business from costly power outages that could negatively impact productivity.

UPS Battery

We take into account a variety of elements when determining which UPS battery is best for your business. We discuss our top 5 essential UPS battery considerations below. 

  1. Your business needs

There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to battery design. There are a number of factors which influence battery selection; We look at your UPS business needs, critical load requirements, and the best autonomy time before we make a recommendation on the most appropriate battery for your UPS.

  1. Your UPS run-time

Runtime refers to the amount of time that your UPS will be able to support connected equipment from the battery for a given load level. It tells you how long your equipment will continue to run during a power outage before the UPS battery runs out.

At times we see businesses that have been supplied a smaller battery not appropriate to the size of the UPS system, this is often due to the business pushing for cost savings during the purchasing process. Very often customers will opt for a lower cost quote on a backup system without looking at the finer detail. However, our advice is that this is a false economy as it simply means that your UPS will not run for as long as you need it to which could potentially leave you with no backup at all.

  1. Understand your UPS Battery Life

The IEEE defines “end of useful life” for a UPS battery as the point when it can no longer supply 80 percent of its rated capacity in ampere-hours. When your battery reaches 80 percent of its rated capacity, the ageing process accelerates and the battery should be replaced.

Unlike normal batteries, UPS batteries can be monitored remotely and fully load-tested every two years on-site to work out when they need replacing. The standard lifespan for VRLA batteries is three to five years, however, expected life can vary greatly due to environmental conditions, number of discharge cycles, and adequate maintenance.

  1. The right environment

When choosing the right UPS Battery system it is also important to consider the installation environment. The life cycle of a 10 year design life battery can reduce down to as little as 4 years if the environment is 30 Deg C as opposed to the recommended 20 Deg C. When UPS batteries are stored for an extended period they will gradually discharge leading to a decrease in life expectancy, and if left discharged they can suffer a loss of capacity. It’s therefore, crucial to have a charging regime in place to maintain good UPS battery health.

  1. Maintain and Service your UPS Battery System

All UPS systems rely on the integrity of their batteries to protect the critical load in the event of a power outage. If your battery is not maintained or serviced properly then its capability to protect lessens. UPS Battery maintenance procedures should cover the following bases:

  • Inspection of batteries for corrosion or leakage
  • Checking electrolyte level within each cell
  • Measurement and recording of the float voltage and current of the entire bank
  • Logging of ambient temperature
  • Recording voltage and electrolyte density of selected battery cells

DCResponse are able to help you to ensure your UPS batteries are fit for purpose and also provide a planned preventative maintenance packages to suit your requirements. Contact us today with your UPS battery needs to see how we can help you.

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