Question UPS replacement battery only lasted 2.5 yrs?

[JEDI]

APC RS800
Uses dual 12 Volts 7.5 AH (F2 terminal) batteries.
It's beeping intermittently and 'replace battery' is lit.

Don't know what brand i used last time but this time the same online store (Battery shark) says:
2 SigmasTek SP12-7.5HR batteries
$20 total + $10 shipping

I think the UPS kicked in about a handful of times in the past 2.5yrs and no more than a min. The power just flashed.

Before I buy, Is it normal for UPS batteries to need replacing after 2.5yrs?

 

[BoomerD]

APC RS800
Uses dual 12 Volts 7.5 AH (F2 terminal) batteries.
It's beeping intermittently and 'replace battery' is lit.

Don't know what brand i used last time but this time the same online store (Battery shark) says:
2 SigmasTek SP12-7.5HR batteries
$20 total + $10 shipping

I think the UPS kicked in about a handful of times in the past 2.5yrs and no more than a min. The power just flashed.

Before I buy, Is it normal for UPS batteries to need replacing after 2.5yrs?

It's not UNUSUAL for the batteries to die in a couple of years. Personally, I'd expect 3-4 years, but that's me.

5 Factors that will Shorten the Life of Your UPS Battery

The life expectancy of UPS replacement batteries depends on a number of factors. Here are the main ones.

blog.tripplite.com

 

[Steltek]

Batteries, cars, electronics, appliances -- everything is made as cheaply as possible these days with no thought to longevity. Ideally, the manufacturers intend for stuff to last at least one day beyond the warranty period, and they design it using materials to do exactly that.

 

[bigboxes]

Batteries, cars, electronics, appliances -- everything is made as cheaply as possible these days with no thought to longevity. Ideally, the manufacturers intend for stuff to last at least one day beyond the warranty period, and they design it using materials to do exactly that.

I suppose that 2.5 years is within margin. Not due to cheapness, but due to physics. When I couldn't start my car this past year after I had just moved it to a closer parking spot, I called up Autozone and asked them when I had purchased the battery. They said 3.5 years. I was like, "Oh! It's time to get a new battery." The heat just kills them here in North Texas. Funny thing was that it was their cheapest battery with a 1 year warranty. Surprised it lasted so long.

I run my computers 24/7 and they are all powered through a UPS. Lead acid batteries usually start flaking out/failing around 3 years for me. Just order new batteries and replace them. Cheaper than getting a new UPS.

 

[manly]

Looks like an excellent price! I need the same batteries to replace RBC33; the OEM unit is too expensive.

 

[solidsnake1298]

I feel like 2.5 years is quite short. I admit I'm not good about remembering to test my 3 Cyberpower UPS's as often as I should. But when I do remember they all pass their self test. One has a 3 year old battery (the UPS itself is 13 years old) and the other two have their OG batteries from 9 years ago.

All 3 were able to maintain power during a recent power outage (30 seconds?) while the PCs they were attached to were gaming.

How much more are 1st party APC batteries? I wonder if it is because you're buying a 3rd party battery. The replacement battery I got for my oldest UPS was a 1st party Cyberpower battery. My experience with third party batteries for other devices (my mirrorless camera comes to mind) has been mixed, leaning towards negative. They performed fine initially, but would lose capacity rapidly. The OG Sony batteries lasted 2-3 times longer than their replacements.

 

[bigboxes]

I feel like 2.5 years is quite short. I admit I'm not good about remembering to test my 3 Cyberpower UPS's as often as I should. But when I do remember they all pass their self test. One has a 3 year old battery (the UPS itself is 13 years old) and the other two have their OG batteries from 9 years ago.

All 3 were able to maintain power during a recent power outage (30 seconds?) while the PCs they were attached to were gaming.

How much more are 1st party APC batteries? I wonder if it is because you're buying a 3rd party battery. The replacement battery I got for my oldest UPS was a 1st party Cyberpower battery. My experience with third party batteries for other devices (my mirrorless camera comes to mind) has been mixed, leaning towards negative. They performed fine initially, but would lose capacity rapidly. The OG Sony batteries lasted 2-3 times longer than their replacements.

I run OEM batteries myself (Cyberpower). They do NOT cost $20. I'm pretty sure it was $60-$70 for a pair (1500VA). They usually last me 3 years or so before I start experiencing issues. Initially, I think it's the computers. Finally, it dawn's on me that the batteries are around 3 years old. Replace batteries and get another 3 years out of the UPS.

 

[solidsnake1298]

I run OEM batteries myself (Cyberpower). They do NOT cost $20. I'm pretty sure it was $60-$70 for a pair (1500VA). They usually last me 3 years or so before I start experiencing issues. Initially, I think it's the computers. Finally, it dawn's on me that the batteries are around 3 years old. Replace batteries and get another 3 years out of the UPS.

I was thinking a bit more, particularly about when I was a teen thru early 20's living at my parent's house. I'm just speculating here, but does mains power quality affect the life span of a UPS's battery? And/or the frequency it falls back to the battery? The power at my parent's house is not great. Lots of undervolt events. More than my PSU could handle, prompting me to buy a UPS. I got a UPS in 2000 and I remember replacing the battery 3 times. I moved out in 2010, got a bigger UPS that I am still using, but it was clear that the power quality at the 3 places I've lived at since moving out is noticeably better. Does that explain my current UPS battery's longevity? And does OP have issues with mains power, explaining his battery's short life span?

 

[Steltek]

I was thinking a bit more, particularly about when I was a teen thru early 20's living at my parent's house. I'm just speculating here, but does mains power quality affect the life span of a UPS's battery? And/or the frequency it falls back to the battery? The power at my parent's house is not great. Lots of undervolt events. More than my PSU could handle, prompting me to buy a UPS. I got a UPS in 2000 and I remember replacing the battery 3 times. I moved out in 2010, got a bigger UPS that I am still using, but it was clear that the power quality at the 3 places I've lived at since moving out is noticeably better. Does that explain my current UPS battery's longevity? And does OP have issues with mains power, explaining his battery's short life span?

The quality of the mains do affect battery life if you live in an area with dirty power, or have a transformer that is not properly adjusted or is going out. However, if that is an issue, you'd usually hear the UPS cycling back and forth from charging to delivering power so it would normally be obvious. It would also be obvious in UPS management software (if you installed it).

In general, the more expensive OEM batteries always last longer in my experience as the quality is better. However, they also usually cost 2-3 times as much as the cheap ones for replacements so the difference washes out in the end.

 

[bigboxes]

I was thinking a bit more, particularly about when I was a teen thru early 20's living at my parent's house. I'm just speculating here, but does mains power quality affect the life span of a UPS's battery? And/or the frequency it falls back to the battery? The power at my parent's house is not great. Lots of undervolt events. More than my PSU could handle, prompting me to buy a UPS. I got a UPS in 2000 and I remember replacing the battery 3 times. I moved out in 2010, got a bigger UPS that I am still using, but it was clear that the power quality at the 3 places I've lived at since moving out is noticeably better. Does that explain my current UPS battery's longevity? And does OP have issues with mains power, explaining his battery's short life span?

My computers are running 24/7 and with AVR they are always running through the UPS. Three years is normal for me.

 

[dlerious]

I run OEM batteries myself (Cyberpower). They do NOT cost $20. I'm pretty sure it was $60-$70 for a pair (1500VA). They usually last me 3 years or so before I start experiencing issues. Initially, I think it's the computers. Finally, it dawn's on me that the batteries are around 3 years old. Replace batteries and get another 3 years out of the UPS.

RB1280X2B cost me $90 at Amazon.

 

[bigboxes]

RB1280X2B cost me $90 at Amazon.

I didn't go back and look it up. That sounds normal. Still better than purchasing a new unit.

 

[JEDI]

update:
new batteries came in

but UPS has stopped it's sporadic beeping.
The 'replace battery' light is no longer lit.

Probably going to change it anyway

 

[dlerious]

update:
new batteries came in

but UPS has stopped it's sporadic beeping.
The 'replace battery' light is no longer lit.

Probably going to change it anyway

Hope it didn't stop beeping because batteries are dead and it's just supplying power from the outlet. I had that happen in the past - in the middle of doing something when power(and pc) flipped on/off 3-4 times quickly taking a hard drive out.

 

[JEDI]

Hope it didn't stop beeping because batteries are dead and it's just supplying power from the outlet. I had that happen in the past - in the middle of doing something when power(and pc) flipped on/off 3-4 times quickly taking a hard drive out.

but the replace battery light is also no lit.
i'd expect that light to be still lit if the batteries were dead

 

[Steltek]

but the replace battery light is also no lit.
i'd expect that light to be still lit if the batteries were dead

If you haven't don it yet, I'd run a self test cycle on the UPS through its management software and see what comes back.

You could have one (or both) batteries that are in a marginal state. A power outage would be a bad time to figure that out. You could also have a UPS that is developing a fault in its charging circuitry. I had a Cyberpower unit that failed in this way about 2 years ago.

I use a UPS as insurance to protect my equipment. As a result, anything that indicates the UPS isn't running in tip top shape isn't something I'd personally take a risk on.

 

[manly]

Ordered the same 2 batteries as the OP, to replace APC RBC33 that is dead. In the past, I didn't bother to use the UPS so the OEM battery pack (and its replacement) both died due to neglect. Currently, the OEM RBC33 is 3 times as expensive as from BatterySharks, which was the cheapest option I saw anywhere.

BatterySharks is a bit weird on shipping cost; so I also ordered a single battery (same kind as from the dual pack) from Home Depot. This is to replace an ancient RBC2. I should've bought a new Vertiv UPS from B&H Photo today but I hesitated and it went out of stock. For my particular use case (WiFi router and small NAS), I'm okay with an ancient, small APC UPS that won't do signaling to the server.

The battery from Home Depot is by Mighty Max, and it might be improved (AGM)? It clams low self discharge, so maybe I'll be less likely to kill it prematurely again.

MIGHTY MAX BATTERY ML7-12F2 - 12 Volt 7 AH, F2 Terminal, Rechargeable SLA AGM Battery MAX3920809 - The Home Depot

Delivering power when you need it, the MIGHTY MAX ML7-12F2 12-Volt 7.2 Ah uses a state of the art, heavy-duty, calcium-alloy grid that provides exceptional performance and service life in both float and

www.homedepot.com

EDIT Monday, March 13:
Just received my new batteries from BatterySharks. Turned on the old Back-UPS XS 1500, and the replace battery LED is no longer lit (it was not audibly chirping). Guess I'll install PowerChute and see what it says. It's not really worth shipping back, but I could return the single unit to Home Depot and keep this dual-pack.

EDIT 2:
It passed the Self-Test. Battery is a bit over 5 years old, and basically was mothballed almost the entire time. At least now I know better!

I was a little surprised that this old UPS actually supports USB signaling, and also pleasantly surprised I found the OEM cable without any trouble. So it's probably supported by Synology DSM if I ever wanted it to do that.

EDIT Thursday, March 16:
New SigmasTek battery works fine. It ran a laptop for 20 minutes, at a low power draw since it was only sitting at the login screen. I didn't run it down to zero; just wanted a baseline test before I put it back into use. Strangely, the UPS wasn't complaining about the old battery before I pulled it. That's the original battery from some 20+ years back! When I pulled power to test the new battery, the UPS never chirped either. I'll check the DIP switches on the back (yes, that's how these are configured LOL). It may be set to alert only once the battery is running low. The APC manual for this ancient unit says the battery's life span is 3-6 years. It uses DB9 serial for signaling, and I should have the cable ... somewhere.

 

[bjlockie]

The quality of the mains do affect battery life if you live in an area with dirty power, or have a transformer that is not properly adjusted or is going out. However, if that is an issue, you'd usually hear the UPS cycling back and forth from charging to delivering power so it would normally be obvious. It would also be obvious in UPS management software (if you installed it).

What do you do in cases of bad main power?
My CyberPower cycles when the main power is off and we are on a house generator (Generac).

 

[Steltek]

What do you do in cases of bad main power?
My CyberPower cycles when the main power is off and we are on a house generator (Generac).

That means that your UPS may not like the frequency of the power being generated by your generator. Or, the capacity of your whole house generator could be borderline to what your house actually needs.

Unfortunately, UPS/generator issues can be very challenging to resolve.

UPS units are typically designed to support stable utility 60Hz frequency (usually to a +/- 1/2 Hz), while generators tend to be designed to provide 60Hz +/- a percentage depending upon the generator unit (where the percentage is very often outside the bounds of what the UPS monitoring hardware considers as stable). From what I've read here and there, it is a known issue especially with Generac generators. And, smaller capacity generators tend to have more issues with UPS units than do larger capacity generators.

Depending upon the UPS unit and its age, you can sometimes go into the settings and there may be adjustments for steady state voltage transfers and/or frequency swings that may or may not help.

However, you almost certainly won't find this type of adjustment on Cyberpower UPS units, though (at least, none that I've ever seen, anyway).

 

[dlerious]

However, you almost certainly won't find this type of adjustment on Cyberpower UPS units, though (at least, none that I've ever seen, anyway).

Can I use my UPS in conjunction with a generator?

CyberPower Smart App Online Series UPS systems include a Generator Mode setting specifically designed to work with generators. With varying loads, the frequency output from generators can be erratic. This erratic output can make it difficult for a UPS without a Generator Mode setting to...

www.cyberpowersystems.com

 

[Steltek]

Can I use my UPS in conjunction with a generator?

CyberPower Smart App Online Series UPS systems include a Generator Mode setting specifically designed to work with generators. With varying loads, the frequency output from generators can be erratic. This erratic output can make it difficult for a UPS without a Generator Mode setting to...

www.cyberpowersystems.com

I stand corrected then. However, those are high end units ($1k-$10k price range).

Perhaps I should have been more specific - you won't find it on the cheaper consumer models, which is what the average user has.

 

[aigomorla]

ummm modern inverter generators, and solar generators provide a perfect sinwave for today's electronics.
As long as your not peaking the inverter generator i do not see any problem in powering a UPS using one.

I have powered almost everything off my pulsar inverter generator at one point, including my tesla using a ground binding neutral plug.

The key issue is the ground on these guys, but you can bind the ground to neutral using something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F4R7BDL/?coliid=I3HMC5P6FD1GSO&colid=F29NZKA78EVS&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

And even fool a Tesla Charger to work, which i think is way more picky then a UPS.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Yeah I've plugged a UPS into an inverter no problem. When power goes out at my house for any extended amount of time I just transfer the UPS to my solar inverter to buy more run time. Been meaning to automate that.

Do be careful with bonding neutral and ground though, on some inverters they actually operate as a 60/120 split phase system, which is dumb, but essentially there is no neutral, only two hots and ground. Both hots are actually 60v difference from ground including the pin that is suppose to be neutral. I suppose you could get around that by ignoring the inverter ground and creating your own ground though.

As for gel batteries they really don't seem to last at all. I think part of the issue is in most UPSes they are in a very tight spot with no ventilation so they get really hot. I don't think UPSes do temperature compensated charging either. My big UPS is actually an inverter-charger and I have a bank of flooded acid batteries. Those last way longer. Oldest battery I have is from 2015 and it's still going strong.

 

[Micrornd]

My 16 year old APC SUA3000XL gets 2-3yr battery life (It has declined to that because of the quality of the power declining here, that's based on the logs and not a guess).
Rather than buy an OEM battery pack (RBC55), I purchase 4 x 12v 18Ah SLA AGM batteries and stick them together in pairs with double-sided foam mirror tape, then transfer the hardware and covers from the old battery packs. That reduces the cost to about $135 total, delivered (from Amazon) and usually takes no more than 2 days to get.

The APC SUA3000XL has absolutely no problem running off my Kohler whole house generator, nor do and other appliances or electronics in the house.
The saying, "You get what you pay for" definitely applies in both UPSes and Generators.

 

[aigomorla]

I also say its very important to check the battery you get from Amazon.
I have had several vendors send me bad batteries which were new in package.

You really can't tell unless you run a battery checker and start checking Cranking Amperage and Resistance.
There is no way you can just check by voltage.

But i also realized a lot of vendors will lie about Resistance claiming a number much lower then it is, or my battery tester sucks on small batteries.