Tips and tricks on how to extend and maintain your UPS battery lifespan

Tips and tricks on how to extend and maintain your UPS battery lifespan

by: Dean Janse Van Vuuren
November 2022
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When it comes to protecting your critical equipment and data, there is no greater investment than a UPS. With your UPS, you will need a quality, reliable UPS battery. Making sure that your battery lasts as long as possible is a top priority in keeping your costs down over time.

Armed with the right knowledge on how to look after your UPS battery, you can ensure that it stands the test of time, allowing you to delay its replacement as long as possible.

Correct UPS installation and storage, with temperature control are essential

Before even considering regular maintenance, it is important to ensure that your UPS battery is given the best foundation to work with. Excessive temperature is known to be the number one killer of batteries, so you will want to prioritise temperature control. Installing your UPS in a dry, well-ventilated area with adequate temperature control is essential in preventing your UPS battery from overheating.

Ideally, your UPS should be installed in a cool, dark room. Direct sunlight on your battery could be disastrous, so ensure that there is no possibility of direct sunlight hitting your device at any point during the day. Air conditioning will also go a long way towards keeping your UPS battery cool. If this is not possible, installing an exhaust fan to keep the internal components cool will also help. However, it is important to consider that soaring temperatures in South African summer months may put your batteries at risk, so depending on how hot it gets in your area, you may find that a fan will simply blow hot air over your battery.

The area around your UPS should also be clear of any corrosive chemicals, moisture, and dust. If you find any rodent droppings or holes in the room, it will also be wise to undergo pest control before installation.

When installing your UPS, it will be critical to make sure that your settings are configured correctly, and that your battery fits well with the terminals connected properly. A professional installation will make a big difference

Ongoing management of connected load to a UPS

Before deciding on a UPS to purchase, you will ideally have done all of your load calculations (link to Fundamentals of choosing the right UPS battery). Calculating your load requirements will ensure that the UPS you purchase will be able to meet your needs during power outages.

That being said, continued load management is just as important as ensuring that your purchase matches your initial load requirements. Any device you add will increase the load on your UPS, which will put extra strain on your UPS battery. Because of this, you will need to check the rated power of each extra appliance and add this to your load requirement calculation. You can then check this against your UPS’ user manual to ensure that you are staying within the load capacity that your UPS can handle.

Annual UPS runtime calibration

UPS runtime is the period of time in which your UPS can remain running on its battery backup at a specified load in the event of a power outage.

The expected runtime of your UPS can be calculated using this guideline (link to Fundamentals of choosing the right UPS battery). If you have a smart UPS, your display will also show an estimated runtime based on the device’s internal calculations, depending on what is plugged into your UPS at the time. There will also be some variance based on the battery charge and the age of the batteries connected to your UPS.

Over time, a lag between the actual runtime and the estimated runtime can occur. This is caused by a number of different factors, such as a bad cell in your battery, or a battery that has aged sooner than expected. You will notice that your calculated runtime will be significantly different from the estimate on your UPS’ display. To prevent this, scheduling a calibration of your UPS software once a year is recommended.

Just to emphasise why calibrating your UPS regularly is so important; with enough time between calibrations, the runtime estimation given by your UPS will eventually become quite inaccurate. This may lead you to believe that you have plenty of backup time to last you through an entire power outage, only for your UPS to die in the middle of a power cut! This could put your critical equipment and data at risk, so the benefits of keeping to your calibration schedule far outweigh the effort involved.

Because every UPS is different, it will be necessary to speak to your sales consultant and check your user manual for instructions on calibrating your UPS. However, here are the basic general steps to performing a manual runtime calibration on your UPS.

UPS battery maintenance with responsible discharging and recharging

Maintaining your UPS battery will help you get the most out of it. Not only will it maximise the performance of your battery, but it will also ensure that you optimise its longevity. When it comes to maintaining your battery, one of the fundamentals is keeping an eye on its charge level.

Deeply discharging your battery too frequently can cause a number of ill effects, which will ultimately result in your battery dying earlier. This is especially true if you have a lead-acid battery. If you want to keep costs down over the long term, ensuring that your level of charge is managed effectively will keep your UPS battery from dying before its time. Overcharging can also damage a battery and lead to fires and explosions, so a flat battery is not the only thing to watch out for.

The best way to maintain your charge is to invest in a quality smart charger and maintainer, which will be able to detect your UPS battery’s state of charge and analyse its health, and will be able to deliver the correct charge according to its needs.

Battery Power-Zone stocks a range of CTEK chargers for every battery technology, whether that be lead-acid and its variants such as standard SLA, GEL, AGM and EFB, or lithium-ion.

The use of energy-saving and power-efficient devices and consumables

Another way to keep your battery lasting as long as possible is to reduce the stress you place on them during outages. The best way to do this is to reduce your load.

The South African Energy Efficiency Label provides an indication of the energy efficiency class of an appliance, the manufacturer, and the appliance model. The higher the rating, the more efficiently the appliance uses electricity. When purchasing a device or appliance, it is always best to purchase an item that falls in the categories, “A” and higher, i.e. the dark green ba

When deciding on lightbulbs to purchase, the best bulbs, in terms of energy efficiency, would be energy saving LED and CFL lights. Just for comparison, LED bulbs are 80-90% more efficient than conventional light bulbs, and CFL bulbs are about 80% more efficient, so switching to an energy-saving bulb is a no-brainer, especially if you will be connecting any light bulbs to your UPS.

With all of this in mind, you are now equipped to regularly maintain your UPS battery. If your battery is near or at replacement age, Battery Power-Zone has you covered with a wide range of high quality UPS batteries and suitable chargers to fit your energy requirements and budget. To find out more, browse our website or contact one of our branches, and a friendly consultant will gladly assist you. To buy a UPS battery or charger right now, visit our online store to view our range.

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