Troubleshooting the "Replace Battery LED" symptom on a Smart-UPS

Question

This document provides a step by step process for troubleshooting a Smart-UPS with its Replace Battery LED illuminated. Background: All Smart-UPS units have a built-in automatic battery self-test feature. The purpose of the test is to check the condition of the battery, and to provide an audible and visual alarm to the user when it is time to replace the internal battery. If the UPS is left on at all times, by default, the unit will run a self-test on the battery every 14 days. The test will also run automatically every time the Smart-UPS is turned on, or manually, by pressing and holding the I/Test button on the front of the Smart-UPS. If the battery fails the test, the "Replace Battery" LED will illuminate. This LED is a warning that the battery may be near the end of its life, and should typically be replaced within 2-4 weeks.

Answer

If the Replace Battery LED is lit, then perform the following steps to determine if the battery does in fact need to be replaced, or if the bad battery indication was due to an invalid test, giving false results. 1. Determine the approximate battery capacity using the battery capacity bar graph LEDs*, which are the row of 5 LEDs on the far right side of the front panel; each LED represents approximately a 20% charge on the battery. If not all of the LEDs are illuminated, then proceed to step 2. If all battery charge LEDs are illuminated, then move to step 3. 2. If all of the battery charge LEDs are not lit, then the battery needs to be charged. If possible, charge the unit for 24 hours or at the very least, charge a standard unit for 3 hours and an XL for 9 hours. The Smart-UPS will charge whether it is on or off. The unit will charge whether there is equipment plugged in or not. However, in environments where the power quality is poor, it is recommend that the unit be off during this charging period. As long as the Smart-UPS is on and able to supply power to your equipment, it is possible that it may switch to battery operation, which will lengthen its recharge time. When all battery charge LEDs are lit, proceed to step 3. If all LEDs do not illuminate after 24 hours, and the unit has been plugged into a good power outlet, there could potentially be a problem with the UPS itself, and it should be replaced. 3. Run a self-test. A self-test can be initiated by pressing and holding the I/Test button on the front of the UPS for 3-4 seconds. The green On-Line LED should begin to blink, and the amber On-Battery LED will illuminate - this is the indication that the UPS is running the test, which takes approximately 8-10 seconds. At this point, the test will either pass or fail. If the test passes, the Replace Battery LED will no longer be illuminated, and the battery does not need to be replaced; if the test fails, the red Replace Battery LED will illuminate, and the UPS will beep continuously for 1 minute, every 5 hours, until the battery is replaced. If your unit is in warranty (2 years from the date of purchase) and you are located in North America, please contact Technical Support at 800-800-4272 for a possible warranty replacement. If you are outside of North America, please visit our worldwide contact page for an APC office near you: http://www.apcc.com/support/contact/#worldwide. Please have access to the unit at the time of your call as additional troubleshooting may be required. For out-of-warranty battery replacement or UPS upgrade options, click here For a description of how to change the batteries in a Smart-UPS, select one of the following: Battery Replacement Procedure for Smart-UPS 450, 700, 1000, & 1400 VA Models Battery Replacement Procedure for Smart-UPS 2200 and 3000 VA Models Battery Replacement Procedure for Smart-UPS 700, 1000 and 1400 VA Rack-Mount Models Battery Replacement Procedure for Smart-UPS 2200 and 3000 VA Rack-Mount Models Battery Replacement Procedure for Smart-UPS 420 and 620 VA Models Battery Battery Replacement Procedure for Smart-UPS with Non User-Replaceable Batteries Notes: Typical battery life expectancy is 3-6 years. Many factors can contribute to battery life, decreasing or increasing this life-expectancy. The battery may be bad as a result of the age, high temperature, improper ventilation, overuse of the battery due to a poor power quality environment, non-APC battery in use, or an internal UPS fault. Contact Technical Support to determine the proper course of action. * these LEDs not available on the Smart-UPS 420 and Smart-UPS 620; for these models, start with step 2, and charge the battery for at least 24 hours.