Uses for Old UPSes

Yep, the power transformers in them - feed the local mains voltage BACK into it, you will get 18v (usually centre tapped) on the other side where the original switching transistors were, nice big thick wire - good for a few amps. As well, lots of other windings, good for what have you voltages.

I have a back-UPS 400 with a useless gelcell. However, touching terminals of a fully charged and healthy gelcell to the battery leads causes mega amps to flow, so something is likely fried. Interestingly, the dead battery has about 10.5 volts on it, in-circuit, no current!

Anyone got a schematic or wisdom to share? / thanks / mark

Ed Huntress wrote:

If you can get your hands on a copy of the 2005 ARRL Handbook, there are several suggestions in there (radio-related, but you can improvise from them), and some information about UPS's.

One is a charger for 12V storage batteries in general, including car batteries. Another is an emergency power supply (you can just run two wires to your car battery, or a bank of deep-discharge batteries wired in parallel if you're so inclined). Depending on the model you have, you can get 160 W to over 300 W of 120 VAC and/or 12VDC from them.

Mine (an APC Back-UPS 600) is now wired to an old car battery. It will run my computer for a lot longer than the old gel-cell that came with it. Since we're on the end of a power transmission line, it gets a fair amount of use.

-- Ed Huntress

This is the classic symptom of a 12-volt lead-acid battery with one cell shorted. Hooking a 12-volt battery to a 10-volt battery will draw lots of current, as observed. Replace the old gelcell battery with the new one; do not keep the old gelcell in the circuit.

Joe Gwinn

I apoligize if I posted too widely....I posted to the groups that I thought might have an interest and I would be revelant information from.

And I suspect I am not the only one with an extra UPS laying around looking for a second life.

TMT

Too_Many_Crossposts

Replace the batteries. We do it at work all the time.

Scott

Too_Many_Tools wrote:

What UPSes?

I made about $2500 on a lot of 28 1400 VA APC UPses. Swapped in batteries for new ones and sold them on ebay. Left a few beaten up ones to power up all computers and electronics in my house.

The truly big UPSes are a gold mine of components.

I replace the batteries. I get them at the MIT flea market, two for 10 bucks. Yes, and they have a test load there so you can verify the batteries are good. I have had not problem.

I have several free UPSs because clueless people have thrown them out at our recycling center as they are "bad."

Al

Generally you can get new batteries from a local battery distributor at very good prices and with local pickup no shipping costs. I used to use Midstate Battery in Bloomfield, CT but there will be wholesale distributors everywhere. With new batteries most UPSs will be good as new.

Keep what you can use and sell the rest locally, donate a few to the local senior center for a tax write off (yes seniors use computers these days), etc.

Pete C.

Um, I didn't make myself clear, I guess - I took the old one out, clipped to the new one, instant heat. Big heat. I'm guessing that there's circuitry which avoids draining the (bad) low voltage one past a certain point. I'm also guessing that a fully charged battery (the one I tried to hook up) enables current flow, and that perhaps the input of the invertor section is shorted. I didn't feel like leaving a perfectly good 17A-hour battery to fry itself and the surrounding wires etc.....

BUt thanks for the response / mark

Joseph Gw> >

Time Machine!

For that..you need a British phone both IRRC.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

Old UPSes are a gold mine. The small ones can be refurbed and resold, the big ones can be disassembled and parted out. Lots of electrical/electronic parts in big ones. Highly valuable stuff.

Enclosures from big UPSes can be quite valuable too. I am going to use one from a 5 kVa Ferrups as enclosure for my enhanced 17.5 HP phase converter. A very sturdy enclosure with two levels, removable tray (to hold the 10 HP motor), front door and top cover. I already added casters to it.

Ouch! Wham wham wham whamwhamwham! Antigloat time again!

Don't forget to oil those casters. I suggest caster oil.

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I need a new battery for my Tardis!

Would a 12 V deep cycle- Optima work in a APC-UPS 1400R I keep my servers and dyno on with it along with some routers and switches. I don't know the output, the battery fails and I now have it frightfully bypassed. The batteries died and are almost 2 bills to replace. voltages ? issues? but I have a few Optima batteries from wrecked race cars that would be perfect!

Any input would be appreciated, Rob

Borrow one from K-9...

Pete C.

You need to be very careful with this - I have seen units that have one side of line voltage on the battery terminals. This is not a problem with the batteries sealed in the UPS, but could be a big problem if you try to bring leads out to charge a battery.

I have about 25 UPS' I picked up at a local university sale for $30 total. The largest was a 2KW unit with 18 12V batteries, one of which was dead :-). Metalworking content - after replacing the one bad battery I tested it using my bandsaw....

- Bob Headrick