Uses for Old UPSes

Unlikely, but while the replacement batteries may be, as you say 2 bills, from APC, if you take the old ones to a proper wholesale battery distributor they will in all probability be able to sell you proper replacements for about $20-$25 ea.

Pete C.

If they are 'Red Top' starting batteries, not really. Starting duty batteries aren't meant to be deep discharged, even if the Optima starved electrolyte design will take the abuse far better than most because electrolyte volume is restricted.

If they're the Yellow Top deep-cycle, or the Blue Top Marine starting/deep cycle, and the voltages are right, yes.

But realize it might work TOO well when compared with a standard gel-cell battery. Those Optima batteries can deliver frightening amounts of short-circuit current for several seconds and the circuit can fry before a fuse can react.

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Sure! I have a few of them. I usually get them for free because they are "broken". I replace the batteries and they are as good as new. I have even gotten a hold of an expensive "sine wave" UPS. Most UPSs use a sum of square waves to simulate the 60Hz sine wave. There are lots of transients and noise, however. Some (expensive) UPSs use a different type of inverter and produce pure sine wave AC. If you put an accessory plug in the side, you can use it to keep the batteries topped off and plug into the accessory plug for volts. Be careful though, the better ones use 2 12V batteries in series.

Russ

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I almost bought a 15 kva UPS for $49, but decided that I had too much on my hands already...

"2. The charging current of the tiny native 1400va ups batteries is probably much less than that of the car batteries. Higher current coulld damage the charging circuit of the UPS. You could make some current limiter (see Art of Electronics) to limit charging current, but it probably is not worth the time. "

Why would that matter?

Wouldn't the charging circuit be current limited?

TMT

How would one verify it in a UPS?

TMT

Yes, one could call if the company is still around and they want to tell you.

What if the UPS is propietary or if the company is long gone?

Any test setup one can rig to measure rated charging capability?

TMT

=================== Suggest you check the charging instructions on the original battery and compare these with the ones applicable to the Optima type of battery. The battery in a UPS is on 'standby duty' The charging instruction for a YUASA SLA found in many UPSes has the following for standby duty : Voltage regulation : 13.5 - 13.8 V Initial current : Unlimited

Connect the Optima battery to the UPS and check the voltage when the battery is fully charged . You can charge the battery externally to say 13.5 volt before you connect it to the UPS. If the fully charged voltage is in the above range ,you can safely use it for this purpose. I would think that any 12 V SLA will happily work with your APC UPS 1400R ,provided its capacity is adequate for the load to be maintained for the minimum time needed. If you use a number of batts in parallel ,please ensure there is an adequate FUSE in each battery circuit ! You can also connect a much larger 12 V sealed battery to the UPS (for example those used in electric golf trolleys). Even non-sealed batts can be used provided they are located in a well ventilated area . I have non-sealed batts located on the loft connected via leads made from welding cable running to equipment in the ground floor radio shack ( to feed radio equipment requiring a peak current not exceeding 25 Amperes)

Above I mentioned batts for Golf trolleys because their cost is very reasonable nowadays there being a relatively large demand , hence competition (pun intended)

Frank GMØCSZ / KN6WH

========================== Bob , Interesting info ; can you confirm that the 18 pcs 12V battery were in fact 9 strings of 2 batts in series (each string having a fuse ) providing 24 V ? or were all the 18 batts in parallel ?

Frank GMØCSZ / KN6WH

Actually they were all in series, making it a bit nerve-wracking to replace a battery in the string.

- Bob W7OV

/| /| _____________________ ||__|| | | / O O\\__ | PLEASE DO NOT | / \\ | FEED THE TROLLS | / \\ \\|_____________________| / _ \\ \\ || / |\\____\\ \\ || / | | | |\\____/ || / \\|_|_|/ | _|| / / \\ |____| || / | | | --| | | | |____ --| * _ | |_|_|_| | \\-/

• / \_ /- | | | * ___ C_c_c_C/ \C_c_c_c____________

Most likely six strings of 3, for a 36 volt system, or 3 strings of 6 for 72. a 2KW 110 volt system on 12 volts would draw close to 200 volts, on 24 close to 100, on 36 close to 60, and on 72 less tan 30 amps for 18 amps out and85% +/- efficiency.

This one interests me. Wonder how many small UPSs you could run from a truck battery (assuming using heavy enough cables between each UPS and each battery [when needed for the 24 volt input]). I am sure you would have to leave the vehicle running if running the UPSs for any length of time or heavy load... Probably pretty basic questions but I am kind of interested because I have a couple laying around and never thought of using them as an inverter (powered by a vehicle). That would make a neat addition to a garden tractor or something too...

-- Brent Atkerson Anrod Screen Cylinder Co.

There are 2 types of UPS. One, the load actually runs off the battery (the UPS just keeps the battery charged and inverts the DC power to AC) and the other the load actually runs on line voltage and switches to battery when line voltage disappears (this is probably the type you are speaking of but I have not tested that). Also, should not need any heavier cables (except to account for the longer length that may occur between truck battery and UPS) as long as using the UPS within the design specifications. I think it is generally about 12 Ga. wire between the battery and UPS (at least in the PC world, servers might be a little bigger since the batteries are often in series).

-- Brent Atkerson Anrod Screen Cylinder Co.

I would not make an assumption like that without verifying it.

Most are APCs but I have others (Best, Minuteman, etc.) and have access to several others I have yet to see.

My questions are an attempt to learn so I can evaluate all them properly.

I appreciate the information from those who have gone before and still are around to tell about. ;

Crazy hose must have a HP mini running Bruno! Bruno could draw up the darnest pictures and export them as ascii for teletype transport.

Martin [ all of my paper tape - 5 and 8 level were given away or dumped last year. ]

Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH, NRA Life NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

crazy_horse snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.co.uk wrote:

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Try calling APC and ask them (with your particular model) if you can hook up an extra or external battery to it. See what they say.

I blew a charging circuit on one UPS once. It was a ferrups that I picked up from trash. I wanted to use it as a powerful inverter for powering my home from my pickup, so its charging capabilities did not interest me. For a few years, it was my house power backup. It worked great, producing power from truck's battery.