Understanding The Lifecycle of UPS Batteries
A Crucial Part of your Continuity Plan
A crucial aspect of an effective continuity plan is recognizing the lifespan, functionality, and maintenance requirements of your UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) batteries. Simply put, a well-maintained battery system is essential for your UPS to perform at its best in times of crisis.
Batteries that are frequently utilized in Uninterruptible power supplies are often labeled as having a lifespan of 5-10 years. The lifespan of batteries is actually measured in cycles, or the times that the batteries have been discharged and recharged. Since the power grid can be unpredictable, this can be difficult to track. Preventative maintenance inspection can help you track your batteries expected remaining life and replace them at the optimum time.
IEEE 485 Standards call a standard lead acid battery End of Life (EOL) when the cell is no longer able to maintain 80% of it’s rated capacity. There are a lot of variables that can impact a battery’s end of life. Let’s read on to understand some of these considerations.
Your UPS plays a key role in protecting your critical data and electronic equipment, yet it’s the batteries that carry the real workload—providing continuous power regulation, managing surges, and ensuring smooth transitions during power disruptions.
To keep your UPS system dependable, it’s important to understand the role of these batteries and how to maximize their useful life and determine when is the best time to replace them.
Batteries Have Your Back(Up)
The value of your UPS is clear in how it safeguards crucial data and electronics. Behind the scenes, though, it’s the UPS batteries that keep everything running smoothly, even when primary power fails.
UPS batteries do more than just wait for a power outage. If you have a true, online double-conversion UPS, they work hard to maintain a clean, steady power flow, preventing power surges and voltage spikes while ensuring a seamless transition during interruptions. Knowing the purpose of your UPS batteries is essential to appreciating their impact on your operations.
Lifespan Factors
While batteries are the lifeblood of your UPS, they typically have the shortest lifespan among UPS components. This is due to the demands placed on them and the effects of several critical factors, primarily temperature and cycling.
- Temperature: High temperatures significantly speed up battery degradation, as heat increases the rate of chemical reactions within the battery. Consequently, even slight temperature rises can cause a considerable reduction in battery life. While a temperature-regulated environment is ideal, it can be challenging to achieve consistently, especially in settings with other electronic equipment.
- Battery Cycling: Each discharge and recharge cycle of a battery contributes to gradual wear. Over time, this cyclical process reduces the battery’s effectiveness. To counter this, regular maintenance is essential to identify potential issues early and replace batteries as needed
Maintaining Your Batteries: A Proactive Approach
Even in perfect conditions, batteries naturally degrade, becoming less effective until they eventually require replacement. A battery’s design life is an estimate rather than a precise expiration date.
Regular maintenance and testing of UPS batteries are essential to maintain reliable power for mission-critical environments. Identifying signs of wear early on can help prevent unexpected disruptions and ensure your systems remain operational when they’re needed most.
For additional insights, explore our article on the UPS System Lifecycles and our guide on UPS Battery Maintenance.
We Can Help, Get In Touch with QPS
Have questions about your UPS batteries or need to schedule a site visit? Our team at QPS is here to help. Reach out today!
Published on Nov 14 2024
Last Updated on Nov 19 2024