Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Tripplite UPS appears completely dead? Change the battery

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Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-23-2016, 05:07 AM:

We've used quite a few Tripplite UPS systems in various DCinema installations. We've used from their double conversion zero transfer time series (Smart online) and from their line interactive sine-wave output (SMART and SMX).

Despite having a display that will tell you when a battery is low or needs changing, if a battery pack goes bad, that UPS will appear DEAD! The front panel display will NOT light up at all. The fan will not run and it will appear that an internal fuse must have opened.

Despite all of that, pull the battery pack out and you'll find that its voltage is zero or VERY low. Change the battery pack and likely your UPS will be back to normal!

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 12-23-2016, 11:01 AM:

Thanks Steve!

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 12-23-2016, 11:40 AM:

A power On Line is gonna be dead if the battery pack drops below about 29 volts DC. Charge it up with a bench supply to get things going again.

I recently lost a Tripp Lite UPS and it is unrepairable, but it was not a Power On Line type.

Mark

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 12-29-2016, 06:42 PM:

Steve, what kind of life are you seeing on the batteries? I have the 1500VA Smart Online which will be 4 years old in a couple of months. The batteries have almost never been utilized since the unit is there for filtration only.

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 12-30-2016, 05:07 AM:

batteries have a finite life anyway and you should discharge them every now and then. I would test the batteries every now and then to make sure they still perform. Batteries also tend to swell after a while - that may make difficult to remove them from the UPS!
If you buy the batteries online on a batteries website, the cost is very affordable. I wouldn't wait till a show stops midway.

Posted by Kristo Nalo (Member # 9748) on 12-30-2016, 06:23 AM:

Thank you for the information Steve.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 12-30-2016, 06:55 AM:

We have a Triplite Smart Online 1500 running for nearly four years now, so far, no sign of issues. Randomly, I take away mains with a load connected to see how long it can keep. This UPS, however, is only running (Switched On) during evening shows. It is switched off and the mains to it removed for most of the day.

I know quite a few sites where these have been installed as the default UPS with Sony 51x systems, I haven't heard many complaints so far. Other than us, I guess many of these sites run these 24/7.

- Carsten

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-30-2016, 07:17 AM:

We are seeing a typical 3-5 year life with some going closer to 7-years. We are now starting to aggressively change out batteries on units in the 3-5 year span. That said, we also have been putting in our transfer switch, for some time, so if a UPS fails, the show doesn't.

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 12-30-2016, 08:43 AM:

that is a very clever idea, Steve. I wonder why such a device is not implemented directly into the UPS itself.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-30-2016, 09:49 AM:

Yeah, you'd think. Both APC and Tripplite have transfer switches but I've heard mixed reviews on the transfer switch being a problem.

We've been trying to minimize source of single-point failure.

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 12-30-2016, 12:52 PM:

not that I want to steal the idea but I was wondering whether that is a simple relay-operated device or does it have any electronics in it?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 12-30-2016, 01:18 PM:

Marco.... No, lead acid batteries do not last indefinitely, they are designed for a certain number of charge-discharge cycles. How long they last all depends on how good of a battery you get. 5 years for most of the common type at their rated amp hours... after that the capacity will decline. The majority of the batteries used in all UPS's are pretty cheap stuff. The very best batteries are deep discharge batteries intended for solar power however, I am not sure that a UPS internal charge circuit could handle that type of charge load. UPS's that use external battery packs may well be able to.

Tripplite tek support recommends replacing batteries every three years. I'm pretty sure they like to sell batteries though, however... on my first round of changing out a couple hundred batteries among 50 Power On Lines I found production dates on many of the battery packs that indicated they were two years older than the date in which they were installed.

I recommend you do one of two things. At the Three year mark as Tripp lite suggests pull the battery pack and see if there IS a production date on it. If there is a date that is substantially older than three years as I found then they really should be replaced.

Or just replace them at the three year mark just so you know how old the batteries are. Then I recommend replacing them every four years. I had one Power On Line where the pack was very old and a battery failed and killed the charge circuit rendering the UPS as a door stop. Tripp Lite does not repair any out of warranty units.So you'll be forking out 800 bucks for another new one if that happens.

Also, if you have a lot of them as an installed base as I have then let all your customers know its time to re-battery and then order them in quantity. I did that for a large group of but not all my customers and the Power Sonic batteries only cost 9 bucks each shipped. At that weight they get shipped on a pallet by truck which is also cheaper. I got mine out of the West Coast.

Also, keep the stupid metal screen vacuumed off that's behind the front panel on these things.

Finally, I have a single transfer switch at each complex that is not installed. It's literally a 5 minute plug and play deal to unplug the UPS and attached devices and plug everything into the transfer switch. I doubt you'd even miss a show.

Mark

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 12-30-2016, 02:14 PM:

that's what I meant with "finite life"?

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-30-2016, 03:37 PM:

Marco, you can use a simple relay BUT be sure that it has the proper current ratings.

We incorporate it into a catch-all box that allows us to control the power to the projector and server (and could also control the rest of the booth, if need be) as well as monitor if there is a power failure (if there is, we have the automation pause the show).