APC UPS Hot-swap replacement batteries to hot-swap or not?

[scgt1]

So my 1000G started screaming yesterday to replace the battery. Have one due out for delivery today and they advertise it as hot-swappable with no down time but is this really advisable? I see people in reviews talk about charging theirs for 48 hours with nothing connected to the UPS. If that was a requirement then it wouldn't be advertised as no downtime with hot swap I would think. I can see pre charging a replacement battery if you have or are expecting some power outages before it will likely fully charge but other then that I don't get why you would do it if not instructed to from APC.

I've just never had to replace the battery yet and I'm not so up on yanking a battery out of something while I have a computer connected to the UPS powered on. So wanted to see how others have handled their replacements.

 

[hititnquitit]

I don't have any experience with hot swappable ups batteries. My assumption is they are referring to the new battery in regards to the 48hr charge. Otherwise, like you said it defeats the whole purpose.
It only takes a few minutes to replace most ups batteries. My vote is go the easy route unless you can figure out a bullet proof way to do it.
Sorry i couldnt be of more help

 

[scgt1]

I don't have any experience with hot swappable ups batteries. My assumption is they are referring to the new battery in regards to the 48hr charge. Otherwise, like you said it defeats the whole purpose.
It only takes a few minutes to replace most ups batteries. My vote is go the easy route unless you can figure out a bullet proof way to do it.
Sorry i couldnt be of more help

Well the instructions on their page shows to lay it on the side, slide the bottom cover off, grab the two tabs on the old battery and pull it out. Reverse for replacement install. Seems simple enough I'm just a bit iffy on doing this while plugged in and having powered on stuff connected to it. LOL

 

[Chuklr]

Well the instructions on their page shows to lay it on the side, slide the bottom cover off, grab the two tabs on the old battery and pull it out. Reverse for replacement install. Seems simple enough I'm just a bit iffy on doing this while plugged in and having powered on stuff connected to it. LOL

Just my 2 cents, but if it's not a mission priority to maintain a power on status I would shut down the computer(s), peripherals, and the UPS, disconnect the UPS from the electrical socket, and then do the battery swap. I only change batteries when the alarm goes off and I usually find the battery has swelled making removal a bit of a struggle.

 

[GiGaBiTe]

I've done hot swaps on batteries in all types of UPSes. The problem you'll run into is that the UPS won't know the battery was changed and continue to complain it has a bad battery until it can complete another battery test cycle.

Some units have a test button on them that you can force a battery test and the UPS generally will start to behave again. Many don't and will require power cycling the UPS for it to work properly again.

 

[OFaceSIG]

Yeah, unless you absolutely have to I would just power everything down. I mean in theory it sounds like as long as external power stays up you're fine. However I'm not a fan of testing fate.

 

[scgt1]

Played on the side of caution and shut the pc down. Still had a 20 watt draw on the ups figured it was just my router and modem or something so killed the ups. Then heard our security camera dvr fan go off. DOH. Completely forgot it was connected oh well. Battery pulled out without issue and they don't look swollen yet.

Waiting for CP1500PFCLCD to go on sale to replace this unit for my daily/Plex server and camera dvr (doh) Then I'll move this stepped unit to the entertainment center so the other half can still watch the weather if the power goes out during these great TX storms.

 

[GiGaBiTe]

so the other half can still watch the weather if the power goes out during these great TX storms.

Luckily for us, we ended up on the same trunk that a nearby hospital is on when it was built a few years back. We used to have power failures all the time in the 30 odd years we've lived here, when everyone else around us had power, now it's the exact opposite. During the nasty winter storm, we were one of the few neighborhoods that still had power and didn't lose power the entire week or so of the storm. But even if we did lose power, we have gas service, something else virtually every new subdivision around us didn't have, so we wouldn't have froze regardless.