Apc ups failing to give adequate backup even after replacing battery-plz help.

[quicky008]

I have a 650VA apc ups(be650y-in) which is around 6 yrs old.However it's battery seems to have become rather weak of late as it has started giving a backup time of only 40-60 secs during power cuts nowadays(earlier it varied from 5-10 mins).So I decided to get the older battery replaced because of this.Unfortunately however, I couldn't find a genuine apc battery anywhere-even the technician at apc's service centre told me that the particular battery that this ups requires(RBC-17) is out of stock.

Earlier I had been told that the batteries manufactured by exide are generally compatible with apc's UPSes-initially I was somewhat hesitant to go for a 3rd party product but as I had failed to procure an original apc certified battery,I decided to check out what options were available from exide.When I visited a local exide showroom,I was shown a battery that was rated at 12V 7Ah-their salesman told me this would work on my ups.So I went ahead and bought it.

After replacing the older battery with the new one,my ups turned on in one go and for a moment it seemed everything was ok .However when I checked the status of my ups using powerchute plus s/w,it showed me that even though the battery was fully charged,the available battery runtime was less than 1 min,which was very baffling to say the least as the battery I had earlier could provide backup for 5 mins or more on full charge.I tested the ups by turning off the power from the ac mains-then the ups started beeping rapidly and the battery was fully depleted within 20-30 secs.

Why is the battery draining so rapidly even though its fully charged?Is it happening because I'm not using an original apc battery?What should I do now to rectify this problem?Please help-i'm really worried .

 

[sniperz1]

The apc battery RBC17 gives 108 Volt Amp hour capacity
whereas your current exide battery gives 12v x 7ah = 84 volt amp hour capacity.

To me this seems the reason.

Have you connected any more gadgets with your ups compared to before? This can also lead to faster drain.

You should have researched a bit before buying it. I would suggest you to return it and get it replaced it with atleast 108V AH capacity i.e. 12 V [9AH] not less.

Contact APC technical support, call them and explain your problem and they will suggest you better probably.

 

[quicky008]

The apc battery RBC17 gives 108 Volt Amp hour capacity
whereas your current exide battery gives 12v x 7ah = 84 volt amp hour capacity.

To me this seems the reason.

Have you connected any more gadgets with your ups compared to before? This can also lead to faster drain.

You should have researched a bit before buying it. I would suggest you to return it and get it replaced it with atleast 108V AH capacity i.e. 12 V [9AH] not less.

Contact APC technical support, call them and explain your problem and they will suggest you better probably.

I was aware that RBC 17 is actually a 12v 9AH battery and i specifically requested the individual at the exide store to give me a new battery of a similar specification but he told me that batteries rated at 9AH are currently not available-the ones they had were rated at 7AH and he assured me that i wouldn't face any problems if i used it in my UPS.I called that guy a few mins ago and informed him about the problem i'm facing with this battery-he then told me that i must charge the battery for atleast 10hrs before i can start using it,otherwise it won't function properly.And i haven't connected any new peripherals or gadgets to my ups-they are still the same now as they were earlier.According to powerchute plus,my pc is consuming just 81 W of power(the total rated capacity of this ups is 390 W),therefore I don't think my ups is overloaded.

Is it true that the battery won't function as expected unless its charged for 10 hrs or is the shopkeeper just bluffing?What will I do if he refuses to take it back?Are there any other reliable manufacturers who produce 12V 9AH batteries?

 

[sniperz1]

Any battery operated gadget should be first charged completely before its used. So I don't think he's bluffing. But if you knew that your prev battery was 9AH then you should have checked the availability of 9AH somewhere else or maybe online.

try recharging it for 10 hrs, if it still doesnt work then get it replaced

 

[quicky008]

Any battery operated gadget should be first charged completely before its used. So I don't think he's bluffing. But if you knew that your prev battery was 9AH then you should have checked the availability of 9AH somewhere else or maybe online.

try recharging it for 10 hrs, if it still doesnt work then get it replaced

ok,will do that and keep you posted about the outcome.

- - - Updated - - -

I charged the battery for over 12 hrs last night but its still not working-i suppose I have no choice now but to get it replaced. I hope the dealer from whom I had purchased this battery will agree to replace it after he hears about my problem,otherwise I'll be in a lot of trouble.

 

[sniperz1]

ok,will do that and keep you posted about the outcome.

- - - Updated - - -

I charged the battery for over 12 hrs last night but its still not working-i suppose I have no choice now but to get it replaced. I hope the dealer from whom I had purchased this battery will agree to replace it after he hears about my problem,otherwise I'll be in a lot of trouble.

I think that battery can be faulty too. Yeah get it replaced. Its their problem that their sold product is not working like you were told. You should get a replacement for sure

 

[joydeep316]

you can find a nearby APC service center asd buy an original APC battery from there.

 

[tkin]

Hope the OP is still observing this post, I just got a brand new APC RBC113 battery for my 1100VA UPS from the local APC Authorized Distro, they took my older battery and gave me a discount of 800/-, I had to pay 1600/- for 2xRBC113 modules(price 2400/-)

Here are their details, its very easy to reach via metro:

Power-Tech Solutions
P-16 Srinagar Main Road
Garia Station
Kolkata - 700094

Arbin Khan: 9748252615

They also deliver batteries to your house for 100/- if you're located close to Garia.

I got their details by sending a mail to Schneider India. They are genuine, they gave me a proper bill and also got 1yr warranty on the battery.

 

[quicky008]

Hope the OP is still observing this post, I just got a brand new APC RBC113 battery for my 1100VA UPS from the local APC Authorized Distro, they took my older battery and gave me a discount of 800/-, I had to pay 1600/- for 2xRBC113 modules(price 2400/-)

Here are their details, its very easy to reach via metro:

Power-Tech Solutions
P-16 Srinagar Main Road
Garia Station
Kolkata - 700094

Arbin Khan: 9748252615

They also deliver batteries to your house for 100/- if you're located close to Garia.

I got their details by sending a mail to Schneider India. They are genuine, they gave me a proper bill and also got 1yr warranty on the battery.

Thank you very much indeed for your advice,tkin and sniperz1.I've already returned the worthless exide battery to the shop where i purchased it from and fortunately,they gave me a full refund.Then i wrote to APC about my problem and they too advised me to get in touch with Power-tech solutions in order to obtain the new battery.On contacting them I was told that this battery i.e. RBC17 is currently out of stock but hopefully will become available again next week.They've taken my ph no. and have promised to call me back within a few days and give an exact confirmation about its availability.

Now I'm waiting eagerly for them to contact me-as my existing battery has become unusable my Ups is not working properly and this is causing me a lot of inconvenience.Lets hope there will be a positive outcome to all this soon.

 

[tkin]

Thank you very much indeed for your advice,tkin and sniperz1.I've already returned the worthless exide battery to the shop where i purchased it from and fortunately,they gave me a full refund.Then i wrote to APC about my problem and they too advised me to get in touch with Power-tech solutions in order to obtain the new battery.On contacting them I was told that this battery i.e. RBC17 is currently out of stock but hopefully will become available again next week.They've taken my ph no. and have promised to call me back within a few days and give an exact confirmation about its availability.

Now I'm waiting eagerly for them to contact me-as my existing battery has become unusable my Ups is not working properly and this is causing me a lot of inconvenience.Lets hope there will be a positive outcome to all this soon.

Also, if you still have your old battery, you can give it to them at the time of purchase for a buyback discount.

 

[quicky008]

Received word from the service center today that this battery is now available-I'm planning to go there tomorrow or the day after.It will cost me around Rs 900 (after buyback discount).

[MENTION=52329]tkin[/MENTION]:Can you please give me the proper directions as to how this service center can be reached by metro?As its quite far from my place(I live near behala),it would be rather difficult for me to go there by bus,therefore it would be a lot more convenient for me to take the metro instead.Also as I'm planning to take the older battery with me,am i likely to face any problems during the mandatory baggage checking phase at the metro stations i.e. will they allow me to travel on the metro with the battery?Your assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated.Thanks.

 

[tkin]

Received word from the service center today that this battery is now available-I'm planning to go there tomorrow or the day after.It will cost me around Rs 900 (after buyback discount).

[MENTION=52329]tkin[/MENTION]:Can you please give me the proper directions as to how this service center can be reached by metro?As its quite far from my place(I live near behala),it would be rather difficult for me to go there by bus,therefore it would be a lot more convenient for me to take the metro instead.Also as I'm planning to take the older battery with me,am i likely to face any problems during the mandatory baggage checking phase at the metro stations i.e. will they allow me to travel on the metro with the battery?Your assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated.Thanks.

Directions:
1. Take metro and go to Kabi Subhash station(last stop), then take an auto to reach Garia Station. Also some Naktala-Howrah minibus goes directly to Garia Station, you need to ask them, not all buses go there, do ask first. You can catch the minibus at rashbehari.
2. Go to C5 bus stand, ask anyone where it is.
3. Keep moving forward till you reach IDBI Bank, you can ask someone for direction to the bank.
4. Now on opposite of IDBI bank you can see one broad lane, skip it and move forward till you reach the next lane on your left, this one will be a narrow lane.
5. Go into lane, keep going straight til you can see a tutorial signboard(I think it was Ideal tutorial or something).
6. Take right from there, walk a few steps forward, you'll see a big white house on your right.

Call Arvin for assistance. You can get the address from above.

I carried the batteries in metro, no issues, its heavy but I just carried them in a bigshopper.

 

[quicky008]

Directions:
1. Take metro and go to Kabi Subhash station(last stop), then take an auto to reach Garia Station. Also some Naktala-Howrah minibus goes directly to Garia Station, you need to ask them, not all buses go there, do ask first. You can catch the minibus at rashbehari.
2. Go to C5 bus stand, ask anyone where it is.
3. Keep moving forward till you reach IDBI Bank, you can ask someone for direction to the bank.
4. Now on opposite of IDBI bank you can see one broad lane, skip it and move forward till you reach the next lane on your left, this one will be a narrow lane.
5. Go into lane, keep going straight til you can see a tutorial signboard(I think it was Ideal tutorial or something).
6. Take right from there, walk a few steps forward, you'll see a big white house on your right.

Call Arvin for assistance. You can get the address from above.

I carried the batteries in metro, no issues, its heavy but I just carried them in a bigshopper.

Thanks a lot friend!

 

[quicky008]

Finally managed to get the new battery yesterday.However Apc's service center is situated at such a remote and obscure place that it would have probably been impossible for me to locate it if Tkin had not provided me with such easy to follow directions(I had hoped that i would ask for their assistance on the phone in case I couldn't find my way to their place,so I tried calling them repeatedly yesterday but their phone was switched off the whole time!)-therefore I'd like to take this opportunity to thank him once again for lending me his valued support.

 

[tkin]

Finally managed to get the new battery yesterday.However Apc's service center is situated at such a remote and obscure place that it would have probably been impossible for me to locate it if Tkin had not provided me with such easy to follow directions(I had hoped that i would ask for their assistance on the phone in case I couldn't find my way to their place,so I tried calling them repeatedly yesterday but their phone was switched off the whole time!)-therefore I'd like to take this opportunity to thank him once again for lending me his valued support.

No problem mate, and its true that they are located in possibly one of the remotest places in kolkata, but that is their warehouse, if you got a card from him you'd see, the main office is at Garia main road, and usually they send people as APC has onsite warranty.

 

[Tenida]

Good thread. Thanks Tkin as always