Dead UPS Batteries

[kenja]

Today's "Tip of the Day" is about UPSes (Uninterruptable Power Supplies).

Here's some advice I didn't see in the PC Guide: After your battery has died and cannot be recharged, don't be lazy and leave your (turned on) UPS plugged in to the wall.

In an industrial setting, I've sometimes seen old "sealed" batteries leak acid after continually receiving charging voltage. The acid can be neutralized with a baking soda and water solution, but the results are still icky.

[ixl]

Interesting. Have you ever seen this happen with a UPS battery? Would greatly surprise me.

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Charles M. Kozierok
Webslave, The PC Guide (http://www.PCGuide.com)
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[kenja]

Not in a UPS for "Personal Computers", these were 12V "gell cells" used for retaining the "executive" program in Allen-Bradley numerical controls containing the Motorola 6800 processor. (Just like the chip in my old Heathkit microprocessor trainer!)

The time frame for an exhausted battery to turn nasty was always more than a year, in my estimation.

[This message has been edited by kenja (edited 01-15-2001).]