UPS batteries

Hi I am wondering if its possible to have UPS batteries re-condition?
I have got hold of an old UPS, which I want to use at home, but the
batteries aren't holding a charge and need replacing, however they are
about $900 for the batteries. is it possible to have batteries
"serviced" as such?

the batteries are APC RBC11's, the product details state: "Maintenance-
free sealed Lead-Acid battery with suspended electrolyte : leakproof "

Flamer.

On Thu, 21 May 2009 18:55:17 -0700 (PDT), "flamer
" wrote:

Hi I am wondering if its possible to have UPS batteries re-condition?
I have got hold of an old UPS, which I want to use at home, but the
batteries aren't holding a charge and need replacing, however they are
about $900 for the batteries. is it possible to have batteries
"serviced" as such?

the batteries are APC RBC11's, the product details state: "Maintenance-
free sealed Lead-Acid battery with suspended electrolyte : leakproof "

Flamer.

The way this usually works is similar to car batteries, you
find a local battery supplier, either taking the old
batteries with you or being charged a "core charge" that
will be refunded when you bring them the old ones. Thus,
you may not get your own battery rebuild, but parts of it
will go towards a battery for someone else and you might
receive a battery rebuilt that used to be someone else's.

Or you can buy online at someplace other than APC, since
they tend to overcharge. So long as the battery is a
quality brand instead of a generic it should be equal in
performance and life to one bought from APC, but shipping is
quite high for large batteries, it could be the best value
to shop locally for a new battery of the same form factor,
voltage (per pack) and amp hours, then reuse the connectors
from the old battery packs. If you take the battery with
you a suppler should be able to identify what replacement
standard size to use. Local suppliers might be found with a
Google maps search or in the local yellow pages.

flamer wrote:

Hi I am wondering if its possible to have UPS batteries re-condition?
I have got hold of an old UPS, which I want to use at home, but the
batteries aren't holding a charge and need replacing, however they are
about $900 for the batteries. is it possible to have batteries
"serviced" as such?

the batteries are APC RBC11's, the product details state: "Maintenance-
free sealed Lead-Acid battery with suspended electrolyte : leakproof "

Flamer.
Wow. Sounds like you adopted a high-capacity UPS, probably capable of
much more output current than you really need at home.

Buying replacement batteries locally will probably save money, since
you avoid shipping cost (although the retail price still includes
the bulk shipping cost to the dealer). Some of the replacement units
are low-quality imports and it's impossible to tell by looking.

Your UPS will run on a lower-capacity (lower cost) battery and deliver
enough output for your home needs. You will need guidance in what to
buy and how to hook it up. Batteries store a lot of energy: this is
not something to try without expert advice. Know somebody nearby?

flamer wrote:
Hi I am wondering if its possible to have UPS batteries re-condition?
I have got hold of an old UPS, which I want to use at home, but the
batteries aren't holding a charge and need replacing, however they are
about $900 for the batteries. is it possible to have batteries
"serviced" as such?

the batteries are APC RBC11's, the product details state: "Maintenance-
free sealed Lead-Acid battery with suspended electrolyte : leakproof "

Flamer.

Really a monster of a UPS if it uses that sort of battery pack. Wish I had
one myself. Good news is that there are cheaper replacements and since the
four batteries involved are 12V 18AH you should have a lot of options. Here
is the cheapest replacement RBC11 set I could locate in a quick search:

http://www.batteryspec.com/cgi-bin/c...nk&product=152

--
John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]
http://johnmcgaw.com

flamer wrote:
Hi I am wondering if its possible to have UPS batteries re-condition?
I have got hold of an old UPS, which I want to use at home, but the
batteries aren't holding a charge and need replacing, however they are
about $900 for the batteries. is it possible to have batteries
"serviced" as such?

the batteries are APC RBC11's, the product details state: "Maintenance-
free sealed Lead-Acid battery with suspended electrolyte : leakproof "

Flamer.


The batteries cannot be repaired
but (as mentioned) you can probably get a small trade-in

No need to get the batteries from APC...
you can probably find a similar battery locally at one of the supply
houses...at a lower price.

One thing though, you will need to go with a VRLA battery

(Valve-regulated lead acid) and should not try to substitute a cheaper
"wet" battery. for safety reasons.

VRLA batteries will normally not emit explosive hydrogen gas