Like anything in life, we have questions we need answers to and owning a UPS battery is no different. Today, we’re going to discuss some answers to some of the more commonly asked questions we receive from our customers. Hopefully today might answer a burning question you have and help you make the decisions you need to make sure both your battery and server rooms remain in good working order.
Is battery storage life the same thing as its service life?
The short answer to this one is – no, they’re not. Storage life is essentially how long a battery has been in storage on the shelf. That means no electrical current running through it and no corrosion.
Service life on the other hand – is how long the battery has been installed in your system -whatever that system might be. This means the battery is in service and has electrical current running through it.
How is battery life affected once it’s recharged?
Batteries don’t last forever and UPS batteries are no different. After a long while, you’ll have to get it replaced. After any recharge is complete – the battery’s shelf life restarts and you should always set a brand new ‘recharge by’ date to make sure it’ maintained throughout its next charge date properly.
Does a battery that’s been in storage still work?
The longer batteries sit around unused and not on some sort of formal charging regime – yes they do lose life. However this won’t impact your battery if you do two things. The first – just be sure to recharge your stored batteries now and then. Most of the power loss will come due to not being on a steady charging cycle. Do that and you’ll avoid power loss. Second, make sure you are storing your batteries at 50 degrees Fahrenheit. UPS batteries can be sensitive to temperature so keeping it consistent will help!
When would you say a battery is at the end of its life?
The IEEE says that the end of a battery’s life is right around the point where it can only charge up to 80% of its overall capacity. After that – you may want to consider a replacement. Once you hit that particular point – the decrease in capacity will happen quickly.
Hopefully you found today’s blog helpful. If you’re looking to add a UPS battery to your business, give us a call today and we’ll be happy to provide you with a free consultation. Until then – good luck!