In the event of a power outage – the only thing standing between you and downtime with your business is your UPS battery. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that your UPS battery is in good repair.
Too often companies simply install their batteries and forget them – which when you can do that is nice; but if not attended to can have serious consequences – from downtime to catastrophic battery loss. All that being said though – how much is enough? What’s too much?
Today, we’re going to discuss a few key things for you to monitor continuously so that you have to think less about routine maintenance and more about how to stay out in front of any potential problems that might arise. Let’s jump right in.
Keeping an eye on the environment
Perhaps more than any part of your IT infrastructure – UPS batteries are deeply impacted by the conditions of their environment. Specifically when it comes to the temperature, if things get too hot or too cold it can have a significant impact on your battery’s ability to both conduct and store energy. Especially if you’re in a place where there tends to be rapid temperature fluctuations, make sure the room temperature in your server room is to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Making sure batteries are actually charging
Believe it or not, uncharged batteries can have a significant impact on the actual service life of your battery. So can overcharging your battery. The trick is to make sure you have balance in what’s called your ‘float voltage.’ Float voltage keeps your battery in exactly the right range of wattage and power it needs to be in according to the manufacturer’s stipulations. Be sure to ask your IT pro about how to monitor your battery’s float voltage so you can contact them to come service the battery in the event that balance is off.
The good, ole eye test
You don’t need to be an IT pro or expert to simply make a visual passthrough of your UPS batteries. If you notice that there’s swelling or corrosion; perhaps there’s something unusual or maybe even excess build up and dust creating undue temperature. Whatever it is – it might lead to a problem. You don’t need to do this every day – but once a month, take a quick walk through the server room – check out your ups batteries and look for anything that might be off. If you notice something – call a pro.
Our biggest recommendation is this: if your IT company or provider offers preventative and/or ongoing maintenance – take them up on the offer. Usually they’ll be able to tailor a customized plan so you get just what you need. But these additional measures – as basic as they are – can be the perfect protection for your UPS system.
If you need advice on how to better maintain your UPS system – give us a call today and we’ll be happy to offer up some guidance. Until then – good luck!