The four things that shorten the lifespan of your UPS battery

One of the most common questions we get is how long the lifespan of a UPS battery is. Generally, that’s 3 to 5 years but where your battery lands between those goalposts depends greatly on how well you take care of the battery and a myriad of factors. 

While we’ve discussed many of the things you can do to extend the life of your UPS battery, we haven’t discussed some of the things that can significantly shorten it. Here are some of the things you want to avoid if you’re hoping to get the most out of your UPS battery. Let’s jump right in!

Ambient temperature

A battery’s capacity is influenced heavily by an ambient temperature of about 77 degrees. If it operates at a higher temperature, its lifespan will be shortened. While this shouldn’t be an issue in most office settings, it’s frequently an issue in industrial settings and in hotter environments. 

Number of discharges

One of the signs that your UPS battery might be nearing the end of its life is that its power isn’t lasting as long as it used to when you first purchased it. That’s because UPS batteries only have so many discharges in reserve. The more discharges, the deeper they get and the shorter a battery’s lifespan will become. 

Load size

One of the most common issues we encounter is that businesses purchase UPS batteries that are not strong enough for the load they’re there to power. While they might be able to get the job done in a functional sense, any kind of overload will sap them of discharges disproportionately, shortening the lifespan of the battery dramatically. Be sure that you consult a professional when choosing the right UPS battery for your system. 

Maintenance

If there’s anything that decreases the life of anything – UPS batteries included – it’s the lack of consistent, ongoing maintenance. While it might seem like another bill every few months, being on an ongoing maintenance plan can be worth its weight in gold. This will help you identify inefficiencies and issues before they become critical and help you get out ahead of problems before they become expensive. 

How you take care of your batteries will go a long way towards determining how long they last. The best way to make sure you get the most out of them is to simply monitor them and make sure they’re being maintained. If you’d like to learn more about some of the ways you can extend the life of your UPS battery, give us a call today and we’ll be able to help. Until then, good luck!