5 Reasons To Service Your UPS Regularly
A UPS plays a vital role in ensuring your computer and other equipment remain powered on even after a power surge. Like every other electrical equipment in the office, it is advisable to keep the UPS in the best condition possible through regular servicing and maintenance. You also ought to be careful with the environment in which the UPS is installed. Although you might take servicing seriously, keeping it in a less than ideal environment can cause it to fail repeatedly.
With many businesses today depending on the efficiency of their power supplies for various needs, it is important that you invest in the right UPS and schedule regular maintenance. Invest time in research; do you need a riello UPS battery replacement or something from the APC product range? This is one of the best ways to avoid possible downtimes, loss of money, and have the peace of mind knowing your equipment is protected. Here are some of the benefits and the reasons you need to have your UPS on a maintenance program.
1. Prevent Downtimes Due to Power Failure
Loss of power to computers in the bank or machinery in a production company means loss of revenue for the time the machines are offline. A UPS system is however designed to switch over when there’s a blackout, thus preventing the computers and other equipment from going offline. A rarely serviced or maintained UPS system might, however, fail to switchover leading to downtime. The only way you can avoid this from happening is by getting the systems serviced.
2. Prevent Data Loss
Many companies, records bureaus, and data centres keep lots of personal and sensitive data that can be corrupted in case of a power interruption. Ensuring your UPS system is adequately maintained, however, eliminates the risk of data loss with the system switching over almost instantly to provide a continuous power supply. Without a sound UPS system, the company would experience downtime and possibly data loss for the few minutes or hours the systems are offline.
3. Ensures the UPS Is Efficient
Among other factors, the UPS should be kept within the manufacturer’s recommended ambient temperature, cleanliness, and humidity. It is only by taking proper care of the UPS that you can be assured of optimal performance and efficiency when you need it. It is through regular maintenance that you’ll not only keep the UPS clean and dry but also check all alarms and indicators to ensure the system is functioning correctly.
It is important that you have a carefully structured maintenance program for the entire system, and have all the major parts, including the battery, the UPS itself, and the backup generator (if any) are serviced. Some of the components that should be inspected during the maintenance visit include the remote monitoring panel, meter readings, communications channels, and indicator lamps. Having these inspected reduces the risk of failure and inefficiencies that come with a poorly kept UPS system.
4. Optimal Battery Health
Valve Regulated Lead Acid batteries commonly used in UPS systems operate in ‘float mode’ where they maintain a full charge all through. The batteries only kick in action during short or infrequent long cycles with drains them to a certain level. Although the batteries may sustain your equipment for a specified period of time, deep discharges often cause them to lose their efficiency and life expectancy. This is because UPS batteries are only designed for standby, not deep cycling.
Having the UPS and the batteries inspected after every six months, however, helps detect cases of dead or dying batteries, hence call for replacement. The technician however has to perform various tests to ensure the battery report is accurate. This determines whether a battery requires replacing or not.
5. Emergency Repairs
Although regular servicing and maintenance are required to ensure the system is performing optimally, unforeseen failures are unavoidable. As long as the system was maintained regularly, you can always call for emergency service from the service company. Many of these companies offer 24/7 telephone support all year round. An engineer can be dispatched on time once you make a call, thus reducing downtimes significantly.