5 Ways to Extend UPS Battery Life

1. Maintains business continuity

These days, the majority of our activities rely on technological devices, so any occurrence that shuts down our devices may cause a significant setback to our day. Especially for large corporations, technical failures are likely to interrupt the business operation or even lead to a considerable loss. 

At its best, a UPS unit empowers a business to keep running until the main power is restored. At its worst, it ensures that critical data is saved and other important processes are completed. 

2. Protects your data and devices from unwanted damages 

UPS protects hardware components from physical or software damage if they’re abruptly disconnected from the main power supply.

When an electrical surge hits, an erratic voltage travels through nearby wires and cables and burns anything connected to the grid. Not only does a UPS unit stabilise and smooth the voltage to prevent any damage, but it also switches your devices to backup battery power when a surge hits.

Secondly, the risk of permanent data loss from unexpected power interruption is relatively high. A UPS unit enables you to properly disconnect any data transfer activity and prevents the loss and corruption of important data. 

3. Normalises your power supply

A UPS unit can also function as a filter that normalises the power that runs through your hardware devices. Electrical dips and surges can cause irrevocable damage to your hardware and software devices or disable them completely. A UPS unit provides clean and uninterrupted power, keeping your devices safe from blackouts, surges, spikes, or brownouts that may occur.

If you’ve installed a UPS unit, the next step is to ensure you maintain regular care of the batteries. Here are some ways how you can ensure that your UPS batteries perform to their best ability or even extend their lifespan. 

1. Conduct regular testing 

Regular battery testing is essential because it enables you to measure your batteries’ capacity and ensure that they perform according to their runtime specifications. The impedance test is the best battery test you can conduct for your UPS unit. You do this by applying an AC signal and measuring the degree of voltage loss across the batteries. Suppose the batteries display a high resistance level (which implies a lower performance capacity), then you probably need to replace your UPS unit. 

2. Install your batteries in a cool & dry place

The ideal temperature range to maintain and optimise the quality of your UPS batteries shouldn’t exceed 25° C. It’s important to store your batteries at the correct temperature to avoid premature damage to the cell’s internal structure and battery cycle life. It’s also helpful to avoid keeping the batteries in a moist environment. Water and humidity can build condensation inside and outside the batteries, causing corrosion and reducing their lifespan. 

3. Use power-saving devices

Even though you can rely on UPS batteries to keep your devices running, you need to be efficient with your usage. Installing energy-saving devices is a way to consume less power from your UPS batteries, keeping the battery's temperature under control, and extending their lifespan. Another helpful trick is to use good quality wiring to avoid overworking your battery. 

4. Calibrate your batteries regularly

Doing runtime calibration once or twice a year is helpful to keep your batteries in good health and maximise their performance when an outage occurs. 

In a calibration process, your devices are switched to the main power source while the UPS batteries are discharged and then charged back up. This allows your UPS unit to reorganise itself and provide a more accurate runtime reading of the batteries.  

5. Reduce the discharge cycles of your batteries

Battery manufacturers usually state the battery life cycle, which indicates the number of times you can charge and discharge the battery before they break down. Even though most batteries have a fixed lifetime, charging and discharging are likely to exhaust the battery faster. 

You have to recharge batteries within 48 hours after discharging them to prevent damage. Being aware of the discharge status is also crucial because excessive charging and discharging can lead to charging issues.