UPS Systems Maintenance, Power Systems Servicing
Clients invest in Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems to protect essential supplies during power outages, but often neglect maintenance thereafter. UPS systems are complex, requiring regular inspections and servicing to ensure reliability. A maintenance contract offers benefits like guaranteed response times and 24/7 emergency call-outs. Key components such as batteries, fans, and capacitors have a limited lifespan, making regular maintenance crucial to avoid failures. Without proper upkeep, key parts can fail, leading to inadequate support during power failures. Businesses should also consider standby generator systems as a complementary solution for additional security against outages.
No UPS = No Protection.
Clients purchase UPS systems because there is a requirement to protect the essential supplies during a power failure or brownout.
After purchase, little consideration is given to maintenance over the subsequent years.
The idea of plug and play conceals the fact that uninterruptible power supplies are highly technical equipment, consisting of thousands of sensitive components. The new uninterruptible power supply system will always come with a manufacturer’s warranty. Offering protection in the event of failure during the first year.
Although the manufacturer agrees to guarantee his equipment against failure. Repairs will take place during normal working hours. Certainly no earlier than the next day. On the other hand several days later dependent of the availability of engineers and parts.
(Note: load unprotected during this time.)
Maintenance
Image shows a non-maintained UPS.Can you rely on this UPS to protect your Business?
Failure of parts
The UPS system has a number of components which have a finite operating life. The ones that immediately spring to mind are:
- Fans.
- Breakers.
- Batteries.
- DC and AC capacitors.
A failure of any of these components severely limit (and generally eliminates) the Uninterruptible Power Supply ’s capacity to protect the essential load. Regular maintenance will monitor these components, highlighting any potential failures. Above all in time to take action to replace them, maintaining the integrity of the system.
For example, A typical instance on a non-maintained Power Protection system, possibly if during a utility mains failure, the batteries failed to support the essential load for the expected time. The client would require immediate replacement of his batteries to regain his perceived autonomy; the unanswered question would be ‘why did the batteries fail so early in their operational life?’
Without regularly maintaining and thermal monitoring the UPS and Batteries, one or all the DC capacitors may have prematurely aged the batteries causing a severe reduction in their capacity to support load. Regular UPS maintenance visits would have identified this problem earlier. Changing the offending components could avoid undue expense.
Of course, if a UPS system is present, the next step is to ask yourself:
What if it fails?
Do I have a generator standby power system?
If there isn’t a standby diesel generator, is that due to lack of space?
Or assumed cost?
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Before your Critical Systems are tested by power failure.