4 Tips to Maintain Your UPS System
For any industry or data centre, the UPS installation is its first line of defense against any power fluctuations – such as dips and spikes etc. Since the expensive equipment and computer systems at your facility depend on consistent power supply, you can’t really afford for any issues to crop up in these systems. It’s important to have a preventive maintenance program in place to ensure there is no sudden downtime on the system and that your equipment and other installations are well protected.
The fact is that almost 2/3rd of downtime events are actually preventable; and inadequate or improper maintenance is one of the main reasons of a downtime on equipment, tools and IT systems that rely on power for their functioning. Here are some tips to maintain your UPS system:
UPS maintenance tips
#1 Safety Comes First
Whenever you are dealing with electricity, you have to be extremely careful to ensure that there is no mishap or blunder as that can cause serious injury/death. This is why you should focus on various safety aspects such as:
- Observing recommendations that the manufacturer has provided
- Paying attention to the specific implementation details in your facility
- Following all the standard safety guidelines
#2 Scheduling Maintenance
Just as it’s important to schedule maintenance, it’s equally important to stick to it and you should:
- Fastidiously follow all the regular maintenance activities such as any quarterly, semi-annual or annual ones that have been recommended
- Record all the upcoming maintenance activities
#3 Maintain detailed records
Aside from following the current schedule, you should also maintain a detailed record of all the activities that had been completed in the past, such as:
- Cleaning/repair/replacement of specific components
- Condition of all the different equipment when the inspection is being carried out
- Keeping a checklist of tasks and maintaining a very orderly approach when you are inspecting connecting leads, checking batteries for corrosion etc.
- Ensuring that all the records are kept in an easily accessible location
#4 Carry Out Regular Inspections
The standard inspections you should carry out are:
- Inspect the space around the battery and the UPS equipment for any obstructions and ensure there is proper cooling
- Check the UPS panel for any operational warnings or abnormalities, such as battery nearing discharge or overload
- Inspect the batteries for any signs of defects or deterioration like corrosion etc.
- Follow the maintenance schedule recommended by the manufacturer. In fact, it’s better to add a few more checks than the recommended ones
Preventive maintenance matters
It’s important to recognise that over time there is bound to be a certain amount of wear and tear and that the UPS and battery components may wear out even from regular use. And so even if the system provides consistent and perfect power, if you maintain the right temperature in the UPS room and everything is clean, there could be a chance that some component will fail. The different problems that may arise due to regular wear and tear include:
- Battery/capacitor failure
- Welded relays
- Clogged air filters
- Out-dated firmware
This is exactly why it’s vital to get regular UPS maintenance and checks done on your UPS system. This helps the technicians identify potential problems and they can offer solutions to mitigate the problem before it actually surfaces. This can save you time, trouble and money. Aside from this, there will be less of an impact on the productivity of your unit or facility.
If you want any information about our power products and services, don’t hesitate to contact us at KaRaTec Power Supply Pty. You can give us a call at 612 9808 1127. You can also fill in this contact us form and we’ll reply as soon as possible.
Thanks for reading,
Karatec Power Supply Pty
612 9808 1127