Everyone is aware that UPS systems (Uninterruptible Power Supply Systems) are essential for ensuring continued power supply to connected equipment when the conventional power source fails or faces an outage. However, even a UPS can face failures if not regularly maintained or serviced and may lead to equipment damage or interrupted power. This is when preventive maintenance comes into the picture.
In this blog post, we’ll answer your questions about “What is UPS preventative maintenance?” “What is the checklist in UPS servicing?” “What is the right interval for regular maintenance?” etc.
Preventative maintenance of UPS solutions
Being proactive with UPS preventive maintenance is better than reacting to unexpected system failures or incurring undesired service/replacement costs. Moreover, this is important to ensure increased UPS performance and an extended UPS lifespan.
Other benefits of preventative maintenance include:
- Reduces TCO (Total Cost of Ownership): Regular planned maintenance reduces the service costs and thus lowers the TCO.
- Ensures reliability for continued usage: Consistent preventive checkups ensure the UPS is working optimally and is reliable for further use.
- Helps identify potential problems or issues: The planned maintenance and audits help identify problems at the earlier stage and avoid escalations.
- Reduces unplanned expenses and saves costs: UPS power supply maintenance services repair defective components before they become completely worn out or attain the replacement stage which incurs huge costs.
- Prevents unexpected system breakdown: Identifying and repairing the issues prevents the system from unnecessary breakdown or failure.
When should you perform preventive maintenance?
Certainly, there is no standard rule or interval for UPS preventative maintenance services. For example, if you consider Eaton UPS maintenance, they recommend monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual schedules. On the other hand, Mitsubishi recommends semi-annual and annual monitoring or servicing of their UPS systems.
Thus, the preventive maintenance schedule varies from one UPS solution to another based on the manufacturer, the quality of components used, and the capacity or life of batteries. So, simply follow the maintenance schedule and the services/tests mentioned in the manufacturer’s checklist.
UPS Uninterruptible Power Supply Maintenance Checklist
Listed below are some commonly recommended preventative maintenance checklists across leading manufacturers of UPS systems in Australia.
1. Visual Inspection
This involves visually auditing the UPS system externally and internally, including checking for physical damage, corrosion, loose connections, leakage, heat produced, input and output signs, insulation quality, defective or damaged components, etc. Be it monthly, quarterly, or annual maintenance, this is the first step in any UPS inspection checklist. After this comes the specific audits and tests, like battery, software, load, etc.
2. Battery Testing
Battery cabinet inspection is crucial as it is the most significant component of any UPS system. This inspection includes validating the battery operating time, control circuit, conductance, resistance, temperature, etc. Over time, the life of the UPS battery can be predicted based on the performance and operating times.
3. Electrical Testing
This is one of the important tests in preventive UPS maintenance. It includes:
- Load testing (mimics the primary electrical outage and checks the load handling)
- Voltage and current testing (checks the incoming and outgoing power and output levels)
- Bypass or transfer testing (checks whether the UPS can switch or transfer between the bypass or utility and battery mode whenever necessary)
- Alarm testing (checks whether the UPS alarms during low battery, component failure, or overload).
4. Environmental Inspection
UPS service technician accounts for inspecting the ambiance or the environment of the UPS system. The main factors are heat transfer and room temperature. This is essential for the optimal operation and performance of the UPS.
5. Firmware and Software Updates
When opting for advanced UPS solutions, firmware and software become mandatory. Thus, checking them for the latest updates, errors, and bug fixes is as important as testing the battery. Otherwise, the system will not notify the correct signals as and when required.
6. Component testing
This involves testing the UPS components other than the battery, like cables, connectors, capacitors, etc. This testing can be counted for every monthly or quarterly preventive maintenance.
