When compared to a larger three-phase UPS system, a single-phase UPS can be pinned as a low-cost, minimal maintenance machine. While the cost to purchase is in fact much cheaper, not investing in the maintenance and care for a single-phase UPSs can lead to higher costs down the road; such as unplanned UPS replacements, UPS component failure, and costly downtime. Consider the following points as it relates to owning and maintaining single-phase UPSs:

Keep an eye on the batteries. The most common cause of UPS failure, batteries require regular check-ups and replacement. In a single-phase UPS, we recommend battery replacement every 3-5 years. Regular preventive maintenance visits will help to identify bad batteries and test for conditions which may lead to battery failure.
Environment is key. Without the proper environment, a UPS can be vulnerable to component failure, such as thermal runaway in its batteries, and a shorter lifespan. Especially in facilities with multiple single-phase UPSs, it can be easy to “set it and forget it.” Be sure to test the environment(s) where each of your UPS resides; this includes setting the proper temperature and humidity for good UPS operation. Consider adding a network card with environmental monitoring capabilities.
Establish a preventive maintenance schedule. To maintain the health and longevity of your single-phase UPS’s, it is recommended to schedule regular check-ups. A minimum of one preventive maintenance visit per year for the UPS is suggested. Additionally, consider scheduling battery replacements in advance, around the 4-year mark, in preparation for the 5th year. This will help to ensure that budgeting for replacement is squared away before an issue arises.
Identify the end-of-useful life of your UPSs. Every UPS has a manufacturer recommendation for useful life. Additionally, preventive maintenance visits can help indicate signs when your single-phase UPS is close to reaching the end of its useful life. At this point, start considering replacement of the UPS and/or an entire UPS audit.
Audit your facility’s fleet of single-phase UPSs. In many facilities, the dispersal of single-phase UPSs throughout a building can require an audit to ensure that all equipment stays up to date with service and useful life. We recommend a site audit to take an inventory of each UPS, their age, and the age of their components. This can be done alongside a preventative maintenance visit.
Planning for future purchases. As your single-phase UPSs reach the end of useful life, a helpful practice is to build out a plan to replace units as necessary. At the point of purchase, you can also determine whether a full replacement of your fleet of UPSs is in order, as this may be a more cost-effective decision. However, keeping your UPSs the same age will not impact a competent UPS maintenance company’s ability to service your equipment.
Consider a spare parts inventory. Component failure cannot be predicted or prevented. A good preparedness strategy includes keeping critical spare parts on hand or at a nearby supplier warehouse. SEPS carries an extensive inventory of parts and batteries and can assist with this strategy. If a battery failure or other component issue arises, the problem can then be swiftly resolved.

With more than 35 years of field experience and leadership in power protection, SEPS is well qualified to perform UPS preventive maintenance. SEPS offers a full suite of UPS services and all technicians are trained and certified to manufacturer standards, assuring a thorough job. For more information, please contact us, or speak with one of our Power Protection experts at 630-283-2399 or dmayo@seps-inc.com.

by Aaron Spencer

Blog

Essential Questions to Ask Your UPS Maintenance Provider: Training and Certification

February 28, 2019

In the last blog in this series, we discussed the emergency maintenance options that many UPS PM contracts provide. A UPS is one of the most important pieces of equipment in your facility. It is also a highly complex system that requires experience and training to work with. When you have a need for a PMV or an emergency situation arises, here is another essential question that you should be asking any prospective maintenance providers:

Are your technicians trained & certified for your specific UPS and safety requirements?

It is well within your rights as an IT manager or facility manager to use a third party maintenance provider, not associated with the OEM of your equipment. Often, a third-party maintenance provider can provide flexibility and cost-savings that the OEM cannot. However, it is crucial to ensure that the third party you employ to maintain your UPS has experience with your brand of UPS and has been trained on the support of your equipment.

All technicians receive training at the outset of their employment, but is important to understand the ongoing learning structure for technicians. Are they trained on new equipment? Are they up to date on manufacturer recommendations?

The priorities of the UPS maintenance provider you choose is important. If they are invested in their employees, and want them to continue to grow and learn, you can wager that they care greatly for their clients too.

At SEPS, our technicians are trained on numerous other brands of UPS equipment including manufacturers that are no longer active in the industry. This ensures technicians are always prepared to service any type of critical power equipment, no matter the age or product line. Our technicians regularly attend factory training with the Original Equipment Manufacturers to ensure comprehensive critical power training on all lines of UPS equipment.

Also, in today’s manufacturing and IT world safety is paramount and your UPS technician should be up to date in their safety training. Our technicians are NFPA70E Certified, Three Rivers Manufacturing Association (TRMA) trained and CPR Certified. SEPS technicians have the PPE, tools and training to ensure the highest level of safety while at customer’s sites.

by Mike Howley

Blog

Essential Questions to Ask Your UPS Maintenance Provider: Emergency Services

January 31, 2019

In the first blog in this series, we discussed UPS and battery maintenance contracts, and, specifically, what to expect as far as PM visits per year. With a regular PM schedule, you can keep your systems running smoothly and keep abreast of any issues. However, even the most trustworthy and resilient UPS systems can fail. And, unfortunately, you can’t predict it.

In the occasion when your UPS does fail, a swift and speedy response is necessary. This is why it’s crucial to get a full understanding of emergency services offered by your UPS maintenance provider. With that in mind, be sure to consider the following when consulting a UPS maintenance provider:

What is the guaranteed response time, in case of a UPS or battery emergency?

Typical emergency response times range from 4hrs, up to Next Business Day. But what do these mean? For some maintenance companies, this simply means that they will provide a response (email or phone call) within the guaranteed time. The actual repair of your equipment could take much longer. Ensure that your maintenance company guarantees an on-site technician, within your chosen response time. This will give you peace of mind, knowing that the risk to your critical load will be minimized.

Another aspect to consider is spare parts availability. During a UPS emergency, every second counts. It is crucial that UPS maintenance companies have parts available to arrive quickly at a customer’s site. Also be sure to double-check whether parts are covered under your maintenance contract or not. As a general rule, consumable components such as batteries and capacitors are not covered by maintenance agreements.

In our next blog in this series, we will discuss technician training and certification. Until then, contact SEPS to discuss what PM plan is best for your critical power needs.

by Mike Howley

Blog

Essential Questions to ask your UPS Maintenance Provider: UPS Preventive Maintenance Options

December 12, 2018

In a previous blog, we discussed some of the benefits a preventive maintenance contract can have for your UPS and your business. Based on the unexpected nature of power outages and weather-related outages, it’s easy to see why a maintenance contract – which keeps your system running at peak performance – makes good business sense.

In this four-part blog series, we will discuss important questions to ask potential UPS maintenance providers. To begin with, be sure to consider the following question:

How many preventive maintenance visits per year are offered in your UPS and battery maintenance contracts?

UPS maintenance providers will typically offer a handful of service options for maintaining your UPS and battery plant. The most common(and manufacturer recommended) is two preventive maintenance visits per year. This usually includes 1 major PM visit and 1 minor PM visit. Some UPS maintenance providers will offer customizable maintenance plans to fit your specific needs, where you can select any mix of major/minor PM visits, among other variables.

Don’t forget about the batteries! Batteries have a finite life and will eventually fail. Battery preventive maintenance enables customers to determine their estimated runtime in the event of a power failure and overall battery health.

The main difference between a major UPS PM and a minor UPS PM, is that during the major PM the UPS is put into bypass mode. This allows for a more thorough check of components and can reveal problem areas that may not be apparent during a minor PM. During the minor PM, the UPS remains in normal operation, so your critical load will not be exposed. Some firms chose to have their UPS maintenance visits performed after hours, so that normal business operations will not be impacted.

Once a PM visit is complete, a qualified UPS maintenance provider will provide an all-encompassing “Field Service Report,” which divulges, at a granular level, the health of your UPS unit(s) and battery plant. This would include a thorough breakdown of battery health, and also identify areas of concern that may need your attention in the future. This type of document allows you to be prepared for and budget for future repairs and/or UPS component replacements.

In our next blog, we will dig into emergency response times, and how these should weigh in when choosing a preventive maintenance provider.In the meantime, contact SEPS to discuss what PM plan is best for your critical power needs.

by Mike Howley

Blog

3 benefits of a proactive UPS maintenance plan

October 30, 2018

Why are PM’s important?

While there are many factors affecting the life of your UPS, there’s also a very simple way you can ensure optimal UPS performance: regular preventive maintenance (PM). A UPS is an incredibly complex system, which has several components vulnerable to wear and tear. A PM visit provides the opportunity to detect and repair problems before they become costly issues. Critical environments, such as data centers, rely on the resilient power that the UPS helps provide. So it makes sense in terms of profitability and efficiency to ensure that your system runs at peak performance. Here are 3 reasons to consider adding PM visits to your calendar:

Identify component issues. A UPS system has several components vulnerable to deterioration, and eventual failure. The component most likely to result in UPS failure are the batteries. Regular inspection can almost always predict a failing battery or string of batteries, and an assessment can be given on when batteries should be replaced.

In addition, there are other internal UPS components that a trained technician performing a PM visit would check. This includes: Capacitors, fans, power supplies, contactors, relays, air filters and internal connections.

Reduced Cost and Improved Efficiency. Regular preventive maintenance visits keep a UPS running at optimal performance. Regular check-ups allow for failing components to be identified, and replaced. Well-maintained UPS’s require less power to run, and therefore save money.

Minimize Downtime. While downtime cannot be eliminated completely, keeping a close eye on your UPS can reduce the risk of critical system failure. In the result of an emergency, the importance of having an experienced UPS service provider on speed dial – who can not only react quickly, but who is also familiar with your equipment and facility – cannot be overstated. A relationship such as this can be crucial to minimizing disruption and maintaining regular business operation.

by Dawn Kluchenek

Critical Power Blog

7 Tips for Single-Phase UPS Maintenance

Essential Questions to Ask Your UPS Maintenance Provider: Training and Certification

Essential Questions to Ask Your UPS Maintenance Provider: Emergency Services

Essential Questions to ask your UPS Maintenance Provider: UPS Preventive Maintenance Options

3 benefits of a proactive UPS maintenance plan

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