MkII Posted February 24, 2006 Posted February 24, 2006 My big APC UPS has tripped twice now. We have the builders in. They've patched in the two circuits that the servers use, and the power is flowing through. Though they're still working on the distribution board. The UPS won't power on with all devices attached. No problem... switch a few off and it comes up. Very noisily though. I don't know if this is a sign of the UPS being on it's last legs or something dicky with the power feed. Anybody have any experience of this??
plexer Posted February 24, 2006 Posted February 24, 2006 If it's noisy that doesn't sound good and from those symptoms does sound as if it's knackered but I wouldn't like to give a final answer until you have your power all sorted and they've stopped playing with it. It could also be that the batteries are on their last legs and need replacing it should have a light to tell you this though. Ben
MkII Posted February 24, 2006 Author Posted February 24, 2006 Thanks Ben Yeah - the indicator lights look as they usually do. The 'regulating excess power' light is lit but it's always said that. Gotta see if it still plays up when the sparky is finished, though the job wont finish for a fair few months now.
plexer Posted February 24, 2006 Posted February 24, 2006 If it is always regulating a higher than normal power supply then I suppose that could be a reason for it failing prematurely APC may be able to give you a better answer on that one. New batteries aren't too expensive. Ben
drjturner Posted February 24, 2006 Posted February 24, 2006 Be careful This is what happened to one of ours recently. And look at what happened to the poor old powerbook nearby!!!
Ric_ Posted February 24, 2006 Posted February 24, 2006 Does the handy software/web interface not give you any clues? (or isn't it a SmartUPS?)
MkII Posted February 24, 2006 Author Posted February 24, 2006 It is a SmartUPS Ric a 2200 - i'll take a look on monday. Plus i might give APC a call.
john Posted February 24, 2006 Posted February 24, 2006 Mine sounds like a Mr whippy machine when you start it up it goes "boof" and "bang" and then "bleep bleep bleep" (its a 3000VA smart rackmount one) it also shakes when it kicks in and blows the main disty board (but thats down to it being over used (it says 121% usage, run time -3 minutes, and yes it did show the - the other day!) So I have taken 2 proliants off it and its now just over 100%. But I would give APC a call, they were very useful last time I had dealings with them
DMcCoy Posted February 24, 2006 Posted February 24, 2006 Mine sounds like a Mr whippy machine when you start it up it goes "boof" and "bang" and then "bleep bleep bleep" (its a 3000VA smart rackmount one) it also shakes when it kicks in and blows the main disty board (but thats down to it being over used (it says 121% usage, run time -3 minutes, and yes it did show the - the other day!) So I have taken 2 proliants off it and its now just over 100%. But I would give APC a call, they were very useful last time I had dealings with them I would be very careful when loading ups, the reason they have the limit is so that you don't draw too much power from the battery if it switches to battery mode. If you overload an apc when its in battery mode it will shut down immediatly - losing all power! I guess if you draw too much for too long, they get hot, then they build up gases in a enclosed metal case without room for expansion, worst case is it explodes!
john Posted February 24, 2006 Posted February 24, 2006 It does shut off in 1 or 2 minutes, so I have to be very fast at typing as well as running to the other end of the building to get to them, it is due for change though so I am not too worried. Its not showing overload on its status now, as its only something like 3 or 4 % overloaded so its not warning overload now, so its better than it was, I think the main thing is never underestimate the power of a Proliant server, those Rackmount ones are beasts for power compaired to the tower ones. We have just started getting the pricing in for a big APC Symetra setup (looking around £10K) to be able to run them for a few hours in a power failure as we have 2 staff areas (SMT offices and Finance Dept) on huge UPS's so the PCs there will run for a good few hours as well as the phone system so if we can keep the back end running then they can keep working. Just need to get our office on a UPS now, then we can have phones that work in a power failure as well, blasted VOIP phones that are not POE powered, it means I am not contactable (I cannot decide if thats a good thing or a bad thing)
ZeroHour Posted February 27, 2006 Posted February 27, 2006 Turner please explain how in the hell that happened as its well scary
Geoff Posted February 27, 2006 Posted February 27, 2006 Its a lead acid battery. It overheats. The acid vapourises. The battery explodes. Hot acid everywhere.
webman Posted February 27, 2006 Posted February 27, 2006 Its a lead acid battery. It overheats. The acid vapourises. The battery explodes. Hot acid everywhere. Definately one of those "stand well back" moments As in, stand well back in another country
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