The battery in my APC backup unit is a few years old and lasts only like 3 minutes before shutting down. Rather than buying a new battery from APC, is it possible to buy a car or marine battery and hook it up to the UPS unit?
I did a quick search on the web and got the following page which makes it sound like you can swap the 12 volt battery in just about any UPS with any 12 volt car or marine battery. They make it sound really easy:
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/emergencypowersources/ht/ht_aqups.htm
Is this possible? It would be great if it could work. Rather than have a few minutes of backup power, I could have whatever a car battery can provide (hours?)!
Are there are any hazards to watch out for? Can the UPS even charge something as big as a car battery?
I took out the old battery in my UPS just to look at it, and I see 3 terminals coming out of the battery! Three? Isn't there supposed to be just 2 terminals, a positive and a negative? Can I hook a car battery to this?
2007-01-05 04:09:50 · 7 answers · asked by Bartholomew 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
It's unlikely you have three terminals coming out of your battery. You should have a black and red wire. The black is negative, the red is positive. In some cases, there are two batteries linked in series, but the pair still connects to the UPS with two wires.
You can extend the wires out and attach them to any battery. Be careful to tape or otherwise cover the terminals, because an accidental short of a big battery can be very dangerous. Also be aware that car batteries are wet cells, and dangerous acid can leak out if it tips or cracks. You can get a plastic battery box at any autoparts store for safety.
The only real downside is that when the battery begins to die, it often gets hot. Your UPS probably has a circuit that will turn off the charger if the temperature rises. So it's important to change the battery every three or four years to prevent a dangerous overheating condition.
One more thing...once you do this, you will no longer have a UL approved UPS. If you create a hazardous condition or cause fire or electrocution, it's totally your responsibility.
2007-01-05 05:44:25 · answer #1 · answered by anywherebuttexas 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Trying to build a UPS could be a challenge. You would need to be able to tie into the main power supply (house current) and put some sort of relay on it to instantly transfer power from you house current, 120 volts, to your battery, 12 volt or so, and that would also require a transformer, and then you would need a way to keep the battery charged all the time, plus have outlets for all your devices you want to ups. Along with a surge protector. Buy a UPS. I bought one, big enough for my computer and it works great. Power has gone off a couple of times, and the UPS instantly came on. Not a glitch. It supplies power to be able to shut my machine down, if I am working on it. It is not designed to keep power on for hours. Only to be able to save my work and then shut down until the house power comes back on. Here is what I got Cyberpower CP825LCD UPS - ... $78.85 (includes shpg) That means it can handle up to 825 watts, for half an hour. My machine total wattage is around 210 watts, so it will last over an hour if I need it. And it has 8 plug ins, 4 of which are UPS and all 8 are surge protected. Also has a telephone, ethernet and USB protection plugs. Smaller ones are even cheapers, a 550 watt for around 50 bucks.
2016-05-23 06:04:04 · answer #2 · answered by Kathy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why don't you call the technical support department at the UPS manufacturer and ask if they have an external battery option to convert it over to larger external battery options. I like your idea. The company should put a heavy duty external plug and cable on the UPS for hooking to external batteries. But I think they want to sell you new batteries instead!
2007-01-05 04:25:56 · answer #3 · answered by bobweb 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. You'll blow the charger on the UPS. It might work for a while, but it won't be able to handle that big battery the first time it runs down a little.
2007-01-05 09:45:25 · answer #4 · answered by Nomadd 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Cars have one, it's called a battery. This is the automotive section of Answers.
2007-01-05 04:22:26 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
computers run on 10 & 5 v dc. with a car battery and the proper resistors , why not ?
2007-01-05 04:33:38 · answer #6 · answered by sterling m 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
sure
go get a DMM meter to test the leads on the batteries and figure out what they are
if you are uncomfortable using a meter then you are not ready to build anything
2007-01-05 04:23:23 · answer #7 · answered by brainiac 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋