Thread: UPS and UPS battery Buying Advice? Plz. Help

I have a Wipro emerge UPS (300Watt) (Model: WeP BNT 500-A) (it has two outputs, one for the PC & second for the monitor) , which came with my PC (Pentium-4) (Model: LG MyPC), which I bought few years back. Now it's gone crazy. It doesn't provide enough battery backup. Whenever there's a power-cut, backup is around only few seconds, so it's almost impossible to save data & properly shutdown the PC. What may be the reason? Is it battery issue or something else?
Pictures of my UPS (Got them by googling)-

images.naaptol.com/usr/local/csp/staticContent/EnlgImg250x250/computer-cpmponent-WeP500VA-1.jpg

whitesindia.com/shoppe/images/wep500va.jpg

(1) If it's the battery problem, where can I get the battery replaced? At any "battery-wallah" shop or somewhere else?
(2) How much would be the cost of the battery in my case?
(3) Of which company & rating battery should I buy? Can I buy battery from APC (I prefer APC But if there is better option tell me plz.) OR I have to go for wipro?
(4) Can I go for the higher rating of battery (At backside of my UPS is written "300W" I don't know about AV rating, I think it should be 500VA).
(5) Soon I am going to upgrade the DDR-1 RAM to at-least one GB OR at-most two GB. Do they draw the more power? & will it affect the UPS? (AT top of the SMPS (Power Unit) is printed "200W")
(6) What is the battery rating, model etc. of my WeP UPS? (I don't have manual etc.) (If anyone else has the same UPS plz. help)

If I go for a new UPS (I prefer APC But if there is better option tell me plz.):

(1) Which Model (& of what rating) should I buy? would 500VA-600VA be enough OR at-least 1KVA?
(2) What is the starting price for "online UPSes"?, since I've heard that they are better than their offline counterparts but are very expensive too. So what should I choose online OR offline?
(3) Do cheap "offline" UPSes provide the option to connect to PC via USB etc. to automatically shutdown the PC whenever there is not enough power?
(4) Do cheap offline UPSes have "AVR (automatic voltage regulator)", surge protection, EMI/RFI suppression, Telephone / Modem Surge Protection etc.
(5) If I go for a new UPS would I have to buy new power cables, cause my current UPS has IEC connector (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_connector) variation so I have two cables (one to connect with the PC & the other one to connect with the my CRT monitor) which have C13 (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_connector#C13_and_C14_connectors) at one end (to connect to PC & monitor) at one end (to connect to PC & monitor) and C14 at another end (to connect with the UPS), So my UPS has C13 output socket not the Indian standard socket but most of the UPSes available in market have Indian standard output sockets. [My output sockets look like this en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:UPSRearView.jpg this picture has three sockets but mine has two.]

Here is another question though Not related with this but concerned with this issue:

(1) Is there any software which can show the power consumption in WATTs of the PC in real time? in BIOS I can only know about volts but can't understand it, So I need a solution to calculate the power consumption in WATTs, cause at different times we use different peripherals running like- CD burner while burning a disc.

Please reply my queries in details, thanks.

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Originally Posted by rajivkumar3000

(1) If it's the battery problem, where can I get the battery replaced? At any "battery-wallah" shop or somewhere else?

I would recommend going to an authorised WIPRO dealer.

Originally Posted by rajivkumar3000

I would recommend to an authorised WIPRO dealer.
(2) How much would be the cost of the battery in my case?

It would cost something around Rs. 450

Originally Posted by rajivkumar3000

If I go for a new UPS (I prefer APC But if there is better option tell me plz.):

(1) Which Model (& of what rating) should I buy? would 500VA-600VA be enough OR at-least 1KVA?

APC 600VA UPS would be fine.

Originally Posted by rajivkumar3000

(2) What is the starting price for "online UPSes"?, since I've heard that they are better than their offline counterparts but are very expensive too. So what should I choose online OR offline?

http://cgi.ebay.in/APC-UPS-650-VA-Ho...item255b3f506d

Originally Posted by rajivkumar3000

Here is another question though Not related with this but concerned with this issue:

(1) Is there any software which can show the power consumption in WATTs of the PC in real time? in BIOS I can only know about volts but can't understand it, So I need a solution to calculate the power consumption in WATTs, cause at different times we use different peripherals running like- CD burner while burning a disc.

Please reply my queries in details, thanks.

This should help to an extent. http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

----
To answer your problem ...

UPS battery life is typically 3 to 5 years. If your UPS is that old, the battery will need replacing. From the problem described, it certainly seems to be the case.

(1) If it's the battery problem, where can I get the battery replaced? At any "battery-wallah" shop or somewhere else?

You can seek a replacement with any computer UPS dealer or the manufacturer (of the UPS). A battery shop may also be able to help. But standard battery shops may not carry the specific battery suitable for the UPS.

(2) How much would be the cost of the battery in my case?

About Rs. 1,000 is my guess.

(3) Of which company & rating battery should I buy? Can I buy battery from APC (I prefer APC But if there is better option tell me plz.) OR I have to go for wipro?

Seek help from an expert UPS dealer.

[QUOTE](4) Can I go for the higher rating of battery (At backside of my UPS is written "300W" I don't know about AV rating, I think it should be 500VA)./QUOTE]
500 VA.

(5) Soon I am going to upgrade the DDR-1 RAM to at-least one GB OR at-most two GB. Do they draw the more power? & will it affect the UPS? (AT top of the SMPS (Power Unit) is printed "200W")

No. RAM in itself does draw power it is insignificant. Everything is drawn from PS. So your UPS should be able to supply 200W for CPU box and some for the monitor (check specs). Seek help from UPS dealer. He will provide exact advice.

(6) What is the battery rating, model etc. of my WeP UPS? (I don't have manual etc.) (If anyone else has the same UPS plz. help)

Seek help from UPS dealer. He will provide exact advice.

If I go for a new UPS (I prefer APC But if there is better option tell me plz.):

(1) Which Model (& of what rating) should I buy? would 500VA-600VA be enough OR at-least 1KVA?

500 VA is sufficient for a PC + CRT monitor. LCD monitor will consume even less power.

(2) What is the starting price for "online UPSes"?, since I've heard that they are better than their offline counterparts but are very expensive too. So what should I choose online OR offline?

Computers require online UPS only. Offline UPS is for the house power supply where there is a delay between switching from mains to UPS. If you have offline UPS to PC, the instant the power goes off, the PC will shut off and restart when UPS kicks in.

(3) Do cheap "offline" UPSes provide the option to connect to PC via USB etc. to automatically shutdown the PC whenever there is not enough power?

Such a device will be very expensive.

(4) Do cheap offline UPSes have "AVR (automatic voltage regulator)", surge protection, EMI/RFI suppression, Telephone / Modem Surge Protection etc.

AVR = Yes, Surge protection and other protection = sometimes

(5) If I go for a new UPS would I have to buy new power cables, cause my current UPS has IEC connector (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_connector) variation so I have two cables (one to connect with the PC & the other one to connect with the my CRT monitor) which have C13 (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_connector#C13_and_C14_connectors) at one end (to connect to PC & monitor) at one end (to connect to PC & monitor) and C14 at another end (to connect with the UPS), So my UPS has C13 output socket not the Indian standard socket but most of the UPSes available in market have Indian standard output sockets. [My output sockets look like this en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:UPSRearView.jpg this picture has three sockets but mine has two.]

No need of new cables.

For all other questions ... seek help from UPS dealer. He will provide exact advice.

Go to APC dealer and tell your specification. He will be able to select one for you. I am using APC UPS since 5 years. Works like a charm. May be I too need a battery replacement in near future.

Originally Posted by rajivkumar3000

I have a Wipro emerge UPS (300Watt) (Model: WeP BNT 500-A) (it has two outputs, one for the PC & second for the monitor) , which came with my PC (Pentium-4) (Model: LG MyPC), which I bought few years back. Now it's gone crazy.

Can't really reply to everything right now, but I'd suggest you just check the rating of the existing battery. Then check with a battery dealer if it is available. Many battery shops that sell car/bike batts do stock UPS batteries. As for the brand, I'd suggest Base Terminal. Avoid Exide. If you can't find a Base dealer, just contact the company or its regional office thru their website. If I were you, I'd prefer this over getting it thru the UPS company. Of course, if you got an odd spec battery which is not available with third party manufactures, you will have to go to the UPS company.

Originally Posted by just4kix

----
Computers require online UPS only. Offline UPS is for the house power supply where there is a delay between switching from mains to UPS. If you have offline UPS to PC, the instant the power goes off, the PC will shut off and restart when UPS kicks in.

Nopes, all or almost all comp UPSs are offline or line-interactive. My comp. APC UPS is an offline UPS. What you have to look out for is the switch over time. I have found my offline APC much better than even a line interactive UPS which claimed faster switch over time. I strongly suspect that the manufacturers, esp. the smaller ones, lie about their product specs.

I also use APC ups for last 8 years.I have no problem

Originally Posted by just4kix

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@just4kix
Why this post has gone into moderation? I already got activated my account!!!

Originally Posted by Vignesh

APC 600VA UPS would be fine.
cgi.ebay.in/APC-UPS-650-VA-Home-UPS-APC-Office-DB9-USB-RS-232-BE650-/160444665965?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_203& hash=item255b3f506d]

@Vignesh Thanks
So what is the street-price for "APC BACK-UPS ES 650VA 230V"??? With & without USB connectivity+software. I think it comes in two variants (options), So please let me know both the prices (ie. with AND without USB+software)

Originally Posted by meetdilip

I am using APC UPS since 5 years. Works like a charm.

@meetdilip
OK, Could you please tell me the model & price of the UPS you're using? And how much times did you get replaced the battery?

Originally Posted by Raccoon

Can't really reply to everything right now, but I'd suggest you just check the rating of the existing battery. Then check with a battery dealer if it is available. Many battery shops that sell car/bike batts do stock UPS batteries. As for the brand, I'd suggest Base Terminal. Avoid Exide. If you can't find a Base dealer, just contact the company or its regional office thru their website. If I were you, I'd prefer this over getting it thru the UPS company. Of course, if you got an odd spec battery which is not available with third party manufactures, you will have to go to the UPS company.

@Racoon,
I can't check the rating of the battery, 'cause I can't open the UPS (I'm not an expert) Can anybody having the same type of UPS tell me the rating???

@Racoon,
You suggest Base Terminal, But many of my friends suggested me Exide!!! Now I am nuch confused Is anything wrong with Exide batteries? Anybody plz suggest me the high performance battery.

Originally Posted by Raccoon

I have found my offline APC much better than even a line interactive UPS

@Racoon,
Could you please tell me the model & price of the UPS you're using?

Originally Posted by anandsht

I also use APC ups for last 8 years.I have no problem

@anandsht
Could you please tell me the model & price of the UPS you're using? And how much times did you get replaced the battery?

One more thing I forgot to mention that even when power fluctuates (even if there is minor fluctuation) it suddenly gets off (and of-course my PC crashes) AND it can't tolerate the sudden load, like if I turn off the monitor (I have 15" CRT) OR hibernate my machine, and turn on the monitor OR take windows back from hibernation, it suddenly goes off.

I am using Back UPS ES 500. I haven't changed the battery all these days. Still working on the battery I got with it.

Originally Posted by rajivkumar3000

@just4kix



@Vignesh Thanks
So what is the street-price for "APC BACK-UPS ES 650VA 230V"??? With & without USB connectivity+software. I think it comes in two variants (options), So please let me know both the prices (ie. with AND without USB+software)

The street price for the USB variant here in Delhi during May was Rs.2650.
I will let you know the street price of the non-USB variant within a day.

Answers given inline in blue colour -

Originally Posted by rajivkumar3000

@just4kix

@Racoon,
I can't check the rating of the battery, 'cause I can't open the UPS (I'm not an expert) Can anybody having the same type of UPS tell me the rating???

Then I guess you will either have to take the help of someone who can open your UPS or check your manual to see if battery capacity is mentioned. Lastly, you could even ask the manufacturer.

@Racoon,
You suggest Base Terminal, But many of my friends suggested me Exide!!! Now I am nuch confused Is anything wrong with Exide batteries? Anybody plz suggest me the high performance battery.

Exide now makes crappy batteries and markets them well and they are also the most visible and available brand. So people wrongly associate it with quality. If I were you, I would go for Base Terminal. If not BT then go for any brand EXCEPT Exide and will probably not go terribly wrong.

@Racoon,
Could you please tell me the model & price of the UPS you're using?

APC Back UPS ES 500. Sorry can't recall the price now. It is just about 4 years old, and I had to replace the battery couple of weeks ago. Hence I would rate the APC battery just about average (battery has experienced very few cycles).

@anandsht
Could you please tell me the model & price of the UPS you're using? And how much times did you get replaced the battery?

One more thing I forgot to mention that even when power fluctuates (even if there is minor fluctuation) it suddenly gets off (and of-course my PC crashes) AND it can't tolerate the sudden load, like if I turn off the monitor (I have 15" CRT) OR hibernate my machine, and turn on the monitor OR take windows back from hibernation, it suddenly goes off:

PC should not reboot under any circumstances, as long as the load is within the UPS rating and the battery is in good condition. Else your UPS is defective, and should not be used.

Originally Posted by meetdilip

I am using Back UPS ES 500. I haven't changed the battery all these days. Still working on the battery I got with it.

@meetdilip

Thanks bro,

Originally Posted by Vignesh

The street price for the USB variant here in Delhi during May was Rs.2650.
I will let you know the street price of the non-USB variant within a day.

@Vignesh

Thanks bro, waiting for that.

Originally Posted by Raccoon

Answers given inline in blue colour -

@Racoon, Thanks for your efforts brother.

The non USB variant costs Rs. 2,100 in Nehru place. But it can't found in many shops. The dealer I found said, that he would have to order it from somewhere else and can deliver it within 15 days. For that matter, your dealer may charge a premium for it
Personally, I am using the USB-variant and am happy with it. If you are happy to surf through shops for many days, you can go with the Non-USB variant. Furthermore remember that considering Nehru-place is the Tech-hub of India it took me so long to find it out , I am not sure if the non-USB one will be available in your city/town.

Originally Posted by rajivkumar3000

@Racoon, Thanks for your efforts brother.

My pleasure.

If you want to buy, just call APC. I got mine home delivered from their dealer on the same day.