Many owners of uninterruptible power supplies were in a situation where, at the slightest voltage surge, the computer turned off, even though it was connected to the UPS. The reason for this is the failure of batteries, and their price is such that it is sometimes cheaper to buy new source. Many people immediately have questions: “How to revive uninterruptible power supply? Is it possible to repair the UPS battery? We invite you to find out how to restore it in this article.

Reasons for battery failure

First, let's look at the main types of malfunctions and the reasons why the battery may become unusable. There can be many reasons for a source battery failure:

• systematic undercharging of UPS batteries is the most common reason, since budget sources are equipped with not very high quality chargers. The reason may also be the quality of the input mains voltage, due to which the UPS often has to switch on battery mode;
• deep discharge – also possible if the quality of the input voltage is poor;
• prolonged battery discharge - after long-term battery operation, try to leave the UPS turned on so that it can fully charge its batteries, there are also situations when the UPS itself discharges the battery, but this problem is associated with physical problems in the circuit;
• a decrease in the electrolyte level, which leads to the battery drying out and losing its original qualities - this occurs due to increased voltage during charging;
• battery operation at high temperature conditions and its storage at temperatures below 0.

All of the above negatively affects the performance of the batteries in the UPS, and they work poorly or completely fail. The above reasons lead to the following battery breakdowns:

• shedding and sliding of the active mass of positively charged electrodes, which is associated with a violation of homogeneity and loosening;
• weak adhesion of the active mass or poor mechanical strength of the down conductors causes the active mass to fall off;
• corrosion of electrodes, which consists in the formation of electrochemical processes of dissolution and oxidation in the electrolyte, as a result of which the material of the current leads crumbles;
• sulfation of plates, which consists in the impossibility of reversible current-generating processes as a result of the formation of large crystals of lead sulfate.

The listed problems can be avoided by installing a high-quality charger in the UPS, but, unfortunately, an ordinary person cannot do this, as well as influence UPS manufacturers. All that remains is to buy better ones, but at the same time, expensive models uninterruptible power supply.

How to restore the UPS battery?

Now let's move on to the essence of the article - reviving the UPS battery at home. You shouldn’t expect 100% results, and recovery methods are only suitable for some types of breakdowns, but it’s still worth trying to restore a UPS battery, since the prices for new batteries are quite high. Below we will look at several ways to restore batteries.

1. We revive the uninterruptible power supply with distilled water.
First you need to buy necessary tools: syringe and distilled water. Distilled water is sold at any automotive store. To restore batteries using this method, you will have to tear off top cover batteries that cover the caps of the cans. Then remove the caps, which are also valves to relieve excess pressure that is created when the batteries heat up.

Fill a syringe with distilled water, no more than 2 ml, and squeeze it into a jar. Do this with each jar. Give the water time to absorb (it will take about half an hour), if necessary, add more. The plates should be lightly covered with water; if there is excess, you can remove it with a syringe.

2. Long charging
UPS battery recovery this way allows you to restore its original properties after drying. Initially, you can try it so as not to disassemble the battery. If long-term charging does not help, then you will have to complete the first step. A dry battery will initially not draw current from the charger, so do not pay attention to the ammeter.

Before connecting, cover the battery with a lid and place a weight on it, otherwise the caps will scatter throughout the room, as the battery will be discharged through them. overpressure.
You need to charge with a voltage of at least 15 Volts. Moreover, you will have to wait a long time before the battery starts to come to life and take current. If, after 15 hours of charging, the battery still does not begin to take current, then the voltage should be increased to 20 V. In this case, the battery should not be left unattended, otherwise both the battery and the charger may be damaged.

3. Cyclic charge
If the battery does not want to come to life, then you can try to “boost” it. Charge/discharge cycles should be performed alternately, which will restore the original properties of the battery.

The first charge cycle should be carried out with a high voltage of about 30 V. Subsequent cycles will require a stepwise reduction in voltage to 14 V, for example, 30-25-20-14 V. If there are more cycles, the voltage readings will be different. The battery should be discharged with a small 5-10 W light bulb. When discharging, you should monitor the battery voltage and not allow it to drop below 10.5 V.

The above methods describe how to restore the UPS, but if they do not help, you will have to go to the store for a new battery. If you decide to throw away your old batteries, remember that batteries contain lead, which is classified as heavy metals, and acid. Inquire on the Internet or in any service center, where to return UPS batteries in your city so as not to cause damage to the environment.

People who use uninterruptible power supplies may encounter a situation where the device cannot keep the equipment in working order even with the slightest voltage surge. This happens because the device's battery has failed. In such cases, restoring the UPS battery allows you to significantly save on purchasing a new expensive battery. There are several methods that help to get the equipment working.

According to experts, battery failure can result a variety of reasons:

1. Regular undercharging of uninterruptible power supply batteries – this reason occurs much more often than others, because economy-class sources are usually equipped with chargers of poor quality;
2. Poor quality of the input mains voltage - it is because of this that the device often has to switch to battery mode;
3. Uninterruptible power supplies are overcharged;
4. The reasons for the failure may also lie in the fact that the battery has been in a discharged state for quite a long time;
5. The UPS itself can discharge the battery, but this indicates a problem in the equipment circuit;
6. The electrolyte level decreases due to increased voltage during charging, as a result of which the battery begins to dry out and lose its original qualities;
7. Operation of an uninterruptible power supply in conditions with elevated temperature air

All the above factors negatively affect battery performance and lead to breakdowns:

1. The active mass of positively charged electrodes begins to slide and crumble due to its loosening and loss of homogeneity;
2. Deterioration of the mechanical strength of down conductors;
3. Weak adhesion of the active mass;
4. Corrosive destruction of electrodes, in which electrochemical processes of oxidation and dissolution occur in the electrolytes, and the material of the current leads crumbles;
5. In UPS batteries, sulfation of the plates occurs, as a result of which reversible current-generating processes cease.

An uninterruptible power supply is an energy unit whose task is to supply energy from the built-in battery if the mains power does not meet the consumer’s requirements. UPS different power used for home and office networks, in medical institutions and industrial facilities. Systematic monitoring and periodic restoration of battery capacity in the UPS is an indispensable condition for the reliability of the installation.

The UPS unit uses only lead acid batteries. The line includes multigel, gel and AGM energy storage devices. The VRLA/SLA marking means that the battery is maintenance-free and sealed and can be installed in residential areas.

The batteries are distinguished by a gel-filled electrolyte composition based on sulfuric acid, or a porous separator impregnated with electrolyte is installed between the plates. Multi-gel batteries are produced according to AGM technology, mark MG.

Operating batteries with difficult conditions, with chronic undercharging for various reasons, a decrease in electrolyte levels and unfavorable external factors lead to characteristic reasons loss of performance. The battery requires restoration for the following reasons:

• Shedding or sliding of the active mass from the positive lattice, caused by a violation of the homogeneity of the composition
• The weakening of bonds in the active putty is associated with poor-quality conductors.
• Corrosion has occurred on the electrodes; the putty does not adhere to the metal.
• Sulfation of the current conductor plates has occurred, with the formation of a crystalline dense build-up of lead sulfate salt.
• There is not enough moisture in the cavity of the device - the battery is too dry.

You can fix some problems with your own hands. Shedding of putty and corrosion of conductors lead to short circuits of the cans; repair at home is impossible.

Do-it-yourself UPS battery restoration

The cost of a complete battery is such that an attempt UPS recovery DIY is justified if you have the skills and tools. Frame maintenance-free battery sealed, this makes recovery more difficult.

1. A method for reviving a battery with distilled water. Remove the lid covering the jar caps. Remove valve caps to relieve pressure. Add about 2 ml of distilled water to each jar with a medical syringe, give it half an hour so that it is absorbed into the separators. Add water, if the plates are not completely covered, remove excess with a siphon. The charging process is stepwise, with breaks for stabilization after each stage of capacity building. After reaching the operating parameters of the battery, forcefully discharge it to 11 V and charge it completely again.
2. A long charge without opening the cans can restore battery activity. Despite the fact that no current is initially consumed from the charger, do not turn off the device. If the result is negative, water will have to be added. Important - you need to put a weight on the lid so that the caps do not work due to excess pressure. Select charging voltage 15 V, standby time 15 hours. The process must be under constant control.
3. Using cyclic charging when other methods have failed. A device with a high voltage is used, charging at each subsequent cycle is reduced stepwise - 30 V, 25 V, 20 V, 14 V. Between cycles, discharge the battery at least 10.5 V. Use an incandescent lamp of 5-10 W as a discharge resistance.

Regardless, restoration of gel or AGM battery for UPS is planned, the algorithm of actions is similar. More resistant to deep discharge, has less self-discharge ability gel battery. It costs more than AGM and MG batteries, but is more reliable in operation.

The vast majority of us use this extremely useful device, as an uninterruptible power supply. The power quality is not ideal everywhere, and even the smallest problems with the power supply can sometimes cost a lot. Data loss is always unpleasant, and sometimes downright fatal. The device is purchased, installed under the table, connected, and its owner is fully confident that in any case, if there is a power outage, he will have time to correctly shut down the work, and maybe even make a backup to a flash drive. As time passes, the uninterruptible power supply periodically makes itself felt - like a real watchdog, it raises its voice at the slightest deviation in the parameters of the power grid. The owner is calm and everything is fine. But one day an outage does happen and this time the UPS does not just give a voice and immediately switches from the battery to the network, this time the lights were turned off for a long time. We are calmly copying files (after all, we have at least 15 minutes left) and then the uninterruptible power supply starts beeping very often and everything turns off. How so? After all, the uninterruptible power supply was supposed to protect us from such situations, but it only inspired us false confidence in our safety! Why did it happen?

It's all about the batteries, from which our uninterruptible power supply feeds all our hardware when the external network is turned off. But these batteries, alas, do not last forever, they degrade, their capacity decreases, and with it time battery life. Down to zero. Unfortunately, this process is often not controlled by anyone, the owner is confident that he is protected, and at this time the battery is no longer really a battery, but a dummy.

What to do, what to do and where to run?

Why do batteries degrade? There are many reasons. The plates become sulfated due to intensive use, and crumble due to overload. active substances and so on. The UPS is maintenance free battery, but it still contains an electrolyte and this electrolyte is water based. Being constantly in buffer mode, in slow charging mode, the water gradually evaporates and the electrolyte no longer performs its functions. The battery becomes unusable. How can this be avoided? This can be avoided by using correct battery charging mechanisms and monitoring its characteristics, but all this is beyond our control - this is the lot of UPS manufacturers.

It so happened that the Internet in my area is only wireless; for its operation, a scary-looking antenna is installed on the roof, and to reduce signal loss in the cable, its length is minimized. The server that then distributes the Internet (another server and switch) is installed in the attic. This small bundle requires uninterrupted power. Even without taking into account data losses, running to load the server at the slightest sneeze (and here they happen often) is not much fun. There should be continuity and preferably more. I bought a 1100VA uninterruptible power supply, not new (new ones are more expensive than those servers) and of course I didn’t rely on batteries - they are often worn out. Well, I bought it and bought it. I installed it, everything seemed okay. The UPS control panel cheerfully told me about almost an hour of battery life (the load was about 70 VA). I decided to check it out. I turned off the power and after about two minutes everything turned off safely. Batteries are “dead”. This is exactly the case with false protection. There is nothing to do, you need to buy new batteries. I installed backup batteries (it just so happened that there are some from the electric bike and they are inactive), 12VA each. And he took his dead relatives downstairs.

I've heard that the electrolyte in UPS batteries often just dries out. That it is not sulfation or chipping of the plates that causes the death of UPS batteries, but rather the drying out of the electrolyte. An attempt, as they say, is not torture. The batteries were about to be thrown away anyway, and the urge to pick around didn’t give me a chance. To carry out the experiments I needed:

Distilled water (NOT an electrolyte!). Sold in a car dealership.
- A syringe, better with a needle - with a needle it is easier to dose. Sold in a pharmacy.
- A knife for picking, stronger.
- Scotch tape for assembly (for aesthetes, of course ONLY blue tape should be there!).
- Flashlight.

There is a cap glued to the battery that closes the cans. I carefully faked it with a knife (for picking). I had to go around in a circle - it was glued in several places.

Under the lid are jars covered with rubber caps. These caps are probably needed to release water vapor, hydrogen and other things that can create excess pressure in the jar when the battery is operating. It's like a nipple that lets gas out, but doesn't let anything in.

The caps are not glued, I just removed them by prying them off with a knife.

Under the caps, if you look inside the jar, there is nothing interesting. Absolutely. You need a flashlight to look.
I took a syringe, filled it with distilled water (The main thing is without dirt. So that everything is clean!) and poured a cube of water into each jar.

The water was safely absorbed, almost instantly. I repeated it again. Then again 5 or 7, I don’t remember. The water should not flop around in the jar, but it shouldn’t “take” the water from the jar either. It's better to shine a flashlight and take a look. The main thing is not to overfill.

After filling the water, I covered the jars with rubber lids and set the battery to charge. I charged it separately, with a large charger, but I think this is not necessary - you can simply charge it in an uninterruptible power supply. If the batteries are discharged below 10V, then it will not be possible to charge them in this way; there is information that such batteries can also be “boosted”, but for this you need to apply power to them at the initial stages high voltage(about 35V per 12V battery) with current control. I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say anything specific. I also cannot recommend this method.

The first point is that if you overfill the water, it will return from under the lid. It must be collected with a syringe and poured into the sewer.

The second point is that if you cover the jars with lids, then during the charging process the pressure in the jar rises slightly and the lids will scatter throughout the room with a characteristic bang. It's funny, but only once. I checked twice - the second time is no longer fun. I covered the lids with the original plastic lid and placed a weight on it.

After charging, I discharged the batteries a little with a car “carrying device”, about half an hour, measured the residual voltage, and estimated the capacity. I charged it again and discharged it a little again.

I did the same with the second battery - there are a couple of them in the UPS. After all, I sealed the removed covers with tape and put the batteries in place.

The results are:

In 10 minutes with a load of 110VA, the batteries were discharged to 79 percent. The operating time on the battery varied somewhat, at the end the software said almost 29 minutes + 10 that had already passed, which comes out to almost 40 minutes. This state of affairs suits me. Enough to go and start the generator. When will I have it :). And make some tea along the way. And drink it.
Based on 79%, that's 21% in 10 minutes or 47 minutes of battery life. Somewhere in the region of what the software promises.
Another calculation option is the total capacity of batteries 12V * 7Ah * 2pcs = 168 Watt/hours. This is ideal. With a load of 110W, the charge should last for 1.5 hours. But in reality, even with new batteries there will not be such an operating time - the discharge current is too high and the delivered capacity will be lower. It is difficult to say for sure how much the capacity has been restored, but it is very likely that it is up to 80 percent of the nominal. In my opinion, it’s not bad at all for one syringe, a jar of distillate and an hour of time.

The moral of this story is:
- Check battery life periodically. They can screw you over at the most unpleasant moment.
- At your own peril and risk, even battered batteries can be restored with little effort. But no, you will always have time to buy new ones.

In this article we will look at possible variant restoring the battery from an uninterruptible power supply. Buying a new battery is not a cheap pleasure, so you can try to restore it yourself and save a lot of money.

If your uninterruptible power supply for your computer no longer supports the load after a power outage, then most likely it has failed accumulator battery. This is the most common failure of uninterruptible power supplies. The repair is extremely simple: replace the battery and forget about the problem for a few more years.

These types of batteries are not cheap. I suggest trying to restore the battery in a very simple way.

Theory

Why does the battery lose capacity and not hold a charge? One of the reasons for the failure of batteries of this type is the drying out of the cans. Therefore, we will just need to add a little distilled water to each compartment.

Battery recovery

I don’t want to give you false hope, but the method is not one hundred percent effective, since perhaps the battery has lost capacity not due to drying out. Although any recovery is not 100% guaranteed. Therefore, we will only give the battery a chance, which is definitely worth using, since it will not require significant effort from you, and if the restoration brings results, it will save you good money.

Diagnostics

We disassemble the uninterruptible power supply and remove the battery from it. We measure the voltage with a multimeter. If it is below 10 V, then the chances of restoring the battery are negligible, but they still exist.
For a dry battery, the voltage usually fluctuates around 13 V, and when a load is connected, it drops almost immediately.
In my case, everything is bad - 8 V ​​in total.

Recovery process

These batteries are not removable and are not intended for maintenance. Therefore, the compartments of the cans are sealed with a plastic lining, which must be pryed off with a sharp knife.

With a little skill, if you walk the tip around the perimeter, the plate comes off.

Underneath you can see six rubber caps for each compartment. These are kind of valves.

They are simply removed by hand. We remove them all and put them aside.

You will also need a medical syringe for 20 cc. And if there is no such thing, take any that is available.

Now everything is simple: add 15-20 ml to each compartment. distilled water. It’s difficult to say the exact amount, so we pour it into the compartment and look with a flashlight so that it’s almost to the top.

We go around all the banks

If you wait a little, the water level will gradually decrease as the water is absorbed into the filler, which is located between the lead electrodes.

Close the holes with rubber plugs. We connect the charger and try to charge it. Of course, the battery can be immediately installed in the UPS, but who will know whether it will be charged there or not.

After an hour, turn it off and check the voltage. It has grown to almost 11 V. This means the battery is being restored.

We place the torn plastic cover on glue applied to the same places where the factory one was previously.

The battery is assembled.

We continue charging for another 3 hours. And a repeated measurement shows that the battery is charging.

This battery was about 5 years old. Of course, it didn’t immediately stop holding a charge, but sagged gradually. Now it has been brought back to life and has 80% of its original capacity. I think it will last a couple more years without any problems, but who knows...
Like this simplest method which will help bring you back to life old battery. Try it yourself, and you will always have time to throw out the battery.

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