i have tried to get in touch with APC to ask them this question, but i can't get their website to work (keeps timing out).
we have an emergency power plan and purchased a large generator. there a certain computers that we want to use in the event of an extended power outage, and so we have purchased APC BACKUPS's for these computers. the UPS's sit between the computer and the generator, so that the computer is protected from the generator. we are not meaning for these UPS's to run on battery for an extended time... but rather, the generator.
last week we tested our plan. the computers ran as expected. our test was for about 15min.
however, we noticed that the UPS's were clicking every few minutes (not beeping). i believe the clicking is from the UPS compensating for power fluctuations (please correct me if i'm wrong). they worked fine for the test... but i want to know if these products are ok to run like this for up to 8 hours at a time. i don't want to assume they will run for 8hours if the compensation/clicking is only meant for short term and they will end up failing if they are constantly run in this condition. it's not like we plan to have an extended power outage... but earlier this year the seattle area was hit by a storm that caused many areas to be out of power for up to a week (luckily we were only out of power for a short time). if something like that happens in our area, i want to be sure our assumption is right that the APC BACKUPS's will be ok with their clicking for up to 8 hours...possibly over a few days...
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the clicking is the UPS cycling from A/C (The generators) power to battery power.
It is indeed not good for the UPS.
You may need a line conditioner to stabilize the power phases, The phasing of the generator is different then you normal 120 power. That is why you get the clicks.
Talk with a god electrican to fix this issue.
I would imagine you would be using UPS with "AVR"? If that's the case, for it to switch to battery, it would mean the A/C power is definitely out of the regular specifications.
If it's not, then it's advisable you switch your UPS to ones with AVR, so it can "compensate" for fluctuations in the AC input without switching to the battery power.
They BACK-UPS RS line has AVR, as you can check here:
http://www.apcc.com/produc
"A distinguishing feature of the Back-UPS RS is automatic voltage regulation (AVR). AVR instantly adjusts both low and high voltages to safe levels, so you can work indefinitely during brownouts and overvoltage situations, saving the battery for power outages when you need it most."
i am pretty sure the click is not it switching to battery power. when it switches to battery power, it beeps. i think the click is the AVR ... which brings me round to my question about whether or not the UPS's can run 8 hours in that status...
i know if we ever have an extended power outage, we may run down the life of our UPS... not a big deal. my main concern is getting through the power outage...
AVR is "electronic", there should be no "clicking" noises...
But so, you're sure your UPS models indeed have AVR?
If you're running such critical equipment to need to have it running, the best thing to do is a test run - choose a suitable day, and run it for some hours.
If you don't want to fire up the generator, you can first call an electrician to:
1) Confirm the AC power quality of the generator output (is it within acceptable specs for voltage, frequency, sine wave?)
2) setup a test rig, with "brownout" and over voltage situations, and run it for a couple of days.
for example, set one AC feed with 90V AC and run it through one of your UPS, and other with 130V - and see how the UPS behave. If it works fine for 24/48H... :)
Large power draws on a generator can cause surges and brown conditions . I work in this type of environment also, where the building is protected by a generator during power outages.
If the UPS is a "Line Interactive type",(sometimes referred to as AVR) then it very well may be clicking as the UPS relays control these fluctuations to regulate the power output, providing additional power during brownouts and curtailing output during surges.
This excerpt is taken from the APC site knowledge base.
"The relay inside the UPS may be audible in some environments. The relay switches when Intelligent Battery Management features such as Boost and Trim are initiated and when the UPS switches to battery. This is proper operation of the UPS.
Boost and Trim are Automatic Voltage Regulation features where the UPS will either boost or trim the power to protect brownout or overvoltage conditions respectively. Boost or Trim can last as long or short as the brownout or overvoltage condition will last."
Found on this search http://nam-en.apc.com/cgi-
Business Accounts
Answer for Membership
by: mastooPosted on 2007-06-27 at 11:50:32ID: 19375053
Cable the UPS's to the computers and install the apc software, probably the business edition. It will give you all sorts of good info and available run time, line voltage, etc. The clicking might be indicating smartboost or battery operation, neither of which is good for extended periods - but the software will tell you what is going on.