Link to home
Start Free TrialLog in
Avatar of BeGentleWithMe-INeedHelp
BeGentleWithMe-INeedHelpFlag for United States of America

asked on

APC AVR Trim messages Uninteruptible power supply UPS ignore these messages? Somethign else to do?

After 6 years, we replaced the battery on an APC SmartUPS SMT1500 that is 6 years old, running a SBS server that is also 6 years old.  The system says there was no battery connected.  The battery was pretty warm and bulging.

I guess it died completely, but 6 years is pretty good? Yes, should have replaced it sooner.  It wasn't set up so we installed APC PowerChute business app and set up email notificiations.

We are getting loads of AVR Trim on / off messages.  Is that normal? Just ignore them? Is the software set too stringent? (there's an upper and lower voltage and a sensitivity.  Seems that's the only settings.

This is in central NJ / Metro NY area so not in the sticks.  Power doesn't go out in the office.  And the battery lasted a long time?  So the power can't be too bad?

Is there a setting I should change? Stop getting these messages emailed to me.  Here's a sample of the email messages over a bunch of days.  Too many?
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of Member_2_231077
Member_2_231077

Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
Avatar of BeGentleWithMe-INeedHelp

ASKER

Bug in EE? No, PICNIC - problem in chair, not in computer <g>

So would you just leave things alone  turn off email notifications of AVR Trim?
Here's the picture.
APC.JPG
Avatar of Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
Yes, I would turn off alerts, unless you want to know how good your AC supply is, you can also change the sensitivity of this as well.
change the sensitivity of this as well?

To what?

Here's what I think are all the settings for the UPS

I think those voltages are defaults?
apc2.JPG
Avatar of Member_2_231077
Member_2_231077

I was hoping it would say what the voltage was, not hat you are likely to get your electric provided to do anything about it even if it is over spec.

I'd turn the messages off or ignore them too.
There you go, you've got options...

Power Quality Settings...

and you've got High and Low transfer settings...

otherwise just turn the alerts off!
Those transfer voltages are from switching from mains to battery, I don't think you can change the AVR settings.

USA mains is meant to be 114 - 126V at the supply plus you obviously drop a bit due to the resistance of the cables in the building so you shouldn't get overvoltage but I believe your mains stability isn't as good as it could be due to all those little transformers up poles rather than just one big one per neighbourhood.
I found the voltages since we put the new battery in / loaded the PowerChute Business.

Check September 11th.  And other days.  113V on the output? Output voltage got to 127.  is it better to raise the max voltage on the configuration page for the UPS? Or let it switch over more often?  

OK, you can export the events (not data).  that's also attached.  9/11 has overvoltage? Not according to the voltage data??

9/12/18 00:50:16 AVR Trim No Longer Active
9/11/18 23:47:37 Extended Overvoltage  
9/11/18 22:47:10 AVR Trim Active
9/11/18 22:47:06 AVR Trim No Longer Active
9/11/18 22:10:07 AVR Trim Active
9/11/18 21:38:06 AVR Trim No Longer Active
9/11/18 21:35:58 AVR Trim Active
9/11/18 21:35:55 On Line (Green Mode) - Exited
9/11/18 12:11:39 On Line (Green Mode) - Entered
9/11/18 11:11:50 AVR Trim No Longer Active
9/11/18 10:35:33 Extended Overvoltage  
9/11/18 09:35:10 AVR Trim Active
9/11/18 09:35:06 On Line (Green Mode) - Exited
9/11/18 06:47:40 On Line (Green Mode) - Entered
9/11/18 05:50:53 AVR Trim No Longer Active
9/11/18 05:45:30 AVR Trim Active
9/11/18 05:40:01 AVR Trim No Longer Active
9/11/18 01:58:31 Extended Overvoltage  
9/11/18 00:58:12 AVR Trim Active
9/11/18 00:46:33 AVR Trim No Longer Active
9/11/18 00:09:01 Extended Overvoltage  
9/10/18 23:08:50 AVR Trim Active

anyone know how to  make a usable graph of the voltage data / line it up with the alerts in the events log??  I tried excel, but not sure what type I am looking for. I guess a bell curve showing vltage along the bottom, number of occurances along vertical axis?

And does complaining to the power company help / matter?
events.txt
voltages.txt
AVR trim cuts in before the high transfer voltage so that won't be affected as far as I know, It would spend more time in "green mode" rather than double float mode though which increases battery life and saves electricity.

APC manuals say "To avoid unnecessary use of the battery where utility voltage is chronically high, set the high transfer point higher if the connected equipment can tolerate this condition" so check the voltage range of the kit connected to it and bump it up if you can. Yours is high most of the time so it is chronically high.

Do you have another phase you can use? Your building supply will be either two or three phases but how that's split internally may mean only one phase near the UPS. Would be interesting to see if you have the same voltage on all phases.