APC Batteries – Do They Last Long?
Posted by myarticlenetwork on February 8, 2010
For many, an APC battery may be the cornerstone of their workstation. This is particularly true when your primary ups power supply is, in fact, less than entirely reliable. For example, those living in areas that experience regular storms. When you don’t know how long an APC battery will last, though, it may leave you feeling less secure, nonetheless. This article looks to provide you with a simple guide on how to keep your APC batteries in check.
Something very important to remember when you rely on APC batteries to keep your work station, home computer or network up and running is to always play it safe. So theoretically, this means that instead of waiting until your APC battery expires, you should be ready and willing to replace at any time.
Different rules, as you would expect, apply to APC batteries against say, the double A batteries that are used in your remote control; simply because they are used as an emergency power supply. You can replace your remote control’s batteries when they run out because not being able to change the channel is hardly an emergency situation.
Regular replacement of APC batteries is necessary; this is irrespective of whether the battery has expired or not. After all, you would check the batteries in your smoke detector wouldn’t you? so treat this with the same importance. It might or might not be expired. If it’s still working, it might save your life in the event of a fire, but if it’s not, then the only way to find out is to have the smoke detector fail to make a sound when there is a fire.
The best way to go about replacing your APC batteries is to use the warranty as a rough guideline. Most APC batteries will last beyond the warranty, simply because that’s the only way to stay in business (you won’t last long in any industry if you find yourself living up to every warranty you issue). Once the warranty runs out, you can usually expect the battery to be reliable for some time after, but it’s wise to replace it as soon as is convenient.
The warranty, then, can be seen as a “minimum possible performance” guideline. As a minimum, a well made APC batterry is guaranteed to last as long as the warranty, but the battery will probably last longer than the warranty.
In general, most reputable APC battery manufacturers and retailers will offer a one year warranty. One year is the average livespan of an APC replacement battery, that is, if you want it to be reliable, but you will find some companies offer shorter or longer warranties.
In short, treat your emergency power supply like your emergency safety kit. The batteries in your flashlight might still be okay, but if they’ve been in there for a year, the last thing you want is to find out they’re dead when a hurricane knocks your power out. Have power solutions to hand for your ups system before anything major goes wrong.
