MaintenanceforUPSsystems

MaintenanceforUPSsystemsCabinetsandAPCracks

CorrectiveandPreventiveMaintenance
MaintenanceoftheUPSconsistsofpreventiveandcorrectivemaintenance.Preventivemaintenance
consistsofascheduledlistofactivities.PerformingtheseactivitieskeepstheUPSingoodworking
orderandhelpstopreventfailures.
Correctivemaintenanceisperformedasaresultofafailure.Correctivemaintenancefixestheproblem
andgetstheunitworkingagain.

AgeneralguideforthemaintenancerequirementsoftheUPSsystemsmodules,static
switches,andcontrolsisprovided.Althoughelectroniccomponentsarenotsubjectto

wearinthesamedegreeaselectromagnetic(EM)components,theydorequiresystematic
maintenance.

AstandardmaintenanceprocedurecannotbedevelopedforalltypesandsizesofUPSunits.The
manufacturersusersmanualshouldalwaysbeconsultedastospecificmaintenancerequirements
andtroubleshootingdiagnosticsguidelines.
Top

Safety
Donotrelyonmemory.Followtheusersmanualguidelines.Suchguidelinesshouldprovidesafety
precautions.Ifyourusersmanuallimitsthemaintenancethatcanbeprovidedbytheuser,followthe
manualsinstructionsunlessgeneralinstructionsaresupplementedwithadditionalguidance.Physical
maintenanceortroubleshootingshouldonlybeperformedbypersonneltrainedonthesystem.
OperatingpersonnelnotinstructedinUPSmaintenancemustlimittheireffortstoidentifyingthe
symptomsofafault.AlwaysbeawareoftheDANGER,asvoltageswithintheUPSmodulesand
associatedswitchgeararelethal.
LethalvoltagesarepresentevenwhentheoutputcircuitbreakerintheUPSisopen.Itisnecessaryto
openthecircuitbreakerinthedistributionpanelfeedingtheUPSandtheUPSbypasscircuitbreaker,
plusopeningthedirectcurrent(dc)linkconnectiontothebattery,beforealldangerousvoltageswithin
theUPSareeliminated.Capacitorsmayneedtobedischargedoftheirstoredenergy.UseCAUTION
whenoperatingUPSequipmenttopreventseriousinjuryordeath.
Top

Preventivemaintenance
Periodicmaintenanceisrequiredtomaintaintheintegrityandlifetimeofthebattery.Powerelectronic
equipmentalsorequiresscheduledmaintenanceeventhoughsolidstatedevicesareused.Preventive
maintenancemayrequirethattheUPSsystembeshutdown.
AtransferofthecriticalloadwhichmaynotprovidethepowerenhancementcapabilitiesofanUPS
systemissomethingthattheusermusttolerateinordertoobtainmaximumreliabilityandminimize
downtimeandrepaircosts.

1.Records
Preventivemaintenanceissystematicmaintenance.Theobjectiveistominimizeequipmentoperating
problemsandpreventfailuresbymakingminorornecessaryrepairsbeforemajoroperatingdifficulties
occur.Thegeneralconditionoftheequipmentneedstobeevaluatedperiodically,andrecordsneedto
bemaintainedforcomparisonatsubsequentinspections.Recordedinformationismorereliablethana
maintenancetechniciansmemory.

Recordsshouldbeconcisebutcompletelydescribeequipmentconditions.Inspectionrecordsshould
providecompleteinformationonthefollowingtopics,preferablyonseparaterecordsheets.

(a)Equipmentrecord
Thisrecordshouldlistthebasicinformationontheequipmentitself,e.g.,manufacturersidentification,
style,serial,size,location,etc.,andincorporateinventorycontroldataforspareparts.Warranty
requirementscoveringuninterruptibleoperatingconditionsshouldbeabstractedfromtheusers
manual.

(b)Repaircostrecord
ThisrecordshouldprovideahistoryofrepairandassociatedcostsofmaintenancefortheUPS
system.Itisanessentialdiagnosticrecordforavoidingfuturedifficulties,especiallyforsystems
determinedtobeofpoorquality,misapplied,ormarginalfortheapplication.

(c)Inspectionchecklist
Thislistshouldprovidenecessaryandpertinentinformationonpointstobecheckedandestablishthe
recommendedrecurringdateswhenthesechecksshouldbemade.Sinceshutdownmayrequirea
slidingwindowperiod,theamountoftimeforwhichthisrequestmustprecedetheshutdownwindow
shouldalsobestated.

(d)Periodicmaintenanceschedule
Thisscheduleprovidesacompletelistingofthedaytoday,weekly,monthly,andannualdutieswhich
shouldbereviewedonthesameperiodictimebasissothatpotentialtroublesituationscanbe
investigatedandcorrectedassoonaspossible.

(e)Maintenanceinspectionandrepairrecords
Thesenecessaryandvitaldocumentsshouldbecompletedindetailbytheinspectororanassigned
individualinthemaintenancedepartment.Maintenancepersonnelusuallyreporttheirfindingsand
correctiveactiononassignmentsheetsorjobcards.Permanentrecordsareausefulguidetoeach
UPSsystemsgeneralconditionandreliability.Itisimportanttoknowthefrequencyandtypeofrepair
andhowoftenthereisaneedforacompleteoverhaul.
Top

2.Useofrecords
Theserecordsprovideforaworkablepreventivemaintenanceprogram.Theinformationobtainedfrom
thenecessaryperiodicinspectionscanbequicklylost.
Thisisparticularlytruewhentestresultsarerequired.Unlessrecordsanddataonthetestand
performanceofequipmentareretained,themaintenanceprogramwillbedefeated.Unlessrecordsare
updatedateachsucceedingtestperiod,valuableinformationislost.Comparativetestdatamaterially

assistsanUPSspecialistindefiningproblems,especiallywhentestresultsdifferfrommanufacturers
recommendedsettingsoractualfactorytestdata.Significantchangesincomparativetestdatacan,in
general,berelatedtotheequipmentscondition.
Top

3.Scheduling
SchedulingofUPSandbatterymaintenanceisnormallybasedonthemanufacturers
recommendations.SinceanUPSsystemisvitaltotheoperationofcriticalloads,itmaybeconsidered
advisabletoprovidemoreinspectionsthanthosethemanufacturerrecommends.Certainitemsonthe
UPSshouldbeinspecteddailyorweekly.
Thisinspectioncanbedonebyoperatingpersonnel,butdatashouldberecordedandsenttothe
appropriatemaintenancepointnotmorethan5daysafterbeingrecorded.Batterymaintenanceshould
bedonebymaintenancepersonnel.VisualmonitoringdatashouldberecordeddailyfortheUPS,and
ifrecordedforthebattery,therecordeddatashouldbehandledandsentontothemaintenance
departmentonaweeklybasis.
Top

4.Periodicsystemstatuschecks

Thecontinuedmonitoringoftheoperatingstatusofanyelectronicequipmentgreatlyenhancesthe
probabilitythatfailureofthatequipmentwillbeprevented.Dailyobservationisadvisedbutdonot
providelessthanweeklychecks.Personnelinvolvedinstatusmonitoringshouldbethosemost
concernedwiththeequipmentsproperfunctioning.

(a)UPSsystemsincomputerrooms
Computerroomoperatingpersonnelshouldbecomefamiliarwiththeequipmentanditsvarious
operatingindications.Theyshouldmaintainrecordsonallfindingsoroccurrencesduringpreventive
maintenance.Theoperatingpersonnelshallcheckalllampsonmimicbusandalarmstatusindicators.
Theyshallhavemaintenancepersonnelreplaceinoperativebulbs.Also,theyshallcheckinput,output,
andbypassvoltagesandcurrentsandallothersystemstatusreadingsandcomparethemtothe
requiredspecifications.
Acopyoftherequirementswhichmustbemet,exceeded,ornotexceededshouldbeincludedasa
partoftheinspectionchecklist.Maintenancepersonnelshallbecalledtoapplytroubleshooting
proceduresifabnormalvaluesareindicated.Operatingpersonnelmayalsoensureadequate
ventilationandcoolingbycheckingthatallfansareoperationalensurealldoors,drawers,andcovers

aresecuredandcheckforunusualnoisesandodors.

(b)UPSsystemindedicatedUPSrooms
Thesesystemswillnormallyhaveremotedisplaysandalarms.Displaypanelsusuallyindicate
problemsonlytotheextentthattheyaffectcomputeroperations.Summaryalarmskeepthe
informationsimpleandeasytounderstand.
Ausualsystemwouldincludeonbattery,batteryneardischarge,overload,andUPSoperating
abnormality.InalocationwheretheUPSisinadedicatedroom,theperiodicmonitoringrecordsof
theUPSsystemwouldbeprovidedbymaintenancepersonnel.Computerroomoperatingpersonnel
wouldonlyrecordbatterycycling,time,discharge,overload,andabnormalityandadvisemaintenance
personnelatthetimeofanalarmindicationoftheproblemdisplayed.
Top

5.Majorsysteminspections
Theseshouldbeperformedatleastannuallyonsmalltomediumsystemsandsemiannuallyonlarge
toverylargesystems.Byperformingthistypeofmaintenanceonascheduledbasis,itispossibleto
findandremedypotentialproblemsbeforethesystemsoperationisaffected.Table51provides
generalguidanceforthemajorsysteminspection,however,themanufacturersrecommendations
shouldbestrictlyfollowed.
Top

6.Minorsysteminspections
Minorsysteminspectionsshouldbeprovidedeitherafter5monthsfromanannualmajorinspectionor
after3monthsfromasemiannualmajorinspectionunlessamorefrequentrequirementis
recommendedbythemanufacturer.Minorsysteminspectionsshouldincludeatleastthefirstfour
itemslistedundermajorinspections.Offlineloadtestingisrequiredifmajorcomponentreplacements
arerequired.

No.

Table51.Majorsysteminspectiongeneral

PerformvisualchecksandoperationaltestsofallUPSequipmentandassociatedswitchgear.

Reviewmaintenancelogsandlogallalarmoperationsandoutput

CompleteafunctionalcheckoutandtestoftheUPSdiagnosticsystems.

Checkenvironment,temperature,dust,moisture,roomvents,etc.

Cleanandtightenallpowerconnectionsattheinputandoutputterminals,atallcircuit
breakers,andattheterminalpostsandfusesontherectifierandinverterlegs.Duringthe
inspection,checkallpowercablingforabrasionsandburnspots.Visuallycheckcomponents
forsignsofoverheating,swelling,leaking,etc..Visuallycheckprintedcircuitboard

alignments.
6

Replaceairfiltersatregularintervals.Siteconditionswilldeterminehowoftenthefilters
shouldbereplaced,butgenerally,theywillneedtobereplacedatleastevery6monthsin
cleanenvironments.Ifmorefrequentreplacementisrequired,thecleanlinessofthe
environmentshouldbeupgraded.

Checkandcalibrateeachsystem,toincludeswitchgearandcircuitbreakers,meters,and
alarmlevelsforfrequency,voltage,current,transfer,trip,alarm,etc.

PerformsystemandcomponentfunctionaltestsonallUPSequipmenttoinsureproper
functioningwithinspecifiedparameters.

RunallUPSsystemdiagnostics,andcorrectalldiagnosedproblems.

10 Resolveanypreviousoutstandingproblems,reviewoperationwithuserpersonnel,andreport
anypowerenhancementorequipmentoperationrecommendedchanges.
11 Replacecontrolbatteriesatleastevery2years.Ifthecontrolbatterieshavebeenused
withoutinverterorbypassACpower,theymayneedreplacementsooner.

12 Openalldoors,drawers,andcovers.Performathoroughinspectionofallcabinetsforforeign
objects.Performathoroughdustingandvacuumingofallcabinetinteriors.Useonlyrubbero
plasticvacuumattachmentstocleandrawersandcabinets.Exceptforvacuuming,never
attempttocleantheUPSsubassemblies.Accumulateddustorgrimeshouldonlybecleaned
bythemanufacturersservicerepresentative.Theexteriorpanelscanbecleanedwithamild
cleaningsolution.Transparentpanelsshouldbecleanedwithamildsoapandwatersolution
only.Restorealldoorsandcoverstotheirsecuredcondition.
13 OfflineloadtesttheUPSsystemtoensurethatthesystemiscompletelyfunctional.
14 ReturntheUPStoservicefollowingthemanufacturersrecommendedstartupprocedures.
MakesurethatnodamagetotheUPSequipmentorshutdownwilloccurbecauseofinrush
currents.

SOURCE:TechnicalManualUNINTERRUPTIBLEPOWERSUPPLYSYSTEMSELECTION