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According to a couple of my Smart UPS 3000s (Model DLA3000RM2U), it is time to replace the battery.

Other than making sure I get the right battery for the particular model, are there any other things I should think about when buying the replacement battery? Are there multiple makers for these batteries?

Kyle Brandt
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If you get a replacement battery from anyone other than the manufacturer of the UPS you will invalidate any warranty or connected-device guarantee/insurance that it is covered by and may actually invalidate warranties on the connected devices too (though "how would they know?" comes into play there).

If the UPS is out of warranty and offers no other guarantees/insurances then this is not an issue - though if the equipment/data that the UPS is serving is in any way remotely critical I would consider replacing the whole UPS at that point.

If buying a replacement battery from a supplier other then the one that made the UPS, check the small print of any guarantee very carefully. The original manufacturer's small print will no doubt be weasely enough, but the one from the aftermarket supplier may amount to nothing more than "use at your own risk".

David Spillett
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  • Great point. Judging from the product number mentioned by Brandt, we're talking about the higher grade rack mountable equipment, which is more likely to have those warranties. – Scott Pack Jan 11 '10 at 15:46
  • If the equipment is in colo rather than your own racks, then your agreement with your colo provider may stipulate not using unofficial batteries (the DC being paranoid about removing the risk of a cheap battery shorting and setting light to any equipment, or leaking and causing damage by corrosion). – David Spillett Jan 11 '10 at 16:02
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Yes, there are aftermarket vendors for these batteries. A replacement battery from APC will come with a 1 year warranty and will cost more than after market batteries. In general, you can purchase extended warranties for replacement batteries, but I've never bothered with it. If you buy from an aftermarket vendor make sure you are getting new batteries and not refurbished batteries.

joeqwerty
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While not directly answering your question.... I have had excellent luck going to RefurbUPS for my replacement batteries and simply using their recommendations. I have used them to get replacements for products in the Back-UPS and Smart-UPS lines, and have not seen any noticeable performance loss. I have not, however, performed any kind of performance analysis to determine if the replacements perform differently than the originals.

Scott Pack
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