Offtopic: Question about UPS's

[markw-FJ05HQ0HCKaWd6l5hS35sQ at public.gmane.org (markw-FJ05HQ0HCKaWd6l5hS35sQ at public.gmane.org)]

> On Fri, Jan 29, 2010 at 1:41 PM, <markw-FJ05HQ0HCKaWd6l5hS35sQ at public.gmane.org> wrote:
>
>> > From: Matt Shields <matt-urrlRJtNKRMsHrnhXWJB8w at public.gmane.org>
>> > Subject: Offtopic: Question about UPS's
>> > To: Boston LUG <discuss-mNDKBlG2WHs at public.gmane.org>
>> > Message-ID:
>> >       <e7009c601001290717k52c3188g29660b5a191a925d-JsoAwUIsXosN+BqQ9rBEUg at public.gmane.org>
>> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>> >
>> > Are there any UPS experts out there?
>> >
>> > About a year ago I purchased 6 x APC SmartUPS 3000's thinking I was
>> going
>> > to
>> > be expanding my office server room (already have 6 in use), turns out
>> I
>> > didn't need them.  If they've been sitting on a shelf since then, will
>> > they
>> > still work and are the batteries still good?  The only way I can test
>> them
>> > is to unplug one of my active UPS's, but because I only have 6 NEMA
>> L5-30P
>> > connectors in my server room I can't test them.
>> >
>> >
>> http://www.apcc.com/products/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=SUA3000RM2U&total_watts=50
>> >
>> > -matt
>> > http://www.sysadminvalley.com
>> > http://www.beantownhost.com
>> > http://www.linkedin.com/in/mattboston
>> > Samuel
>> > Goldwyn<http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/samuel_goldwyn.html>
>> > - "I'm willing to admit that I may not always be right, but I am never
>> > wrong."
>>
>>
>> The problem with batteries is that every discharge/recharge cycle
>> damages
>> them a little. Even sitting on the shelf means that they are discharging
>> as the resistance between the plates is not zero.
>>
>> Depending on the battery and where they were stored, not too much
>> degradation should have happened. You can tell by measuring the voltage
>> on
>> the battery. If it is 13.5 volts it should be fine. If it is below that,
>> you should test it further.
>>
>>
>> >
>>
>
>>From the day they arrived via the shippers, they were put in the server
> room  on the shelf where it's cool and dry.  They have never been powered
> on
> since we did not get extra power drops.  Guess we'll need to test them.
>

I know this is a hard thing to say, a UPS is analogous to produce fruit
and vegetables , there is a real degradation of the product over time.

If you got pricing of new batteries and calculated a years loss in
capacity without incident, and subtracted that from the new value. Yadda
yadda yadda.

Look on the intenet for the running price and sell it for as close to that
as you can.