To restore, to refresh, or to replace? That is the real question.
While not quite as serious as Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” soliloquy reflecting on mortality, the death of your UPS battery is no small matter. In fact, disruptive unplanned downtime caused by an aged UPS battery is not an option for many of today’s always-on businesses.
Ensuring costly downtime never happens is becoming more and more of a challenge as edge IT networks are expanding to better meet the world’s accelerating demand for data, yet most already time-strapped IT teams are not growing or lack the expertise needed to manage both new and existing infrastructure.
When faced with UPS management challenges, you should consider getting help to restore, refresh, or replace your systems. And asking yourself the following questions will help determine which option is right for you.
- Do I have adequate resources for maintaining power in my small or remote IT sites?
If the answer is yes, and you can dedicate man-hours to work on or even travel to your various business-critical facilities for battery replacements, then you may simply want to restore the UPS yourself. In this case, Vertiv would provide the appropriate internal battery kit for your UPS, ensuring proper protection is available for critical IT loads.
On the other hand, if you lack resources to restore your UPS, you should consider a refresh where Vertiv handles the battery upgrade for you, along with performing a wellness checkup. Vertiv will deliver the replacement battery kit and install it in the UPS, making sure your system is ready to deliver uninterrupted backup power. - Do I have an established process for getting rid of spent batteries?
With the DIY restore option above in which you receive a battery kit, you are responsible for installation and restart of your UPS system. You will also need to have a plan for the removal and safe disposal of old batteries. If you don’t already have a plan in place for this activity, it may be worth getting the additional support that comes with a UPS refresh.
At this level, not only do the Vertiv factory-authorized technicians handle all the installation and system checkup work for you, but they will also remove spent batteries. The technicians ensure disposal and recycling that is in accordance with government and industry regulations. - Do I prefer more long-term support for hassle-free management of my older UPS units?
To truly put your mind at ease, you may want to consider on-site service in which you would receive around-the-clock emergency response and full UPS coverage including travel, parts and labor, as well as a monitoring solution. Vertiv’s monitoring solution ensures that the oversight of your UPS and battery health is continuous and performed by experienced technicians. - Is it really time for a new UPS system?
If you are operating with a Vertiv Liebert GXT 3, 4 or PSI unit that is more than six years old, then it is probably nearing time to consider full UPS replacement along with a protection plan.
You may also want to seriously consider replacement if the operating conditions for your older UPS units involve harsher conditions like higher temperatures or exposure to other environmental factors that can negatively impact the service life of your system. When these conditions apply and you would like to augment your IT staff with trusted infrastructure and industry experts, full UPS replacement as part of Power Continuity Services allows you to completely offload the burdens of installation, maintenance, and ongoing management of these assets that support the critical applications of your business.
To learn more about our restore, refresh or replacement options, download our white paper entitled “Single-Phase UPS Lifecycle Management: Protecting IT Availability” and/or our Power Continuity Services data sheet.
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