I like APC smart UPS as they have been very reliable but like all uninterruptable power supplies, they need a battery change out every 3-5 years depending on use.
I managed to get hold of an old 2014 APC smart-ups 1000 from a garage sale for a few dollars that wasn’t working and had no cables. So I took the chance to see if I could do some basic troubleshooting and all it needed was a battery replacement.
The front LCD panel was showing no battery capacity, connect battery warning, and a red battery alarm once it was powered on. So I took the batteries out and they measured 10.4v on each battery.
Considering that these could have been the original APC batteries I decided to replace them.
The part number for these battery packs is RBC6. I recommend the generic UPS RBC6 battery that is ready to be hot-swapped. Don’t buy the original APC replacement battery as you can find cheaper replacements that are just as good at half the price. I like to save money.
Table of Contents
- 1 APC Smart-UPS 1000 Battery Replacement Procedure Hot Swap.
- 2 Aftermarket batteries for APC Smart-USP 1000
- 3 How often should APC batteries be replaced?
- 4 How do I reset APC UPS after battery replacement?
- 5 How do I check APC battery health?
- 6 How can I tell if my UPS battery is healthy?
- 7 Why is the APC backup battery UPS beeping?
- 8 How do I troubleshoot APC UPS?
- 9 Why is my UPS battery not charging?
- 10 Conclusion
APC Smart-UPS 1000 Battery Replacement Procedure Hot Swap.
- Start by powering down the unit. This Smart-UPS 1000 battery can be hot-swapped if you prefer to leave it powered on.
- Open the battery front cover by pulling the front panel off. Be careful are there is a thin ribbon cable behind the panel. You can use a screwdriver or a blunt kitchen knife to prise open the top of the panel.
- Place the LCD panel on top of the APC Smart-UPS 1000 so it is out of the way.
- Use a Philips head screwdriver to unscrew the top two screws and fold down the metal cover.
- Slide out the old APC RBC6 battery pack and disconnect the black and red power cables.
- Remove the fuse that connects the two 12 Volt 12 Amp battery packs if you are reusing them.
- Join the new battery backs together with double-sided tape or use masking tape to stick the two batteries together.
- Replace the old fuse onto the new battery pack and check that you have at least 24V between the two batteries’ positive and negative terminals. Write the date of installation onto the new batteries for future reference.
- Place the RBC6 new battery pack into the APC Smart-UPS 1000 and plug in the cables to the Battery pack. Be aware that you may see a small spark when connecting the wires if it is still online. EG Hot-swap
- Bolt up the metal battery door and place the LCD cover on by pressing it down.
Aftermarket batteries for APC Smart-USP 1000
I found that the DiaMec 12v 12Ah was a perfect replacement part for the ACP smart UPS 1000. Actually, it was the only brand I could find at my local battery supplier. It had the following specifications.
- DiaMec 12v12Ah/20
- 12V 12Ah SLA Battery
- CAT.NO: SB2489
- Rated capacity: 12V 12Ah20 hr
- Chemistry: SLA, AGM
- FP12120
| Length | 150mm / 5.94 inches |
| Height | 93mm / 3.85 inches |
| Width | 100mm / 3.97 inches |
You can buy another brand such as Amazon Weize 12V12Ah/20 that comes in a two-pack just for these applications. It is a great deal as long as you can wait a day or two for shipping. You will save heaps more than buying a similar brand at a battery supplier locally.
How often should APC batteries be replaced?
APC batteries usually last between 3 to 5 years depending on use. You will get less battery life with conditions such as heavy output loads, hot temperatures, frequent battery switching, and not allowing the batteries to charge fully.
The APC Smart-UPS have the ability to change the install date details on the LCD screen. This way you can check how long the batteries have been installed.
A nice trick is to always write the purchase date on the batteries in case of a warranty fault.
How do I know if my UPS battery needs to be replaced?
Your UPS will give you a warning if the batteries need to be replaced. This could be in the form of a red LED battery light, audible alarm, or replacement battery warning.
You will also notice that your UPS will shut down faster with faulty batteries. Batteries deplete over time, this is normal.
How do I reset APC UPS after battery replacement?
There are a couple of ways to test the internal APC battery’s health.
- For LCD Screen Models: Go to the “Test & Diags” menu, then select “Self Test”
- For older legacy Models so No LCD Screen: Press and hold the “I/Test” button. After several seconds the UPS will switch to battery. You can then release the button and the test will continue to completion. An alarm will sound if it fails.
- for older legacy models turn off APC UPS and unplug it from the wall.
- Press and hold the OFF button again.
- You may see a quick flash of the LED and you should hear an audible “click” from the UPS.
- Turn UPS back on
- For newer APC LCD displays turn on the UPS and select new batteries if prompted. If not change the date of installation of the batteries on the menu and do a self-test.
How do I check APC battery health?
How can I tell if my UPS battery is healthy?
You can do a visual test by looking at the LCD display of the capacity of the battery. The UPS will be detecting the battery voltage, the higher the voltage the more capacity it has. A full battery will have 12.6V or higher per battery.
UPS often have 2x AGM batteries wired in series to give a total of 24V.
A warning will be displayed on the UPS display or LED light if the battery is failing. I like to replace all of my UPS batteries every 3 years to be on the safe side.
Why is the APC backup battery UPS beeping?
There are a number of reasons the APC backup battery is beeping.
- Loss of mains power.
- Faulty battery.
- Low or high voltage on the main power outlet.
- Overload of equipment plugged into the UPS.
- The internal electrical fault of the UPS.
How do I stop the APC UPS from beeping?
For LCD APC UPS to stop them from beeping just tap one of the up or down arrows to mute the UPS. For a more permanent fix, you can select Configuration and then Audible alarms. Select off and the APC UPS will no longer beep when the battery is on or failed.
How do I troubleshoot APC UPS?
Check the input power first when troubleshooting the APC UPS. If the input power is ok replace the internal battery pack if they are over 3 years old.
Follow this troubleshooting guide from the APC website. This is what to do if UPS is not turning on
APC Smart-UPS fault codes
- F01 – On-Battery Overload
- F02 – On-Battery Output Short
- F03 – On-Battery Xcap Overload
- F04 – Clamp Short
- F05 – Charger Fault
- F06 – Relay Welding
- F07 – Temperature
- F08 – Fan Fault
- F09 – Internal Fault
Why is my UPS battery not charging?
There are a number of reasons your UPS Battery is not charging such as.
- Faulty batteries
- Blown capacitors
- Faulty rectifying circuit.
- Blown fuse
I would change the batteries first before fault-finding the UPS because 9 times out of 10 this is the problem. Sometimes you can resurrect AGM 6-12v batteries by using a smart charger in the recondition mode. I like to use a Ctkek smart charger for 12v batteries.
Conclusion
If you follow this procedure APC Smart-UPS 1000 Battery replacement hot-swap you should have no more issues with the UPS for a few more years.
Always run a UPS for your sensitive computer equipment. Any power surge, brownout, or blackout can cause damage to your expensive computer. I will be using this newer APC 1000 UPS as a replacement for an older APC smart UPS 1500 that I have replaced the batteries in it a few times over the past 10 years.
These uninterruptible power supplies are safe to run with a failed internal battery but you will have no offline protection until you replace the battery.
I am a qualified Industrial Electrician for the past 20 years and I love to share my knowledge on home repair and maintenance jobs.
I love fast toys like Motorcycles, Cars, Jetskis, Boats, and Computers so writing about them is easy. Working on them is fun.
To keeps costs down I do all my own mods, repairs, and servicing. These skills I want to share with everyone. DIY is a skill everyone can learn.
