Issues WIth APC Batteries
Feb 9, 2010 Tech News
Posted by
Charles
One of the biggest complaints heard by the manufacturers and distributors of APC batteries is that their new battery simply does not work with their UPS. There are certain problems with regards to compatibility that you must considered before ordering a new APC battery in order to ensure that your replacement battery will, work with your power protection hardware.
With most types of batteries, you can pretty much expect full compatibility regardless of make or model, just so long as you’re using double A batteries in double A devices, 9 volt batteries in 9 volt devices, and so on, but APC batteries can be a little bit trickier.
The majority of APC companies manufacture APC batteries in all shapes and sizes, but the fact is that you need to know which shape and size you need in the first place, as well as which RBC type you are looking for, and so on.
Even if you think you already know the size and shape of your APC battery, make sure to double check it nonetheless. Manufacturers of equipment utilizing APC batteries frequently change these specifications without notice, and more than a few customers have gone through the trouble of ordering a battery at the presumed specifications, only to find that their replacement APC will not, in fact, fit into their unit. when this happens, it’s the customer’s responsibility, not the retailer’s, to pay for return shipping and order the correct battery.
To check, just take the battery out of the unit and write down the specifications listed on the side. It’s as simple as that.
You may have heard that, if you’ve been using, say Yuasa batteries, then you might experience complications if you switch to CSB. This is actually something of a myth. As long as you’re using the right type of battery at the right specifications, you shouldn’t experience any problems.
Most APC battery vendors tend to only stock the more popular RBC codes. If you need to replace or back up a less common RBC code, just send an inquiry email to the website you plan to buy from to see if they can special order such a battery for you. APC batteries are something of a niche market, wich usually meens the majority of retailers will be more than happy to go the axtra mile for their customers.
And of course, make sure you know your RBC code before placing an order, don’t just guess. If your RBC code isn’t labelled clearly on the battery itself, you’ll want to call or email a battery retailer about it, and see if they can help you determine what type of battery you need.
In short, shopping for an APC battery does not, in fact, need to be difficult, time consuming, or confusing. Know your specifications, know your RBC code, and ordering a replacement APC battery should be one of the easiest purchases you’ll make this year.