will not same type APC UPS battery replacement blow up in my face?

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c5

Will not using the same type APC UPS battery replacement blow up in my
face? I.e a BF280's RBC10 when I have a BF500 and supposed to use an
RBC21?

Perhaps actually causing dreadful damage is remote, and certainly APC
will say "don't do that," (as will most normal people), but just
looking at the thing makes we wonder, as they look identical, just how
APC's BF line of backups work.

For example, it may be that the only different between a 280 and a 500
is the battery. Therefore, putting an RBC10 into a BF500 just turns the
thing into a BF280.

You don't think that APC has any electronic/electrical differences
between the two models? And that a BF500's control circuitry will
overcharge or otherwise fry itself?

I don't know, I'd like to risk getting acid burns rather than spend the
extra time/money/effort to get an RBC21 when I have a new RBC10.
 
I personally wouldn't do it, if there is wattage differences between the
charging systems of each model then surely at the very least it would damage
the new batteries.
 
Yeah, plus you would be overloading the battery with a fast discharge
and other things. I mean going from a weirdo 6.3 amp hour battery (like
in my UPS) to a 5 amp hour battery (closest available with same size,
terminals, terminal locations) is OK. I don't know the amp hour ratings
of the battery in question the closest APC I could reference (I have one
with bad batteries) is the APC BackUPS 200 which has two 6 volt 4 amp
hour (rechargeable lantern) batteries in series or some models have a 7
amp hour battery. That 7 amp hour battery is larger than the 6.3 amp
hour battery in my 750 VA UPS.

Note to UPS buyers:
True Sine Wave is HYPE for computers. I switchmode power supply will be
MORE efficient on modified sine wave.
 
c5 said:
Will not using the same type APC UPS battery replacement blow up in my
face? I.e a BF280's RBC10 when I have a BF500 and supposed to use an
RBC21?

Perhaps actually causing dreadful damage is remote, and certainly APC
will say "don't do that," (as will most normal people), but just
looking at the thing makes we wonder, as they look identical, just how
APC's BF line of backups work.

For example, it may be that the only different between a 280 and a 500
is the battery. Therefore, putting an RBC10 into a BF500 just turns the
thing into a BF280.

You don't think that APC has any electronic/electrical differences
between the two models? And that a BF500's control circuitry will
overcharge or otherwise fry itself?

I don't know, I'd like to risk getting acid burns rather than spend the
extra time/money/effort to get an RBC21 when I have a new RBC10.

You don't have to buy an APC battery. Go into a battery specialist (or
contact one online) and they'll match the type and specifications. Turns
out to be much cheaper than APC, but you're responsible for properly
disposing of the old battery.

Regards,

Ari


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Robbie said:
Yeah, plus you would be overloading the battery with a fast discharge
and other things. I mean going from a weirdo 6.3 amp hour battery (like
in my UPS) to a 5 amp hour battery (closest available with same size,
terminals, terminal locations) is OK. I don't know the amp hour ratings
of the battery in question the closest APC I could reference (I have one
with bad batteries) is the APC BackUPS 200 which has two 6 volt 4 amp
hour (rechargeable lantern) batteries in series or some models have a 7
amp hour battery. That 7 amp hour battery is larger than the 6.3 amp
hour battery in my 750 VA UPS.

Sounds like you all are right. Under the APC stickers, the batteries
are by the CSB Battery Co, (so like, *why* do we have to buy them from
you again APC?)

CSB # HC1217W (APC # RBC10):

Capacity 17W @ 15minute-rate to 1.67V per cell @ 25 C (77 F)
Maximum Discharge Current 60A (5sec)
Float Charging Voltage 13.5 to 13.8 VDC/unit Average at 25 C (77 F)
Recommended Charging Current Limit 1.7A

CSB # HC1221W (APC #RBC21):

Capacity 21W @15minute-rate to 1.67V per cell @ 25 C (77 F)
Maximum Discharge Current 60A (5sec)
Float Charging Voltage 13.5 to 13.8VDC/unit Average at 25 C (77 F)
Recommended Charging Current Limit 2.1A

Pretty darn close except for the Charging Current Limit, and *if* APC
does have different charging/measuring electronics in the BF500, it may
think that the battery is undercharged and the possibility of
overcharging exists.

Crap. Now I got an extra battery that I paid too much for and will have
to deal with Staples-Online to figure out how to return it.

But I learned something along the way. Thanks everybody.
 
Yeah, looks like the CSB # HC1217W is a 4 amp hour (An educated guess)
and the CSB # HC1221W is a 5 amp hour (mine takes a WP1228W will replace
in 3-6 years with WP1221W). It helps if you know about batteries a
little bit when working with computers. These are lead-acid AGM Sealed
Lead Acid UPS service batteries. These are standard batteries industry
wide.
 
spodosaurus said:
You don't have to buy an APC battery. Go into a battery specialist (or
contact one online) and they'll match the type and specifications. Turns
out to be much cheaper than APC, but you're responsible for properly
disposing of the old battery.

Where I live, the cheapest sources are fire & security alarm supply
houses, and battery specialists, like Batteries Batteries, charge
higher prices than anyone but APC.
 
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