Any quality UPS service plan will unequivocally include a preventative maintenance plan. UPS maintenance plans are imperative to proper and reliable UPS function. No matter how expertly your UPS was designed or how painstakingly is was manufactured; it will be vulnerable to failure for any variety of reasons. There are a wide range of factors that can cause a UPS to fail, therefore ongoing UPS maintenance plans are essential to protect your data center from events such as power surges or outages.
A significant percentage of UPS failure is attributed to batteries that have failed or degraded. The types of batteries generally used in UPS products have proven sensitive to heat, so overheating can cause a reduction in available power. Every time lead acid batteries are discharged, their capacity is permanently reduced and their operating lifespan is shortened. Quality UPS maintenance plans will include battery checks and facilitate needed replacements.
Fans are essential to keeping uninterruptible power supplies cool. While fans are simple and require little energy, the do eventually wear out or experience failures. Something as simple as a fan failure could easily go unnoticed. Fan inspections are also part of quality UPS maintenance plans. If fans have succumb due to electrical or mechanical problems, your UPS maintenance plan technicians will identify the problem and efficiently repair or replace fans that are so afflicted.
The UPS incorporated into your datacenter has many electrolytic capacitors that work in concert to smooth out voltage and filter fluctuations that could threaten your datacenter. Any time one or more of these capacitors fails, the remainder must take up the slack. This increased work load shortens the functional life of each capacitor that is so affected. If too many capacitors fail without being replaced, it can leave your UPS unable to safeguard downstream loads. This is yet another reason that UPS maintenance plans are so highly recommended.
Every UPS has a filter/rectifier side. Fatal damage can occur at these sites due to sudden power surges. Comprehensive UPS maintenance plans are preventative in nature and are highly recommended as your best defense against threatening power surges. UPS equipment that is properly and thoroughly cleaned, evaluated, calibrated, and tested on a regular basis is at a markedly reduced risk of interruption or failure. This means your likelihood of company exposure to IT downtime is greatly reduced, preserving your productivity as well as your bottom line.
When selecting a UPS service provider to perform your semiannual maintenance, look for a provider that offers a number of services in conjunction with your semiannual maintenance. They will have a team of experienced field technicians who participate in ongoing trainings and certifications. The focus of a strong UPS service provider will be on long-term solutions rather than just short-term fixes. Remote monitoring services will allow service providers to monitor your UPS between regularly scheduled maintenance visits. Finally, upgrades and modifications will be readily accommodated as needed.
Semi-annual UPS maintenance from a high quality service provider is highly recommended. Companies that follow this recommendation have significantly fewer failures than those who do not take advantage of regular UPS maintenance. What’s more, preventative maintenance for your UPS will not only reduce your incidence of downtime, it will also maximize your UPS performance. As a result, UPS maintenance plans are not only highly recommended, but cost-effective as well.
