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Reserve Your Seat TodayAn uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a battery backup that will provide backup power in the case that your primary power source is down. For example, units with an internal battery maintain continuous operation for sensitive electronics during outages.
Knowing how to check the status of your uninterruptible power supply should be one of your first steps toward quality remote monitoring. You have to know how your backup power system is working to ensure network uptime at all times. This practice is especially critical for data centers, where data loss could result from an unchecked failure.
In order to be able to check the status of your UPS at any moment, you need a UPS system that's always fully monitored. Many UPS units also offer pure sine wave output to protect connected devices from power anomalies.
To achieve that, you need to deploy a remote telemetry unit (RTU) to measure battery voltages at your remote sites. With an RTU, you can set thresholds alarms for each individual battery in the backup string. This means that if a voltage goes over or under the set limits, the RTU will trigger an alarm. Also, if any battery in the string falls outside the normal range defined, an alarm will be set as well. This type of monitoring protects sensitive electronics and reduces the likelihood of data loss.
In some cases, battery backups have their own internal performance monitoring systems. Keep in mind - however - that if the UPS fails, their embedded monitoring system will fail too. You can't blindly trust these embedded monitoring systems to alert you when a serious issue happens. Automatic voltage regulation (AVR) can also contribute to sustaining consistent input power for your UPS systems.
The best practice is to deploy a high-quality RTU device.
What should you search for in an RTU that will support your battery backup? There are important features that you look for, so your device is able to give you visibility for all the equipment at your remote sites. Some of these features are:
A single bad battery jar can deteriorate the performance and lifespan of your array of batteries, so it's important that you deploy a high-end battery monitoring system. Keeping an eye in the entire string is better than not doing anything at all. However, this won't tell you how many cells have degraded and the extent of the damage. This means that this method will not improve the reliability of your network 100%.
Many systems have only one sensor for the entire string of batteries. This will alert you about a problem, but you won't be able to know which battery is actually causing the issue. Deploying advanced systems that support multiple form factors allows for compatibility with various UPS setups.
In most cases, though, one battery will die but the others on the string will compensate for that one. Which exerts the remaining batteries. But you won't be notified of that because the sensor can only read that everything is still working.
So, a best practice when monitoring the voltage of your UPS is to have sensors monitoring each of your cells individually. These sensors will look at not only low voltages but at the difference between the cells and the average of all the cells as well. This method will avoid network downtime and also extend the operational life of your batteries. Systems featuring LCD screens can provide immediate, clear readouts of power metrics.
Your UPS will protect your mission-critical operations when commercial power failures happen. It's very important that you know how much power you have left.
For that, monitoring the voltage is critical. But it's not the only thing you can do. The temperature of your batteries is also a good measure to determine your battery string health. Monitoring both temperature and power factor creates a stable operation of sensitive electronics.
If the temperature climbs too high then you will know that something is probably wrong. So, a pair of analog inputs (one for voltage and one for temperature) is a good monitoring method that you can put into practice.
One of the main advantages of deploying a high-quality RTU to monitor your UPS status is that it should give you many notification options for up-to-the-minute alarm reporting. Some of these options are:
via SNMP to a master station
directly to you via text messages or emails
When it comes to maintaining visibility over your UPS system, it's critical to be able to receive notifications 24x7. This can represent the difference between a power outage and uptime.
With flexible, detailed and immediate notifications, you won't be left in the dark not knowing that your mission-critical equipment is down. And the right people will find out about alarms at the right times.
While monitoring the voltage and temperature of your UPS batteries is essential, advanced battery monitoring takes your visibility and reliability to the next level. Instead of relying on basic system-wide voltage checks, advanced monitoring tools allow you to track individual batteries within your backup system for precise insights. These solutions often include options for external battery packs for extended runtime. Here's why this is a game-changer for your network:
Detect Individual Battery Failures
A single failing battery in your UPS string can strain the remaining batteries, reducing their lifespan and risking unexpected failures. Advanced monitoring tools track each battery's voltage, internal resistance, and temperature. This granular data lets you pinpoint the exact battery causing issues, allowing for targeted replacements instead of replacing the entire string unnecessarily. This makes sure your system safely shuts down when necessary, avoiding abrupt failures.
Extend Battery Life
By monitoring trends in temperature and voltage imbalances, advanced systems can identify early signs of wear or overheating. Proactively addressing these issues keeps your batteries running longer and minimizes the risk of sudden failures during a critical power outage.
Automated Alarm Thresholds
Set customizable alarm thresholds for individual batteries. If a monitored value exceeds acceptable limits, you'll receive an immediate alert. This makes sure you're never blindsided by a failing battery, helping you maintain continuous uptime.
Easy Integration with Existing RTUs
Modern RTUs easily integrate with advanced battery monitoring sensors. These systems not only report alarms via SNMP but also provide visual data through web interfaces. This centralizes your battery health data alongside your other network alarms, simplifying your monitoring process.
Enhanced Decision-Making
Live data and historical trends from advanced monitoring tools empower you to make informed maintenance and replacement decisions. This avoids guesswork and reduces operational costs by optimizing your battery replacement schedules.
With the right tools, advanced battery monitoring becomes a straightforward and cost-effective step toward a more reliable UPS system. If you're serious about maintaining 100% uptime, investing in battery-level visibility is not just a recommendation - it's a necessity.
Monitoring and checking the status of your UPS system is an important part of having a truly reliable network. Our monitoring solutions protect connected equipment from disruptions caused by inconsistent power.
When we work with our clients, the first thing we recommend is a simple string voltage measurement. An RTU analog input can generally handle any common DC voltage (-48vdc, +24vdc, +12vdc). A NetGuardian's analog inputs, for example, can measure any voltage from -90 volts DC to +90 volts DC.
If you already have an RTU with general-purpose analog input, you can just wire your battery string to it to measure voltage (and, by proxy, the remaining battery life).
A more elegant option that you can order on NetGuardian RTUs is an internally wired analog channel. With this option, any power you feed into the A or B (or both) feed on the NetGuardian will be monitored by the analog channel. You won't have to do any additional wiring. These features enable data centers to maintain optimal operational stability.
If you want to get more information about how to monitor your UPS system or want to speak with our monitoring experts about designing a monitoring solution for your network, simply send us a message.
