In an ongoing effort to provide answers to your questions, we update
this FAQ section to better serve you. If you have a question,
please check below to see if it is answered before contacting us.
You can also chat on online with a live
person during business hours.
In recent years we have seen sales people from numerous UPS manufacturers make the claim that use of any battery but their own will result in them voiding the warranty on the equipment. This is illegal under both US and European law. You will notice that while they may make this claim, they will never provide anything in writing.
The basic objective of the US antitrust laws is to preserve and promote competition and the free enterprise system. These laws were passed on the fundamental belief that private enterprise and free competition are the most efficient ways to allocate resources, to produce goods at the lowest possible price and to assure the production of high quality products. Illegal tying is one of the most common antitrust claims. Simply put, a tying arrangement is an agreement by a party to sell or provide one product or service --the warranty service-- but only on the condition that the buyer also purchases a different product --the battery-- (often known as a positive tie), or at least agrees that he will not purchase that product from any other supplier (often known as a negative tie).
In the most basic sense, the seller has tied two products together, as if in a knot. The only way the buyer can get the one product is to also purchase another product that he or she may or may not want. In antitrust law, there are some arrangements or restrictions that have such a damaging effect on competition that courts have ruled them per se or automatically illegal.
This is one of the few practices that the United States Supreme Court has determined to be illegal per se under the Sherman Act, S 1. (The Sherman Act is a Criminal Statute with felony consequences. It also has civil remedies.)
An Unfair Trade Practice means a trade practice which, for the purpose of promoting the sale, use or supply of any goods or services, adopts any unfair method or unfair or deceptive practice. Under the state and federal laws the injured party can recover economic losses and attorneys' fees.
Private individuals and corporations that are injured by violations of the U.S. antitrust laws, including the Sherman Act, Clayton Act or the Robinson-Patman Act, may sue for injunctive relief, three times their actual damages, and their attorneys' fees (15 U.S.C. §15).
If you have questions regarding antitrust laws in the US, or you feel your company has been threatened you can contact the Department of Justice Antitrust Division at 888-647-3258 or visit their website at http://www.usdoj.gov/atr.
Some manufacturers have taken the position that the customer MUST use only OEM batteries, and defend this position by claiming that only their batteries were specifically designed or tested for use in their equipment.
This is the equivalent of Ford claiming you can not use a Die Hard battery in one of their vehicles. Some manufacturers attempt to create fear by implying the device may be damaged by use of third party batteries. In the past 10 years, we have supplied batteries to Fortune 100 companies, the US Government and Military, and First Responders throughout the US as well as countless other customers, and we have never had an incident of a piece of equipment being damaged by one of our batteries.
We have made many efforts at the request of customers to have different manufacturers approve third party batteries for use by their customers in their devices. We have been unsuccessful in this endeavour. Batteries have become a lucrative profit center for most manufacturers who are reluctant to jeopardize their profits by authorizing a competitor.
Some manufacturers have suggested that customer needs to comply with the NEC and the NFPA ("association") codes. This is another artificial and anticompetitive barrier. We have confirmed with the association and building inspectors that the electric code in the U.S. and also on a state basis covers "everything back from the wall plug." The standard for Information Technology Equipment is Article 645 of the NEC. These regulations do not even include batteries or battery powered mobile computers/scanners.
We are amazed at the ridiculousness of some threats our customers have received. They range from baseless claims that only the OEM product is safe to the assertion that customers may have labor relations problems with their unions or that insurance companies might withhold coverage. These again are intimidation tactics, without any substance or basis.
Our difference is focus and our only business is power protection.
We offer the "Best Value" for your APC power protection needs.
With the widest in stock ready selection of Refurbished
APC UPS's at low competitive prices. We can meet your most demanding
power protection requirements, while delivering market leading
UPS products priced for today's budget.
Printers draw a very large amount of power when in use
and it is not advised that they be provided with UPS backup power
because it is not economical. Many UPS's for desktop use surge
protected only outlets that do not provide backup power. These
surge only ports is where laser printers should be plugged in, since
laser printers are plugged into outlets that do not use the UPS battery.
If these surge only ports are not available on your UPS, consider
using a power strip for the printer, directly plugged to a wall outlet.
In an effort to keep our offerings at low discounted prices,
by request of our customers we do not include serial interface
cables or software with our refurbished UPS units. They are not necessary
for UPS functionality and including them would result in an unneeded
increase in price. If you needed, serial cables may be purchased seperately
from our accessories section, while the latest Powerchute software
is available as free download from APC’s website. www.apcc.com
In an effort to keep our offerings at low discounted prices,
by request of our customers we do not include Rail Kits with
Rack Mount UPS's. All Rack Mount UPS's do come with rack ears for mounting. If
a four post rail kit is required for your UPS installation, they may
be purchased seperately from our accessories section.
The only difference between a SmartUPS and a SmartUPS Net
unit is that the Net unit when purchased new, comes with the PowerChute
software. In regards to Refurbished units, both are the same. RefurbUPS
does not send out any additional software as it is a free download
from APC’s website.
If it is an APC or Compaq UPS, we will have the Replacement
Battery Kit to meet your needs. If you do not see or find the
correct battery replacement for your unit, please feel free to contact
us either via phone (866-883-9200), Live
Chat, or email: sales@refurbups.com.
The power drawn by computing equipment is expressed in Watts
or Volt-Amps (VA). The power in Watts is the real power drawn by the
equipment. Volt-Amps is called the "apparent power" and is the product
of the voltage applied to the equipment times the current drawn by
the equipment. Both Watt and VA ratings have a use and purpose. The
Watt rating determines the actual power purchased from the utility
company and the heat loading generated by the equipment. The VA rating
is used for sizing wiring and circuit breakers.
The VA and Watt ratings for some types of electrical loads, like incandescent
light bulbs, are identical. However, for computer equipment the Watt
and VA ratings can differ significantly, with the VA rating always
being equal to or larger than the Watt rating. The ratio of the Watt
to VA rating is called the "Power Factor" and is expressed either
as a number (i.e. 0.7) or a percentage (i.e. 70%:).
The power rating of the UPS have both Watt ratings and VA ratings.
Neither the Watt nor the VA rating of a UPS may be exceeded. In most
cases, UPS manufacturers only publish the VA rating of the UPS. However,
it is a standard in the industry that the Watt rating is approximately
60%: of the VA rating, this being the typical power factor of common
loads. Therefore, it is safe to assume that the Watt rating of the
UPS is 60% of the published VA rating.
A UPS is the life support system for your systems. It protects
against the combined risks of data loss and hardware damage resulting
from daily power fluctuations and losses. These events are routine
and uncontrollable, and without a UPS can affect your operations
and bottom-line costs.
UPS batteries are typically rated for 3-5 years or 200 complete
full-load discharge cycles assuming that the batteries have been maintained
within manufacturer specifications. We recommend that UPS batteries
be replaced every 2 to 3 years to insure maximun performance in time
of need.
Sizing a UPS for a PC or workstation can be simple. As with
any electrical device, a computer has a rating plate that will give
the power consumption, usually listed as "amps".
In an effort to make this as easy as possible for our customers, we have created our own UPS Sizing Calculator (Click Here to Use) which will gather all of your
required information and forward it to one of our protection specialists who will then be able to help you choose the best UPS for your situation.
A UPS is sized by VA, or Volt Amps. To determine the VA, multiply
the amps by the 120 (volts) to determine the VA (Volts x Amps = VA).
Be sure to allow for at least a 20% growth factor. If you need further assistance with this, please
feel free to contact us either via phone (866-883-9200), Live Chat,
or email: sales@refurbups.com
For most UPS functions the answer is no. But remember, if
a power outage lasts longer than the battery hold-up time, the UPS
is only postponing the inevitable crash. For prolonged outages, a
shutdown utility can be installed on the protected computer.
This utility will communicate with the UPS and, after a set period
of time which you determine, take control of the computer and shut
it down gracefully, avoiding a system crash.
Placing your order online with RefurbUPS is safe and easy.
Simply browse through our product line and add to secure shopping
cart the items you wish. When complete, you will be directed to the
checkout area and will have entered our secure server. It is now safe
to complete the checkout forms with shipping and billing information.
Submit the forms and you will receive an email confirmation with the
option of a printable receipt.
Yes! Our on-line ordering system uses the latest in Secure
Encryption Technology available. All personal and credit card information
is submitted with the highest level of security and precautions. Our
system also has safeguards in place to protect against credit card
fraud.
Yes. We have created our new site to have customer login
so that we can offer special offers to our valued customers and
help you save more on your power protection requirements.
We accept the following credit cards such as Visa, American
Express and Master Card. We also accept Purchase Orders and Company
Checks from qualifying companies and organizations.
Yes, you can order over the phone, but our best deals are
here on the website. If you need to place an order or need to talk
to a power Protection Specialist, you can call us at 866-883-9200.
There are many ways to contact us about your order. You can
either call us by phone (866-883-9200), Live Chat with us, or send
us an email: sales@refurbups.com
You will receive a Shipping confirmation Invoice email with
tracking information once the order is shipped. Or you can login
to your E-account to check the status.
Certain UPS require the battery to be disconnected for
shipment in compliance with Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations.
See the battery connection instructions included with unit.
Our UPS are shipped with the standard maurfacturer input
plugs. Many of these units are made for data center
facilities which use twist lock outlets. This prevented the UPS from
being accidentally unplugged. Plug type can easily be changed and
plugs can be purchased from any local hardware and/or electrical supply
store. If there is a specific plug type you need, just let us know
in the comments section of the order form when placing your order.
Please note that SmartUPS 3000's Rack Mount come with an 30A
Twist-Lock plug. This can only be changed to a 20A twist-lock plug
if needed.
We have the 940-0024C SmartUPS signaling cables available
in our "Accessories" section. Please note that this cable is available
for use with "SmartUPS" only!
When loads exceed the UPS's rated VA(volt-amp) or Watt capacity,
the overload LED will illuminate and the UPS will emit a continuous
tone. The alarm remains on until the overload is removed.
Disconnect nonessential load equipment from the UPS to eliminate the
overload.
If the overload is severe, the input circuit breaker may trip (the
resettable center plunger of the circuit breaker pops out). Disconnect
nonessential load equipment from the UPS to eliminate the overload
and press the plunger back in.
If there is AC power and the overload is not so severe as to trip
the UPS circuit breaker, then the loads will still be powered. If
the circuit breaker trips or the UPS attempts to transfer to battery
in an overload condition, the load's power will be shut off. Turn
the UPS off then back on to power the loads.
If the Overload LED remains illuminated even without any load plugged
into the UPS, the UPS has most likely sustained a surge or fault,
and will need to be replaced. Contact RefurbUPS Technical Support
to resolve the problem.
The equipment attached to a Smart-UPS can be dropped or caused
to reboot due to any of the following reasons:
1) Battery connection is loose or disconnected - If the battery connection
is not secure the battery power will be unreliable. Verify that the
internal battey connections are secure.
2) Unit is Overloaded - Each UPS is limited in the amount of equipment
that can be plugged into it. The number in the model number of the
UPS tells you the Volt-Amp (VA) limit of your specific model. (The
exact model number can be found on a white bar-code sticker on the
rear of the unit.) For example, a SU420NET is capable of handling
420 Volt Amps being plugged into the UPS. Determine if your UPS is
capable of handling the amount of equipment you have plugged into
it.
If the UPS is severely overloaded, the UPS may shutdown and/or the
unit's resettable circuit breaker will trip. The unit must do this
in order to protect it's internal circuitry. This will cause all the
equipment connected to the UPS to power off. If the circuit breaker
is tripped (it will stick out about a quarter of an inch to a half
inch), turn the unit off and push the breaker back in with your finger.
Reduce the load and power back up. Ensure that you only have "data-sensitive"
equipment plugged into the UPS. Peripheral devices, such as printers,
copiers, fax machines, and table lamps, ought to be connected to a
separate APC surge strip. This will help to prevent unnecessary loading
of the UPS.
3) The UPS exhausted its available battery power - The UPS can only
supply battery power for a limited time before the unit must shutdown
to protect itself from totally discharging. In some cases, depending
on the size of the load and the size of the UPS's batteries, the UPS
may only have a few minutes of battery power. If the UPS didn't shutdown
when it reached a low battery condition, the unit would become incapable
of recharging its batteries. Try to determine if the UPS had been
on battery shortly before the load shutdown. Keep in mind that while
normal power may seem to exist, many power problems are transparent
or invisible to a user. These unforeseen power problems, such as voltage
waveshape distortion, Harmonic Distortion, and frequency variances,
will cause the UPS to go to battery. You may have found that your
UPS has been going to battery but only for a very short amount of
time. So, what may be happening is that it is going to battery frequently
enough that the unit has not had enough time to recharge. Eventually,
then, the UPS will shutdown (and drops your load). Try letting the
unit recharge by leaving it plugged into the wall and turned on (with
no load attached) for 4-6 hours or so.
4) The incorrect serial cable is connected when using APC's optional
shutdown software - The serial cable attached to the Computer Interface
(COM) Port on the back of the Smart-UPS is not the correct cable.
To verify this, the part number is located on the connector end of
the cable that attaches into the UPS COM port.
Note: Unix, Novell, OS/2, Windows NT, Windows 95, and Windows 98 all
use the 940-0024C serial cable to communicate with PowerChute Plus
in Smart signaling. AS/400 uses the 940-0006A cable with the native
AS/400 shutdown.
5). An RS-232 serial cable is connected to the UPS, although no UPS
shutdown software is installed - Check to see if the serial cable
is attached to the Server/Workstation communications port without
PowerChute plus installed or running and configured correctly. If
PowerChute plus is installed and not configured properly or running,
any activity at the Server/Workstation communications port could send
a false signal to the Smart-UPS thus causing it to shutdown and reboot.
Smart-UPS protect data by supplying network-grade battery
backup when power fails. Computer hardware is protected and system
life extended through superior full-time multistage surge suppression
and noise filtering. The Smart-UPS can switch to on-battery operation
as a result of power disturbances or software initiated commands.
There is a common misperception that a Smart-UPS will use its battery
based only on voltage fluctuations. The following list provides the
possible causes for a Smart-UPS switching to battery operation, along
with a brief definition of each.
No Voltage (Blackout): A total loss of utility power.
Low Voltage (Brownout): A decrease in voltage levels.
High Voltage (Over Voltage): A surge is a short-term increase in voltage.
A spike is an instantaneous dramatic increase in voltage.
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): Periodic distortion of the sine wave.
Harmonics add to the fundamental frequency in magnitude.
Change in Voltage (dv/dt): Rapidly changing voltage. If the voltage
increases or decreases rapidly, the Smart-UPS will transfer to battery
because the Smart-UPS does not know how high or how low the voltage
will go.
Frequency Changes (Hz): Deviation from the nominal 60Hz in North America.
Before concluding that the Smart-UPS is malfunctioning merely because
it is operating on battery, be sure to consider all of the above possibilities.
Yes, it is. You can safely turn off your computer equipment
and APC unit when you're not using them. As long as your equipment
is correctly connected to an APC UPS or APC SurgeArrest/SurgeStation,
your equipment will be protected from physical hardware damage caused
by surges and spikes.
The Site Wiring Fault LED light is only present on 120V UPS
products. On APC UPS products this indicator is typically on the rear
panel. The purpose of this indicator light is to warn you that there
are problems with your building wiring that may result in a shock
hazard.
RefurbUPS recommends that you have a qualified electrician inspect
your wiring for one or more of the conditions listed below.
Reasons why the Site Wiring LED light will illuminate:
1. Overloaded neutral wire.
2. Reversed polarity (hot and neutral wires are reversed).
3. Missing ground wire.
If the outlet that the APC UPS unit is plugged into is not properly
grounded or properly wired, the surge protection capability of the
unit may be diminished. Therefore, please be sure that the APC unit
is only plugged into a properly grounded outlet where the Site Wiring
Fault Indicator (SWFI) light is not illuminated.
All of APC's UPSs with the exception of the Matrix-UPS and the Symmetra
Power Array have a small red LED light that is called a SWFI. On some
UPS models, this LED is referred to as the Building Wiring Fault Indicator.
Both have the same function. On most UPS models, the light is located
on the rear of the unit near where the output receptacles are located.
