UPS Capacitor and Fan Replacement

Preventing UPS Failures: UPS Capacitor and Fan Replacement

An uninterrupted power supply (UPS) is essential for the continuous operation of data centers as well as maximizing uptime for the critical components of your business. However, the internal components of these systems can unexpectedly fail and cause unwarranted damage within the UPS. This causes loss of power to servers and other critical load which then leads to the loss of crucial data as well as potential damage to equipment downstream.

The best way to ensure the reliability and availability of these critical back-up power systems is to proactively monitor and replace capacitors and fans. This can help increase the lifespan of UPS units and protect your business from unexpected downtime resulting from failures.

Why Does It Happen?

Several different electrical and environmental factors can increase the risk of capacitor failure over time. Experts term this phenomenon as capacitor aging. Over time, capacitors gradually lose their ability to store electrical charge. Simultaneously, the resistance within capacitors increases, making it harder for the unit to store the electricity it needs to function. This phenomenon occurs in the same way in both types of UPS capacitors (i.e., electrolytic DC and polymeric AC).

Signs of failure typically include visible ‘sweating’ and leakage around the seals of the capacitors as well as swelling and bulging. If left unchecked, they can spontaneously explode causing damage to other components in the UPS as well resulting in additional costs and downtime.

In one example, Odyssey techs came upon a down UPS where the failure of a single capacitor had exploded. These were well beyond the manufacturers recommended lifespan for replacement. When the first capacitor failed, it caused the failure of others in the same bank and resulted in damage to boards and other electrical components as well. Instead of a proactive replacement of around $6,000 for this size UPS, the customer ended up with over three times that amount in emergency repairs to rebuild internal components.

Similarly, fans in a UPS system lose their effectiveness as they age. Fans are responsible for regulating temperatures in the UPS unit. However, if they are not cooling the UPS successfully, the unit can start to overheat. As a result, the UPS is transferred to bypass, thereby leaving the load unprotected and in some cases, losing power.

Benefits of UPS Capacitor and Fan Replacement

As we discussed above, timely replacements of these capacitors and fans supports your business to continue functioning smoothly, without additional risk of downtime. This can protect the UPS from internal damage and increase its overall lifespan and operational efficiency. In being proactive, companies can calculate the cost of these services as part of a maintenance schedule and develop accurate, long-term budget allocations accordingly.

We recommend planning for these replacements in advance and scheduling the work during a planned maintenance window as opposed to waiting for an emergency repair and the possibility of extended lead times for replacement parts.

When Should You Replace Capacitors and Fans?

Our priority is maximizing your business uptime by planning ahead. As such, our team of technicians and customer representatives will assist in planning in advance of the components end of life to help avoid extended downtime and risk for your critical load.

The goal is to get the most out of the UPS without risking failure. By using each manufacturer’s recommendation for end-of-life replacement and our own analysis to predict the best time for replacing UPS capacitors and fans specific to your system, we can help you plan accordingly. The typical lifespan of capacitors ranges from 5-7 years, although some newer systems do have capacitors good for the life of the UPS as technology has improved. Fans are rated similarly in longevity.

Keep in mind that environmental factors can shorten the lifespan. For example, a UPS operating at high temperatures will have capacitors more prone to premature failure.

Any business with critical operations cannot afford interruptions at any cost. Contact Odyssey Power to reduce the risk of downtime for your business. We are ready to answer your questions!