What could cause a UPS/line-conditioner to cut off instanteously

[mrblint]

My $200 UPS has cut off instantaneously three times in the past couple of weeks, causing my PC to crash. BAM! and the unit is OFF and has to be turned back on. No beeps warning of a drop or loss in power. The battery is fully charged. There are no warnings of any kind on the LCD. The draw is low, 15W. Can malware shut off a UPS over the USB wire? Can a large spike cause it to shut down?

 

[velocityg4]

While malware is technically possible for any device with a data connection. It is extraordinarily unlikely.

More likely is that it is a defective unit. Is it still under warranty?

 

[mrblint]

While malware is technically possible for any device with a data connection. It is extraordinarily unlikely.

More likely is that it is a defective unit. Is it still under warranty?

Out of warranty, unfortunately. I've had it for a little over three years. Not sure what could have caused it to suddenly start shutting off.

 

[Onus]

Three years is a little short, but only a little, especially if it sat in a warehouse (possibly subject to temperature extremes) before you got it. The battery could be dying / dead, even though you say it appears to be fully charged. What brand / model is the UPS?

 

[velocityg4]

While malware is technically possible for any device with a data connection. It is extraordinarily unlikely.

More likely is that it is a defective unit. Is it still under warranty?

Out of warranty, unfortunately. I've had it for a little over three years. Not sure what could have caused it to suddenly start shutting off.

Whatever it is. You spent $200 on it. So, I assume whatever you are protecting is worth a whole lot more than $200. I wouldn't leave that equipment on it as a guinea pig while you try to find out.

It could be the battery as stated. Although better units usually have a battery health indicator. Any other number of components inside could be failing.

Have you done a plug test? Have some cheap moderate draw equipment plugged into the battery. Then unplug the UPS from the wall. No reason to test it with expensive equipment plugged in.

 

[Onus]

A test (use something like a 100W lamp) would be a good idea.

 

[mrblint]

While malware is technically possible for any device with a data connection. It is extraordinarily unlikely.

More likely is that it is a defective unit. Is it still under warranty?

Out of warranty, unfortunately. I've had it for a little over three years. Not sure what could have caused it to suddenly start shutting off.

Whatever it is. You spent $200 on it. So, I assume whatever you are protecting is worth a whole lot more than $200. I wouldn't leave that equipment on it as a guinea pig while you try to find out.

It could be the battery as stated. Although better units usually have a battery health indicator. Any other number of components inside could be failing.

Have you done a plug test? Have some cheap moderate draw equipment plugged into the battery. Then unplug the UPS from the wall. No reason to test it with expensive equipment plugged in.

I've determined that a self-test, whether it is initiated by pressing the CONTROL button on the LCD panel, or the menu option in the software utility, will instantly crash the unit. This is repeatable. There is only a tiny load, per the LCD display, and the battery shows there as fully charged. None of the icons on the LCD panel that would indicate some fault condition are visible. The machine thinks it's healthy.

 

[Onus]

It's probably worth replacing the battery and retest, especially if it is a common size (e.g. those 7.5-9.0 AH batteries that are all essentially the same size).