Battery Backups

If you hear an annoying BEEEEPP when the power goes out, chances are you're fortunate enough to have a UPS or "battery backup." Ever stop to think how old yours is? Has the battery been replaced, ever?

UPS stands for "Uninterruptable Power Supply." While many of these have been around for literally decades, many don't have their batteries replaced as often as they should, if at all. Most batteries are expected to last 3-5 years depending on the environment.

Below is an example (from one of our schools) of what happens when a battery has been abused. These batteries have grafted to one another and had swollen in every place possible without actually exploding...