The so-called suspected malfunction, as the name suggests, refers to misunderstandings caused by check-in personnel lacking basic analytical skills and not reading the instructions well. Some UPS systems with small capacities below 10kVA do not use LCD displays, but instead use 4-5 light-emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged vertically in a “bar” shape to visually represent the percentage of battery voltage or load. This percentage based representation method is generally not accurate without further calibration during installation. And most users’ attention is focused on the accuracy of the instructions, but there are also some who have major misunderstandings.
1. Environmental malfunction
Environmental failures are caused by users not paying attention to the operating environment of the machine or not being able to optimize the environment.
(1) Some users place Eaton UPS in an environment without air conditioning or ventilation, with temperatures reaching up to 40 ℃ in summer, which is humid and damp, leading to premature battery failure.
(2)Some places have poor power supply conditions, with large voltage fluctuations and frequent power outages. UPS batteries working in this environment often discharge, and users do not request fast charging from suppliers, resulting in long-term battery depletion and early failure.
(3)In areas with frequent lightning strikes or severe industrial electrical interference, it is common for Eaton UPS power supplies to be damaged due to users not configuring a certain level of lightning arrester or surge controller in the input distribution panel.
2. Business malfunction
Business failures are mainly caused by users being overly demanding of suppliers in terms of prices and other conditions.
(1) Eaton UPS power supplies in the United States, like other machines, appear to have the same casing, internal circuit components, etc., but the materials and components of the casing are vastly different in quality, resulting in a significant difference in cost. The two cannot be compared in terms of functionality and reliability. Some users are not aware of these differences and blindly demand that machines of different grades have the same price. Suppliers have to lower the quality of components in order to do business, resulting in reduced reliability and increased failure rates. Even some UPS systems are too aggressive in price, with capacity contracts signed for 100kVA and actual 60kVA machines, because a certain manufacturer uses the same chassis for both.
(2)Some users require suppliers to provide a 3-year free warranty for batteries with a lifespan of 3-5 years. This was originally an inappropriate requirement, as in a sense, it is equivalent to a lifetime free warranty without understanding the user’s usage environment. For the sake of business, the supplier naturally agreed and will continue to fulfill the contract in the future. However, due to continuous malfunctions and battery replacement, Eaton’s UPS power supply frequently shuts down, causing losses to users.