UPS on fire!

orion456 · Feb 19, 2005

I came home yesterday to a strange beeping/whinning sound coming from my TrippLite UPS. I touch it and it was burning hot. The case was actually bulging at the back and bottom where the battery is located. I unplugged it and opened it up. The battery had swollen inside its compartment and partly melted the plastic around it. I believe if I hadn't come home when I did I would have had a fire on my hands.

Any one heard of UPSs going on fire?

The battery still has its 12volt charge. Any ideas on how to discharge it before I throw it out? I know I need a load for it, but how much or what kind of household device would be useful?

SB911 · Feb 19, 2005

orion456 said:
I came home yesterday to a strange beeping/whinning sound coming from my TrippLite UPS. I touch it and it was burning hot. The case was actually bulging at the back and bottom where the battery is located. I unplugged it and opened it up. The battery had swollen inside its compartment and partly melted the plastic around it. I believe if I hadn't come home when I did I would have had a fire on my hands.

Any one heard of UPSs going on fire?

The battery still has its 12volt charge. Any ideas on how to discharge it before I throw it out? I know I need a load for it, but how much or what kind of household device would be useful?

Fire? I have never had that happen, good thing you caught it in time. You could use a regular lamp to discharge it, incandescent bulb. Just wire it up crudely until the battery is drained. Or if you want to take the chance and use the UPS plug a toaster into it lol that will drain it fast.

squasher · Feb 19, 2005

what is a ups?
(i know this is a noob question, humor me)

SB911 · Feb 19, 2005

squasher said:
what is a ups?
(i know this is a noob question, humor me)

Back-up battery for your computer, it also regulates the voltage and stops any power spikes.
UPS = Uninterupted Power Supply (I *think* thats what it stands for)

Keiron · Feb 19, 2005

I would place it and a cheap lamp outside and leave it on overnight (on a non-snow/raining night). That way if anything goes wrong and it bursts into flame, nothing happens.

orion456 · Feb 19, 2005

SB911 said:
Or if you want to take the chance and use the UPS plug a toaster into it lol that will drain it fast.

The UPS plugs are fried, but the battery itself is still giving 12volts. I assume some kind of ciruit failure caused the battery to be overcharged.

the adam · Feb 19, 2005

drop it off at an automobile store like autozone or advanced auto parts they will know what to do with it. Im pretty sure they will take it but call in advance to make sure.

TalRW · Feb 19, 2005

I also wouldn't throw it away, from the sounds of it, well it sounds like it could be an environmental nightmare, I would maybe contact someone and see how you can dispose of it properly.

four4875 · Feb 19, 2005

stiuck a case fna onto the battery lol, let it sit and run till the fan stops. or an automotive light blb or 2 (or as many as you wanan throw on there) and let it sit an drain. it would be best ot have the battery disposed / recycled properly, its a sealed lead acid battery, kinda like a car battery.

Bios24 · Feb 19, 2005

Did you ever figure out what cause the failure in the first place? Did you have too much of a load on it? or was it just a short circuit?

wizard james · Feb 19, 2005

maybe it just got old ..or just a short.. who knows.

but also another thing with battires .. if u got any ni-cad batts then if u use them for a drill..or anything that matter befor u rechage them ..drian it with a light bulb till it goes out.. and it lasts 5 times longer.

makes me wonder about my ups.. o well i guess if my house is doomed to be a fire inferno then i guess its gona happen 1 way

JerMe · Feb 19, 2005

four4875 said:
it would be best ot have the battery disposed / recycled properly, its a sealed lead acid battery, kinda like a car battery.

I agree with four4875. Best to dispose of it properly.

Slackfumasta · Feb 19, 2005

On any UPS, the batteries will eventually need to be replaced. Typically though, they don't bulge out like that. I have seen it before on a Smart-UPS 3000. My advice is to call Tripp-Lite and ask them what to do with it. They will probably give you the address of a place you can send it to for repair or proper disposal, though it sounds like a good idea to call an auto shop and see if they dispose of batteries, never tried that.

Gnufsh · Feb 19, 2005

SB911 said:
Back-up battery for your computer, it also regulates the voltage and stops any power spikes.
UPS = Uninterupted Power Supply (I *think* thats what it stands for)

I believe it's actually Uninterruptible Power Supply.

edit: You're supposed to recycle batteries. I know most places that sell car batteries also recycle your old one when you buy a new one. As was mentioned, check with a place like that and see if they'll recycle your battery for you (there is likely to be a fee).

orion456 · Feb 20, 2005

wizard james said:
maybe it just got old ..or just a short.. who knows.

makes me wonder about my ups.. o well i guess if my house is doomed to be a fire inferno then i guess its gona happen 1 way

I think people should at least look at the UPS and make sure it isn't hot or the battery is in good shape. I never looked at mine because it was inconvenient to get at it. Maybe a once a year checkup is warranted. I just assumed these things worked without attention....WRONG!

orion456 · Feb 20, 2005

Thought I would just check this out a bit more:

--------------

APC, a well-known maker of UPS (uninterruptible power supply) systems, has announced a worldwide recall of two products in its Back-UPS CS line.

In a press release, APC said the devices in question could get overheated and represent a potential fire hazard.

Units with serial numbers having the first six characters in the following ranges are affected:

AB0048 through AB0251
BB0104 through BB0251
JB0125 through JB0251

Any units with an "R" at the end of the serial number are not part of the recall.

The total number of affected devices being recalled worldwide is approximately 2.1 million with approximately 900,000 devices recalled in the US.

----------------

So these things do go on fire sometimes. Well ok, a mere 2.1 million of them.

ghettocomp · Feb 20, 2005

Personally, I would call Tripp lite and see if there is anything they can do for you. If there was a warranty card or something you sent to them, even if the warranty expired there is the slight possiblilty of something, However small they will do for you. some of these UPS type companies like to toot their horns on how good they are, give them a chance to prove it.

orion456 · Feb 20, 2005

ghettocomp said:
Personally, I would call Tripp lite and see if there is anything they can do for you. If there was a warranty card or something you sent to them, even if the warranty expired there is the slight possiblilty of something, However small they will do for you. some of these UPS type companies like to toot their horns on how good they are, give them a chance to prove it.

I sent them an email. My warranty is long over so I doubt much can be done. They are still selling that model so maybe they want to know what happened to mine.

JCLW · Feb 20, 2005

Tell them you'll go to the press unless they replace it

Any Radio Shack in Canada will accept used rechargeable batteries.

Etianne · Feb 20, 2005

I see you are in Canada. If you are in Ontario I would suggest getting in contact with the ELECTRICAL SAFETY AUTHORITY ( esainspection.net) and give them the info, see if they have come across this problem. I assume your UPS is CSA rated? BTW I assume the other provinces have the same type of authority. ESA is an excellent source for all approvals on electrical products sold in the Province.

UPS on fire!

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