I was smelling burnt plastic for a week before I found the outlet on my Cyber-Power 550 VA UPS had turned to charcoal. I cleaned the cord and moved it to another outlet on the UPS. A week later, it still stinks. I pull it out of its lovely home in my hand made computer bench and the second outlet is showing changes. So I look inside. It was mounted with its "sealed" lead acid battery contained, terminals down. Autopsy found liquid acid in the outlet.

Why would I mount a liquid acid container with its allegedly sealed holes facing down? Because that's how the mounting holes are designed on the back of the Cyber-Power 550. You can either have your SLA with its battery top facing down or to the side, but never on top.

I must be getting old. I trusted a big name to make a smart design. I would never trust an acid container, no matter what anybody claims it will do, to not leak if you hold it up-side down for a year.

So, I'm without a UPS right now. The next one will get inspected better! It will get mounted with the top of the battery facing up, regardless of how the OEM designed it.

 

If you care to investigate the innards you will find the "sealed" terminology refers to the little tiny rubber cap which fits the spouts through which the battery was filled.

The cap also has a hypodermic needle sized hole which is supposed to allow atmospheric equalization but to me negates the "sealed" term used as a selling point for these batteries.
SLA my a$$

 

My 2c, Buy a 'real' online UPS like a used EATON or Toshiba. The low end APC and Cyber-Power units are total junk.

The innards of a good computer quality UPS, built like a battleship.

 

What is that? $500 worth of batteries for the one computer and one flat screen display I am running? All that to have enough time for an orderly shut down? Sorry. Not for me. That cheap POS...wait, UPS... I got for free (just had to buy it a new battery) was enough for my needs.

 

What is that? $500 worth of batteries for the one computer and one flat screen display I am running? All that to have enough time for an orderly shut down? Sorry. Not for me. That cheap POS...wait, UPS... I got for free (just had to buy it a new battery) was enough for my needs.

The batteries are Plain Jane 12V7Ah gell cells that cost about 60$ new for the current set. The UPS was a dumpster dive special that's powered my server for years without a hiccup until this years power outages killed the old cells.

 

That explains why YOU have a $3000 UPS. If I find one in a dumpster, I will too!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/UPS-Uninter...-50A-Output-/151931803567?hash=item235fd757af

 

That explains why YOU have a $3000 UPS. If I find one in a dumpster, I will too!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/UPS-Uninter...-50A-Output-/151931803567?hash=item235fd757af

Wrong model, same family.

The 1400SE is only 1200VA not 12KVA

 

Laziness strikes me again.

More like $200, used.

http://www.techrecovery.com/toshiba-1400se-online-ups-power-supply/