One of the most common complaints heard by the manufacturers and distributors of APC batteries is that their new battery simply does not seem to work with their uninterruptible power supply. There are certain issues with regards to compatibility that need to be considered before ordering a new APC battery in order to ensure that your replacement battery will, in fact, work with your power protection hardware.
With most types of batteries, you can pretty much expect full compatibility regardless of make or model, just so long as you’re using double A batteries in double A devices, 9 volt batteries in 9 volt devices, and so on, but APC batteries can be a little bit trickier.
Most APC companies manufacture APC batteries in all shapes and sizes, but the point is that you need to know which shape and size you need in the first place, as well as which RBC type you’re after, and so on.
Even if you think you already know the size and shape of your APC battery, make sure to double check it nonetheless. Manufacturers of equipment utilizing APC batteries frequently change these specifications without notice, and more than a few customers have gone through the trouble of ordering a battery at the presumed specifications, only to find that their replacement APC will not, in fact, fit into their unit. When this occurs, it is the customer’s responsibility, rather than the retailer’s, to pay for return shipping and order the correct battery.
To check, just take the battery out of the unit and write down the specifications listed on the side. It’s as easy as that.
You may have heard that, if you’ve been using, say Yuasa batteries, then you might experience complications if you switch to CSB. This is something of a myth. As long as you’re using the right type of battery at the right specifications, you shouldn’t experience any problems.
Most APC battery vendors tend to only stock the more popular RBC codes. If you are required to replace or back up a less common RBC code, just send an email to the website you are buying from to see if they can special order such a battery. Seeing as APC batteries are something of a niche market, most retailers will be more than happy to go the extra mile for their customers.
make sure you know your RBC code before placing an order,. If your RBC code isn’t labelled clearly on the battery itself, you’ll want to call or email a battery retailer about it, and see if they can help you determine what type of battery you need.
In short, shopping for an APC battery does not, in fact, need to be difficult, time consuming, or confusing. Know your specifications, know your RBC code, and ordering a replacement APC battery should be one of the easiest purchases you’ll make this year.