Robert DeLauter, PE with contributions from Steve Keeney Consider this: you have a solid preventive maintenance program for your Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) System’s Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) batteries. They are inspected twice yearly; all data is reviewed and a detailed report is sent with recommendations. The last report you received informed you the...Continue Reading

Battery room hazards include; electrical, chemical, fire, respiratory, ergonomic, and sheer weight of the battery jars.  Addressing each of these concerns is critical to battery room safety.  In-house maintenance personnel, AC electricians and fly-by-night battery installers often do not have the training, experience, and correct tools to work with these systems according to published battery...Continue Reading

Thermal Runaway occurs most often in a valve regulated acid (VRLA) battery when the rate of internal heat generation exceeds the rate at which the heat can be expelled. If this condition continues for an extended period, the VRLA battery temperature will increase until the cells dry out and the container softens, breaks and melts....Continue Reading