APC Smart-UPS 3000 turning off but passing own test

Question

I have APC Smart-UPS 3000 at home which I got hand and apparently when the power goes down it just shuts down instead of switching to backup.

Based on how it behaves I have reasons to believe is not the batteries. Apparently there is no service nearby and I am sure shipping it would too expensive.

Sadly it does not have a network card on it so the only way to debug its condition is via the front panel.

I recorded a video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIVx7s68rzs to exemplify better how it behaves.

Answer 1

The mainboard might be faulty.

Your only hope is a cold reset and watch after if it work better after.

The Cold start procedure is used to determine if a UPS is functional if it will not turn on when plugged into utility power. The Brain Dead procedure performs a hard reset of the Smart-Ups microprocessor. It does not however reset saved preferences.

Resolution:

Cold Start: This is a great way to establish if a UPS will not turn on due to bad input power. Never use a Cold Start to troubleshoot a bad battery LED as it will clear the light most every time even if the battery is actually bad. This is because the self-test is comparing the battery health compared to the load attached. If there is no load attached, the battery will appear healthy. 1) Turn off and unplug the Smart-UPS from wall. Remove any attached load. 2) Press and hold the power button (labeled ""I/TEST"" on legacy non-LCD screen units) on the front of the UPS until you hear a LONG beep. 3) Let go DURING the long beep. If you let go after the beep ends you will need to try again. 4) UPS should go through its' normal self test and end up on battery with 4 beeps every 30 seconds. This shows that the UPS is functioning correctly and can both pass a self test and function on battery. 5) You can now plug your UPS back into the wall. If the input power is acceptable the UPS will transfer back online.

Answer 2

You pinged me on my similar post here : APC Smart-UPS turning off by itself?

Just wanted to let you know that a few days after I posted, the UPS suddenly went OFFLINE with no prior warning due to an "inverter fault" and will not turn back on. It's basically broken now.

So I would consider any suspicious behavior with this type of UPS as a sign of impending failure. Take action now if your UPS is serving anything without redundancy, that's my advice.

Hope this helps