Brand new Fortron EP650VA constantly in bypass mode.

[hefeweizen]

Hello there,

I'm pretty new to the whole UPS thing so please fellas don't be harsh on me.
I recently bought a Fortron UPS EP650VA so as to ensure that my pc gets sufficient backup power in case of power drops.

I installed the corresponding software as suggested (viewpower V2.07 sp1) and plugged in my pc tower.

Problem is that in the status diagram the UPS is shown to be running only in bypass mode, thus rendering the battery utterly useless.

I checked the whole software options, settings and parameters and still can't figure out how to get it off bypass mode.

I also double-triple uninstalled the software with no luck. I also used the circuit breaker button to crosscheck that the battery is not operating and, yep you figured it out, everything went off, no backup time, no battery mode whatsoever.

Nevertheless, in the status screen the battery shows up, giving also additional info on its status like voltage (13.6V) and capacity (100%) but the flow path from the battery to the UPS outlet shows inactive.

Here is a picture of the situation:

http://i51.tinypic.com/bgvh9k.jpg

Do you guys think that there is a way to make it work or is this just a plain faulty unit?
Thanks in advance.

 

[FredWagner]

It sounds like it's working as most UPS's do - run the PC off the commercial power (providing surge protection) as long as it's up, and if it's interrupted, kick in powering the attached load (your PC and accessories) from the battery through an internal inverter. After it has returned to using commercial power, then you may see the battery being recharged from the mains.
There was a special variety of 'full floating' UPS, where the load was always running from the battery, and the battery was always on charge, but I haven't seen those in a long time. There are some white papers on the American Power Conversion's site that explain the various modes of operation...they're now part of Schneider Electric -

Fred Wagner

 

[FredWagner]

Is there a 'Test' button on the unit ? what happens when you press it?

Fred Wagner

 

[DLynn908]

Its sounds like you may a line interactive UPS. You can test function by unplugging the the UPS and seeing if your computer stays up. Make sure you have saved everything and have your computer in a state where it will not be negatively affected by a loss of power. These smaller UPS sytems are usually not a true on line unit.

Good Luck!!

Don

 

[nOrtler]

You definitely have a "stand-by" or a "line interactive" UPS. As mentioned by Fred, these types of UPSs pass line power to the load directly while normal line voltage is present. The line-interactive is also a stand-by, however it's output adjusts a few steps below and above it's nominal voltage during a sag or buck in incoming line voltage to maintain a desired voltage.

Once input line voltage fails, the UPS then draws power from it's batteries and through an inverter generated its' own AC output.