UPS Education Blogs

Part 3: Why UPS Maintenance Matters – What Gets Serviced, How Often, and Why It Saves You Money

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system is only as reliable as its weakest component—and without regular maintenance, even the most advanced system will eventually fail. If you’re investing in a UPS to protect mission-critical equipment, then you should also be investing in its longevity. That’s where maintenance comes in.

In this post, we’ll cover what UPS maintenance involves, how often it’s required, and why regular service is significantly more cost-effective than reactive repairs or complete system replacement.

The Case for Preventive Maintenance

A UPS isn’t a “set it and forget it” piece of equipment. It includes batteries, capacitors, cooling fans, circuit boards, and software that all degrade over time. These components work in harmony to deliver seamless power during outages—but even one failure can compromise the entire system.

Just like your car needs oil changes to prevent engine breakdown, your UPS needs regular maintenance to perform during emergencies. And when downtime costs thousands of dollars per hour, skipping that maintenance can be catastrophic.

Here’s the bottom line:

• • Regular maintenance extends equipment lifespan
  • It helps you catch small issues before they cause big failures
  • It ensures your system performs when you need it most
  • And over time, it reduces total cost of ownership

What Gets Serviced in a UPS System

Let’s break down the major components of a UPS and what service looks like for each:

1. Batteries
The batteries are the heart of any UPS. They provide the immediate backup power when a disturbance occurs—and they’re also the most failure-prone component.

What’s Done:

• • Voltage testing
  • Impedance measurements
  • Physical inspection for corrosion or leaks
  • Checking runtime performance under load
  • Battery replacement (typically every 3–5 years)

Service Interval:

• • Quarterly or Semi-Annually for inspection
  • Every 3 – 5 Years for full replacement

2. Capacitors
Capacitors store energy to smooth out power fluctuations and ensure clean output. Over time, they degrade, especially under heat stress.

What’s Done:

• • Thermal imaging
  • Visual inspection for bulging or leakage
  • ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance) testing
  • Measure & Verify Capacitance

Service Interval:

• • Annually for inspection, as well as measuring/verifying uF (Micro Farrad) Capacitance Value
  • Every 5 – 7 Years for replacement.

3. Cooling Fans
Without adequate cooling, your UPS will overheat and shut down. Fans can fail due to dust, dirt, or mechanical fatigue.

What’s Done:

• • Cleaning or replacing filters
  • Checking fan bearings and airflow
  • Verifying temperature sensors

Service Interval: Annually or As needed based on environment. Fan replacement should occur every 7 years.

4. Power Modules & Circuit Boards
These handle the actual conversion and delivery of electricity. Dust, oxidation, and thermal cycling can wear down components and cause electrical failure.

What’s Done:

• • Dust removal and contact cleaning
  • Firmware updates
  • Diagnostic scans
  • Thermographic scanning

Service Interval: Semi-annually

5. System Firmware & Monitoring Software
Outdated firmware can impact performance, create vulnerabilities, or fail to detect issues in time.

What’s Done:

• • Firmware upgrades
  • Testing of SNMP cards and alarms
  • Review of event logs and alerts

Service Interval: Quarterly to Annually, or when updates are released

The True Cost of Neglecting Maintenance

Skipping UPS maintenance is like skipping health checkups—you might feel fine until something goes very, very wrong.

Here are the risks of going without service:

• • Unexpected Outages: Batteries fail and the system doesn’t switch over
  • Costly Repairs: One capacitor failure can cascade into a system-wide meltdown
  • Shortened Lifespan: Lack of care can cut the life of your UPS in half
  • Warranty Voids: Many OEMs require proof of preventive maintenance
  • Loss of Data or Revenue: A preventable shutdown can cost thousands—if not millions—in downtime, labor, and recovery

According to industry research, proactive maintenance reduces critical UPS failures by over 60%. That’s not a margin you want to gamble with.

Maintenance Frequency: A General Schedule

While service intervals can vary based on usage and environment, here’s a general best-practice timeline:

Component	Inspection Frequency	Replacement Interval
Batteries	Quarterly – Semiannual	Every 3–5 years
Capacitors	Annual	Every 5–7 years
Cooling Fans	Annual	As needed (based on wear)
Power Modules/Boards	Annual	Varies (based on health)
Firmware/Software	Quarterly – Annual	As released or required

Always refer to your manufacturer’s maintenance guidelines for specifics.

Why a Maintenance Contract Makes Sense

Rather than scheduling ad-hoc visits or waiting for alarms to go off, most commercial operations benefit from a preventive maintenance agreement with a qualified service provider. These contracts typically include:

• • Scheduled inspections
  • Priority response for emergencies
  • Battery health assessments
  • Firmware updates
  • Load testing
  • Detailed reporting

This proactive model offers budgeting predictability and peace of mind—and it’s significantly cheaper than replacing a $50,000+ UPS after avoidable failure.

Conclusion: Maintain to Protect Your Investment

Your UPS system exists to protect your business during the most critical moments. But if it’s not properly maintained, it could become a single point of failure instead of a fail-safe.

By investing in a structured maintenance schedule, you extend the life of your UPS, reduce long-term costs, and ensure that your system performs when it matters most. Because when the power goes out, you don’t get a second chance to be prepared.

 

Coming Next in the UPS Education Series:

What Happens During a UPS System Audit (And Why You Might Need One)