UPS Maintenance Companies

Introduction

Why Maintain Your UPS?

A UPS is installed to protect your critical equipment when the mains supply becomes unstable or fails. However, batteries, fans, capacitors and other internal components deteriorate over time, and faults may develop without causing an immediate or obvious problem. Without regular inspection and testing, these issues may only become apparent when the UPS is required to support the load—precisely when failure would be most disruptive.

Planned preventative maintenance helps identify weakening batteries, worn components, restricted airflow, excessive temperatures, unresolved alarms and other developing problems before they lead to an unexpected breakdown. It also provides greater visibility of the UPS condition, allowing remedial work and component replacement to be planned and budgeted rather than arranged during an emergency.

A properly maintained UPS is more likely to:

perform as intended during a mains failure;
avoid preventable faults and unplanned downtime;
support the expected service life of batteries and other consumable components;
operate safely and efficiently;
provide reliable protection throughout its working life.

What is the solution?

NSSE offers both one-off UPS servicing and comprehensive maintenance support plans tailored to your equipment, site and operational requirements. Cover can include annual or six-monthly preventative maintenance visits, 24/7/365 technical support and emergency call-outs with guaranteed UK-wide response times from as little as four hours, alongside six, and eight-hour options. Flexible contract terms are available from one to five years, with preferential pricing for multiple UPS systems across single or multiple locations.

We maintain most leading UPS manufacturers, including Eaton, APC, Riello, Borri, Certa and Legrand, supporting individual systems and multi-unit estates across single or multiple locations.

Our comprehensive maintenance plan, backed by over 34 years of expertise in the power sector, ensures your UPS system operates optimally and reliably, protecting your significant investment.

With scheduled efficiency checks and proactive identification of necessary corrective actions (like battery replacements) we help prevent potential issues before they arise, ensuring your equipment meets the highest performance standards when you need it most.

Regular maintenance cannot eliminate every possible fault, but it greatly reduces uncertainty and helps ensure that your UPS is ready to protect your operations when it matters most.

NSSE UPS Servicing

What happens during the servicing process?

Servicing an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) entails a comprehensive inspection, testing, and cleaning of its components, along with assessing the condition of consumables such as batteries, capacitors, and fans.

Additionally, software and firmware updates are performed to keep the system current with the latest enhancements and fixes. Finally, the servicing engineer provides a detailed report outlining their findings and any necessary corrective actions.

Inspection

In addition to checking for physical damage and loose connections, the engineer will also assess the UPS's battery health and load capacity.

They will perform tests to verify that the unit is functioning correctly under load, ensuring it can handle the required power without overheating or faltering. Proper ventilation is critical, as inadequate airflow can lead to overheating and reduced efficiency, so any dust buildup or obstructions will also be addressed during the inspection.

Testing

By conducting thorough tests on the UPS, such as assessing battery capacity, charging rates, and inverter efficiency, the engineer can proactively detect and address potential issues, ensuring the system operates optimally, thus reducing the likelihood of unexpected failures.

Cleaning

Regular cleaning of the UPS and its components, such as fans and filters, is crucial to ensure optimal performance and longevity. Dust and contaminants can obstruct airflow and lead to overheating, which may compromise the unit's efficiency and reliability. Implementing a routine maintenance schedule can significantly enhance the system's operation and prevent potential failures.

Battery Health Check

Regular maintenance and testing of UPS batteries are essential to ensure reliable performance as these are the most costly consumable component in UPS system with a design life of either 3-5 years, or 7-10 years.

Our engineers utilise specialized tools and equiopment to assess the batteries' capacity, charging rates, and overall condition, allowing for early detection of weak or faulty batteries, followed by actionable recommendations to address any issues. This proactive approach not only extends the life of the batteries but also enhances the overall efficiency and reliability of the UPS system.

Capacitor Health Check

Regular maintenance of capacitors in your UPS system is crucial to prevent failure, as failing capacitors can lead to increased stress on the remaining ones, reducing their lifespan. Much like batteries, capacitors typically have a finite design life of around seven years, so periodic checks for bulging or leakage should be conducted to ensure optimal performance and reliability of the UPS system.

Fans

Replacing fans simultaneously with batteries in a UPS is a prudent practice, as it helps maintain optimal cooling and prolongs the lifespan of critical components like the inverter and rectifier. Given that both the fans and batteries typically have a similar design life of around five years, proactive replacement ensures the system operates efficiently, reduces the risk of overheating, and prevents premature component failure.

Regular maintenance, including fan replacement, is essential for the reliable performance of UPS systems.

Software Updates

Regular software and firmware updates for UPS systems are essential as they enhance functionality, optimise performance, and address potential security vulnerabilities and glitches, ensuring that the system operates reliably and safely under varying conditions. Staying current with these updates can significantly prolong the lifespan and efficiency of the UPS.

UPS servicing reports

Upon completion of the service, our engineer will generate a comprehensive report identifying any potential issues that need addressing, such as the need for battery replacement or other consumables nearing the end of their life. The report may also provide recommendations for enhancing UPS performance, including suggestions for load balancing improvements or adjustments to the UPS environment, especially if ambient temperatures are excessively high.

UPS Maintenance FAQs

The manufacturer's warranty for the UPS covers both parts and labour in the case of a failure, ensuring that any faulty components are repaired or replaced without incurring additional costs. However, it does not provide guarantees regarding the response or resolution timeline for repairs, nor does it include for routine servicing of the UPS system.

Regular maintenance of your UPS power systems is essential to ensure its effectiveness and longevity, as neglecting this can lead to reduced battery life and increased risk of failure during outages.

By identifying potential issues early, regular servicing not only ensures that backup power is available when needed but also extends the lifespan of the system, ultimately saving costs on replacements.

Additionally, a well-maintained UPS enhances energy efficiency, reduces electricity bills, and minimises the risk of expensive repairs, making it a financially wise practice in the long run.

Most UPS systems should receive preventative maintenance at least once a year. Six-monthly servicing may be more appropriate for highly critical applications, ageing equipment, demanding operating environments or sites where the consequences of failure would be particularly severe.

The appropriate frequency will depend on the UPS manufacturer’s recommendations, system age and condition, operating environment and the level of resilience required.

Many routine inspections and tests can be completed while the UPS remains operational. However, certain tests, repairs or component replacements may require the load to be transferred to static or external maintenance bypass.

Whether any interruption is necessary will depend on the UPS design, installation and available bypass arrangements. NSSE will assess the system and agree the safest working method before servicing begins.

Yes. NSSE maintains most leading UPS manufacturers, including Eaton, APC, Riello, Borri, Certa and Legrand, regardless of who originally supplied or installed the equipment.

Before commencing support, we may request the UPS make, model, serial number, age, service history (if available) and details of the existing installation so that we can recommend the most suitable level of cover.

Following the visit, you will receive a detailed condition report outlining the engineer’s findings and any recommended corrective work.

Issues such as weakening batteries, worn fans, ageing capacitors, excessive temperatures or unresolved alarms will be clearly identified. Where remedial work is required, this can be prioritised and quoted separately, allowing you to plan the work before it develops into a more disruptive failure.

Arrange UPS Maintenance and Support

Whether you require a one-off service or a comprehensive maintenance agreement with emergency cover, NSSE can tailor its support to your equipment, locations and operational requirements.

Speak to our team on 0333 222 4000 or by completing our contact form below to arrange a UPS condition assessment or discuss the most appropriate level of maintenance cover.