Question 1

What is maintenance like on an UPS?  Isn't the battery constantly being overcharged?  How often should you replace a battery in an UPS?

Accepted Answer

I purchased mine in August 2008 and it's March 2016 now.  The software is only just telling me now that I need to replace the batteries, so I'd say for me at least the battery life has been fantastic, with no maintenance.  This is in contrast to another CyberPower Unit I had, a CP1000AVR, and an APC unit I had, neither of which lasted even half as long as this unit has.  I can't recall if maybe those units weren't line interactive, but all I can say is that this UPS has been fantastic and zero maintenance until now.  Replacement batteries are $68 on Amazon or as low as $32 at other online sellers.

Question 2

is this a better product than the apc  BR1500G ?

Accepted Answer

I purchased an APC BR1500G about five months ago for a high wattage new computer build.  The build got delayed because of the demands of my academic job.  On September 8th, when it was pretty clear that Hurricane Irma was going to directly hit Naples, I thought about re-purposing my UPSs (four CyberPower 1000s, and the yet unused BR1500) for supplying light, power for my receiver (for listening to local radio broadcasts), and charging my iPhone and two iPads when the power inevitably went out.  The afternoon of Sep 9th, I plugged all five units into the wall to make sure that they had time to fully charge before the hurricane hit.   Being twice as heavy as the CyberPower units, I had great expectations for the BR1500.  Also, because it was new, I expected it to perform to its full potential.  Before anyone asks, yes, I read the manual's instructions for reversing the battery for the initial charge.  Irma hit Naples in the late afternoon Sep 10th with Cat-4 winds, and the power went out at about 6:00pm.  While it was still light, I tried to ready the APC for its job for the night.  For over an hour, I tried to coax power from the unit.  I tested the battery and found it to be fully charged, but when inserted in the unit, the APC remained dead.  I found that I could get power out of it if I kept the battery cover off and laid it on its side, but the current out the AC side was intermittent, at best.  Giving up on the APC, I used what I thought to be the newest of my CyberPower UPSs.  That first CyberPower unit provided power to three 35W LED lamps, and the receiver for over eight hours that first night when I shut it down.  It lasted an additional three hours the second night, while it was supplying light, running the receiver, and charging all three iDevices which were depleted during the day.  I got similar results from the second, and third CyberPower units (one of which was at least three years old).  The power came back on the fifth day after the hurricane, and I never got to the fourth CyberPower UPS.  When I read the warranty instructions for the BR1500G, they demanded that the faulty unit be sent directly to APC and not returned to the seller.  I decided to eat my mistake and include the BR1500 in the refuse bin with all of the rest of the hurricane debris (I removed, and kept the battery).  When we're not having a hurricane, power outages seldom last for more than a few seconds, and are mainly 1-2 sec brownouts, so I never really got to test the CyberPower units in any real-world application before the hurricane.  I have Thanksgiving week off and I intend to complete the computer build I started in May.  For me, choosing the CP1500 CyberPower for backup of the new computer was a no-brainer .  In my opinion, APC makes undependable units that I intend to avoid at all costs.

Question 3

Does this UPS make any noise while it is running?

Accepted Answer

ive had the 1500 unit for nearly 8 years with no noise or issue while running 2 pc's, a 55" tv, a 27" monitor, and a stereo receiver.  Just recently after the unit being unplugged and off for 3 weeks, it now has a quiet, yet annoying hum while powered up (still plugged to the wall with power)

Question 4

If I have a 800 Watt computer but also want to plug other things into the PC, should I get the 810 watt model or this one?

Accepted Answer

Honestly, it's going to depend on what you want to plug in and how well the wiring is in your home.  I am no electrical expert, but will give you my thoughts.  I doubt your 800 watt computer is really 800 watts, unless it has multiple video cards and maybe lots of water cooling.  My PC for example is a mid-range gaming rig with a single fan cooled video card, and with the PC and 32 inch HDTV monitor, it will be around 270 watts, but if I am gaming and have other apps running, it could peak above 520 watts.  Additionally if your wiring in your home is really strained, having some more wattage give you more of a safety cushion.  YOU DON'T EVER WANT TO EXCEED YOUR WATTAGE OUTPUT, else it will exceed the capacity of your UPS and everything will lose power, that is true of any UPS.  As far as additional stuff, it depends on how much power it will use.  I have in total, a PC, HDTV, DVR other stuff plugged in and runs just fine.  If you having something like THX speakers, the power can draw 100 watts if you are gaming, and that is a lot of juice to add on.  I had them plugged into the battery side, but moved them to surge only cause of the wattage output was a bit high.

ASIN	B000FBK3QK
Amperage	15 A
Battery Average Life	3 years
Battery Cell Type	Sealed Lead Acid
Best Sellers Rank	#179 in Computer Uninterruptible Power Supply Units
Brand	CyberPower
Built-In Media	UPS System, User Manual, USB A+B Type Cable
Color	Black
Connector Type	NEMA 5-15P
Customer Reviews	4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (12,355)
Enclosure Material	Plastic
Form Factor	UPS System
Global Trade Identification Number	00649532015269
Input Voltage	120 volts_of_alternating_current
Item Dimensions	13.25 x 4 x 9.75 inches
Item Dimensions D x W x H	14"D x 3.9"W x 11"H
Item Highlight	1500VA/900W, 12 Outlets, AVR, Mini-Tower, UL Certified
Item Weight	25 pounds
Lower Temperature Rating	32 °F
Manufacturer	CyberPower Systems
Maximum Power	900 watts
Mfr Part Number	CP1500AVRLCD
Model Number	CP1500AVRLCD
Number of Items	1
Number of Outlets	12
Output Current	7.5 A
Output Voltage	120 volts_of_alternating_current
Output Wattage	900 watts
Runtime	3 minutes
Specification Met	ENERGY STAR, UL 1778, cUL
Surge Protection Rating	1500 Joules
UPC	649532015269
Unit Count	1 Count
Upper Temperature Rating	104 °F
Voltage	1000 volts
Warranty Description	3 Year & $500000 CEG
Wattage	900 watts

CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD Intelligent LCD UPS Battery Backup

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