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Before replacing a UPS

Replace a UPS for one of three reasons: its manufacturer is ending parts support, the load has outgrown it, or a repair would cost a large share of a new unit. Before choosing the new one, settle the support date, the measured load, the runtime the site needs, the room and the supply, and how the load stays protected during the changeover.

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Key facts

  • Best-efforts phase (Eaton): limited parts, replacement recommended[1]
  • Batteries in the old frame: lead acid generally 3 to 5 years, lithium-ion 10 to 15 (Eaton)[2]
  • Connection in Ontario: a licensed electrical contractor[3]
  • Start-up: some three-phase warranties require the maker's own engineer (Eaton)[4]
How a visit runsFive steps: book, method agreed, readings, functional tests, report.1Book2Method agreed3Readings4Functional tests5Report
A replacement in order: support dates, condition, measured load, room and supply, licensed connection, start-up, tests.

Is it time?

Signal What it means
The model has entered best efforts Parts may be limited; Eaton recommends replacement [1]
A repair quote nears the price of a new unit The money is better spent on a frame with full support
The load is near the rating, or N+1 is gone The frame is too small, whatever its condition
The frame is due capacitors and fans Eaton schedules capacitors around 7 years of operation [5]; weigh that cost against replacement
Only a battery string is due Usually not a reason to replace the UPS; replace the string

The replacement planning service lists the published support dates by model.

Size the new UPS from facts

  • Measured load, per phase, over a busy period, plus the growth the new frame must carry.
  • Runtime target, from what the battery must cover: the generator start and transfer, or an orderly shutdown. The sizing guide shows how to read the chart.
  • Topology: VFI double conversion for critical loads, with output unaffected by input variations [6].
  • Redundancy: N+1 or 2N, decided by what downtime the site accepts.
  • Battery chemistry: lead acid or lithium-ion, in a frame built for it [2].

Check the room and the supply

Check Why
Floor loading and the delivery route Battery cabinets are the heaviest item in the room
Clearances XPC’s M90 manual asks for 40 in above and behind, 60 in in front [7]
Room temperature The M90 derates above 30 °C, to 80% of output at 40 °C [8]
Supply voltage and breakers The new frame may need a different feeder or breaker
Generator It must hold voltage and frequency for the new UPS to accept it

If the new UPS draws more power

A larger frame can need a bigger feeder, a new breaker, or more capacity from the building service itself. Check the panel and the service before ordering. Where the service has to grow, the utility’s own connection process sets the date, not the UPS delivery.

Keep one record per battery string: cabinet, chemistry, install date, room temperature, monitoring point, test history and the reason for any replacement. It is the record the next replacement decision is made from.

Plan the changeover

  1. Connection: a licensed electrical contractor [3], with an ESA notification of work [9].
  2. Load path: a temporary UPS or the maintenance bypass carries the load while the old unit comes out.
  3. Batteries: delivered close to the date. EnerSys allows six months from shipment to first charge at 25 °C or cooler [10].
  4. Start-up: by the manufacturer’s engineer where the warranty requires it [4].
  5. Acceptance tests: a load bank run, a battery discharge and bypass transfers, before the critical load moves over.
  6. The old unit: removed and its batteries recycled through a lead-acid recycler.

Standards cited

  • IEC 62040-3 (as quoted in the US DOE UPS test procedure)
  • Ontario Regulation on electrical contractor licensing

Common questions

When should a UPS be replaced?

When its manufacturer's support is ending, when the load has outgrown it, or when a repair costs a large share of a new unit. Batteries alone are rarely a reason.

Can the load stay up during a UPS replacement?

Yes. A temporary UPS or the maintenance bypass carries the load while the old unit is removed and the new one is started and tested.

Who connects a new UPS in Ontario?

A licensed electrical contractor [3], who reports the work to ESA through a notification of work [9].

Should the new UPS be the same size as the old one?

Only if the measured load says so. Many old frames were sized from nameplates, and a frame sized from the real load costs less to buy and to run.

Sources

  1. Eaton, Eaton UPS End of Service Life (EOSL) Master Table, PL161010EN rev 05/29/2026, p1 legend (pdf.js row text)
  2. Eaton, Lithium-ion UPS FAQ, FAQ
  3. Government of Ontario, O. Reg. 570/05: Licensing of Electrical Contractors and Master Electricians, s. 3
  4. Eaton, Limited Factory Warranty for Eaton Three-phase UPS, PDU, RPP, STS Products, THIS WARRANTY IS NOT VALID (a)
  5. Eaton, Straight talk about capacitors in your UPS (WP153009EN), capacitor service life section
  6. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedure for Uninterruptible Power Supplies (final rule), footnote 12, section 2.27.2
  7. Xtreme Power Conversion, M90 & M90L Modular Online Three-Phase UPS 15-60 kVA User & Installation Manual (Rev 7/3/19), installation (PDF p. 6)
  8. Xtreme Power Conversion, M90 & M90L Modular Online Three-Phase UPS 15-60 kVA User & Installation Manual (Rev 7/3/19), specifications (PDF p. 66)
  9. Electrical Safety Authority, Notifications and Inspections, Notifications
  10. EnerSys, Safety, Storage, Operating and Maintenance Manual, VRLA Battery Systems (US-VR-OM-002), section 4, storage

Updated