Power Storage Solutions was featured in the December 2022 issue of BIC Magazine. Click HERE to read the article in BIC Magazine’s online publication on page 100.

Who Wins in an Emergency Situation?

In the battery world, there are no trophies for second place. The back-up battery system is designed to be there when it is needed. If the battery system cannot perform its function, damages can occur to critical equipment downstream.

Power Storage Solutions has recently come across a situation where the only thing keeping the system from showing a battery alarm was was the corrosion of the battery terminal. The system was nominally showing the “potential” or voltage to perform the needed backup, but the picture tells a different story. Had this battery been needed in an emergency or outage situation, there was a very high likelihood that the system would have shorted out. As one can imagine, this would have resulted in a much bigger problem.

Sometimes, the potential problem is much more subtle. In that particular situation, you needed a trained eye to look things over and provide guidance on the best way to address the problem. We all know we should do it, so let’s talk about the benefits of regular maintenance programs with battery systems:

• Regular visual inspections can help identify issues that can be corrected before they become problems
• Quarterly or annual electrical checks ensure that interconnecting hardware can convert the potential energy stored in the battery to useable energy, should the need ever arise
• Regular capacity testing, either on a two or five year cycle, ensures there are no weak points in the battery system and that the system will be able to carry the load as originally designed

Taken in isolation, a single preventative maintenance (PM) of the battery system will not give a large quantity of information unless there is a serious issue. However, if the recent PM’s are compared to historical information, a new and often more detailed picture emerges. Trend analysis can be used to highlight areas that need to be addressed. Subtle changes in internal resistance measurements, liquid levels, and changes in the color of batteries or buss bars themselves are all indications of issues related to the battery string.

A healthy and well-maintained battery system should provide reliable back up power for over a decade and work properly throughout its entire lifespan. Regular maintenance is the key to keeping the system in optimum shape! A regular PM program can also inform when the system is nearing its end of life, allowing for the replacement budgeting process to begin. After all, it is better to schedule an outage than scrambling to find a solution during an outage.

About Power Storage Solutions

Power Storage Solutions is the innovative solution provider for all of your power quality needs. We specialize in the engineering, furnishing, and installation or support and service of critical DC backup solutions. We also make it our mission to offer innovative and cost-effective power quality solutions which are designed to protect your business, your data, your resources and profitability. Our veteran staff of skilled technicians is committed to understanding your unique needs and the unique needs of your business by providing optimal solutions and/or service plans for your specific power infrastructure.

Contact Power Storage Solutions

Allow Power Storage Solutions to be your routine service provider and protect yourself before an emergency arises. We have offices located in Dallas, Houston, Detroit, and Lake Mary, Florida. Contact us at pwrstoragesolutions.com or call (346) 299-2124. We can’t wait to serve you and all your power needs!

Power Storage Solutions technicians conducting preventative maintenance by testing batteries