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I have had maybe 10 UPS units over the years but I would never buy another one. I was once severely poisoned by an APC unit with a leaking battery. It released

I have had maybe 10 UPS units over the years but I would never buy another one. I was once severely poisoned by an APC unit with a leaking battery. It released an odorless vapor, had me in the hospital twice before I figured it out. Not a fan of APC quality anymore either. I don't trust the product, don't want to plug it into my equipment. Most everything I use now has a battery or will just reset on power failure anyway. The model he is referring to is the last UPS I owned and had some very serious QA issues; https://www.eevblog.com/forum/dodgy-technology/apc-ups-now-with-aluminum-wire/ https://www.eevblog.com/forum/dodgy-technology/apc-ups-now-w...

atesti 3y ago
What was this odorless substance and where did it come from? (just curious what to watch out for)
- underlogic 3y ago
  It came from a leak in the battery during charging. Exactly what the gas was is still unknown but it knocked me for six a couple of days after I received the unit. I thought about getting it tested and even suing but it took out my whole apartment and I just had to get rid of it and cut my losses. I was in the ER unable to stand and in quite a state, lost balance and coordination and was incoherent for a while. CAT scan w/contrast, it was a whole production on Thanksgiving at 3am. They monitored me for a couple days and sent me back to the apartment where all the symptoms immediately returned, and then I put it together and looked closer at the UPS. Underneath it was a couple of drops of black liquid that had come from the battery compartment and after returning to the ER again to go throw up some more I went back and took it straight to the garbage. I think it was one of those types of gas that can effect you in the PPM range. Totally odorless. This was the enterprise APC UPS, the model was SUA1500
  - zettabomb 3y ago
    The SUA1500 is a pretty reliable unit and I highly doubt that's the issue. If there was a problem with the battery, those were poor quality batteries, but nothing to do with the UPS and not a reason to avoid them if you have a good use. I've also never heard of such a gas being produced that was odorless, do you know this is what happened for sure or are you just speculating?
    - underlogic 3y ago
      I agree the SUA1500 is probably the best UPS APC made certainly my favorite but this happened. Surprised at all the doubt. I know because I smelled this liquid, it was odorless and about 5 minutes later I was pretty violently ill. Could it have all been a series of coincidence? I would bet a million dollars against it but technically sure. So it went in the trash and I was fine. This was a while ago and the unit came with batteries so that really isn't here nor there. In hindsight I should've made a big deal about it. I wrote a few angry emails and such but I was mostly relieved that I didn't die at that point and could care less about well quite a few hundred dollars at the time if I recall. This was a while back now somewhere around I want to say 2010ish. I had health insurance and no damages to show, lawyers are expensive. When you're actually in this kind of a situation very few people care to listen. There's nobody to call and very little to be gained from a fight anyway. I wasn't going to hand over the evidence to the company that made the product in exchange for another gd UPS. I had better things to do
      - userbinator 3y ago
        If it was the UPS then that may have been a rare allergy to something. Lead-acid batteries contain H2SO4 and can emit H2S when being charged vigorously; the latter is definitely not odorless, and the former won't have a smell but instead produce a burning sensation if you did inhale any vapors (which is difficult, since it has a very low vapor pressure at room temperature.)
e40 3y ago
Wow. What would you use? We had a bunch of Cyberpowers and they were absolutely crap. The failed at a high rate and had terrible software.
- underlogic 3y ago
  A UPS is really just a car battery and a voltage regulator. Actually the cheaper APC models have no voltage regulator which is why you should avoid them. It's obsolete technology. Modern regulated power adapters are enough just use a strip with a surge protector. If you really need something to protect your gear get a voltage regulator. But if the power drops frequently then maybe you do need a UPS idk. If you really do then the APC enterprise units. But I'd avoid if at all possible https://www.apc.com/us/en/product-range/61877-liner/?parent-subcategory-id=88969#overview https://www.apc.com/us/en/product-range/61877-liner/?parent-...
skottenborg 3y ago
How did you figure out the UPS was the cause?
- underlogic 3y ago
  When I came back from the ER I got sick again. The UPS only had arrived a couple of days before
NotYourLawyer 3y ago
[flagged]

atesti 3y ago

What was this odorless substance and where did it come from? (just curious what to watch out for)

underlogic 3y ago
It came from a leak in the battery during charging. Exactly what the gas was is still unknown but it knocked me for six a couple of days after I received the unit. I thought about getting it tested and even suing but it took out my whole apartment and I just had to get rid of it and cut my losses. I was in the ER unable to stand and in quite a state, lost balance and coordination and was incoherent for a while. CAT scan w/contrast, it was a whole production on Thanksgiving at 3am. They monitored me for a couple days and sent me back to the apartment where all the symptoms immediately returned, and then I put it together and looked closer at the UPS. Underneath it was a couple of drops of black liquid that had come from the battery compartment and after returning to the ER again to go throw up some more I went back and took it straight to the garbage. I think it was one of those types of gas that can effect you in the PPM range. Totally odorless. This was the enterprise APC UPS, the model was SUA1500
- zettabomb 3y ago
  The SUA1500 is a pretty reliable unit and I highly doubt that's the issue. If there was a problem with the battery, those were poor quality batteries, but nothing to do with the UPS and not a reason to avoid them if you have a good use. I've also never heard of such a gas being produced that was odorless, do you know this is what happened for sure or are you just speculating?
  - underlogic 3y ago
    I agree the SUA1500 is probably the best UPS APC made certainly my favorite but this happened. Surprised at all the doubt. I know because I smelled this liquid, it was odorless and about 5 minutes later I was pretty violently ill. Could it have all been a series of coincidence? I would bet a million dollars against it but technically sure. So it went in the trash and I was fine. This was a while ago and the unit came with batteries so that really isn't here nor there. In hindsight I should've made a big deal about it. I wrote a few angry emails and such but I was mostly relieved that I didn't die at that point and could care less about well quite a few hundred dollars at the time if I recall. This was a while back now somewhere around I want to say 2010ish. I had health insurance and no damages to show, lawyers are expensive. When you're actually in this kind of a situation very few people care to listen. There's nobody to call and very little to be gained from a fight anyway. I wasn't going to hand over the evidence to the company that made the product in exchange for another gd UPS. I had better things to do
    - userbinator 3y ago
      If it was the UPS then that may have been a rare allergy to something. Lead-acid batteries contain H2SO4 and can emit H2S when being charged vigorously; the latter is definitely not odorless, and the former won't have a smell but instead produce a burning sensation if you did inhale any vapors (which is difficult, since it has a very low vapor pressure at room temperature.)

e40 3y ago

Wow. What would you use? We had a bunch of Cyberpowers and they were absolutely crap. The failed at a high rate and had terrible software.

underlogic 3y ago
A UPS is really just a car battery and a voltage regulator. Actually the cheaper APC models have no voltage regulator which is why you should avoid them. It's obsolete technology. Modern regulated power adapters are enough just use a strip with a surge protector. If you really need something to protect your gear get a voltage regulator. But if the power drops frequently then maybe you do need a UPS idk. If you really do then the APC enterprise units. But I'd avoid if at all possible https://www.apc.com/us/en/product-range/61877-liner/?parent-subcategory-id=88969#overview https://www.apc.com/us/en/product-range/61877-liner/?parent-...

skottenborg 3y ago

How did you figure out the UPS was the cause?

underlogic 3y ago
When I came back from the ER I got sick again. The UPS only had arrived a couple of days before

NotYourLawyer 3y ago

[flagged]