If you are experiencing trouble with an APC Battery Backup Unit (also known as a UPS), use the following steps to help diagnose the problem:


Check the light(s) on the front of the unit. This will help determine the problem.


  1. No Lights.

    This can occur if the APC is turned off, if the rear breaker switch has been tripped, or if the APC isn't plugged into a working power source.

    a)  First try to turn the APC on by pressing the circle button on the front for less than 1 second. If the APC doesn't turn back on after 2 or 3 tries, move on to the next step.
    b)  Check to make sure the breaker switch on the rear of the APC hasn't tripped. To do this, look on the rear of the APC and locate a recessed circle in the middle of where the power cables plug in. You will see a button inside the recessed circle. Use your finger to press the button back in and then try to turn the APC back on following step i) above.
    c)  If neither step above fixed the problem, locate the main power cable which can be found in the back of the APC at the bottom, and follow it to the other end where you should find the plug. Make sure that it's plugged in securely to a known good power outlet. If you are unsure about the power outlet, you can try connecting another device temporarily to check for power. Try to turn the APC back on following step i) above.

  2. "On Line" showing Green.

    As long as there are no other lights shown with this, the APC is working correctly.

  3. "On Battery" showing Orange.

    This can occur if either the read breaker switch has been tripped, or if the APC isn't plugged into a working power source. This will usually be accompanied by 3 long beeps occurring around every 5 seconds or so.

    a) First check to make sure the breaker switch on the rear of the APC hasn't tripped. To do this, look on the rear of the APC and locate a recessed circle in the middle of where the power cables plug in. You will see a button inside the recessed circle. Use your finger to press the button back in and then check on the front of the APC to see if the "On Battery" light has turned off, and the "On Line" light has came back on.
    b) Locate the main power cable which can be found in the back of the APC at the bottom, and follow it to the other end where you should find the plug. Make sure that it's plugged in securely to a known good power outlet. If you are unsure about the power outlet, you can try connecting another device temporarily to check for power. Now check on the front of the APC to see if the "On Battery" light has turned off, and the "On Line" light has came back on.

  4. "Overload" showing Red.

    This can occur when a device connected to the APC has caused an Overload, or too many devices are connected to the APC causing an Overload.

    If you recently connected a high power device to the APC, or turned on a high power device connected to the APC, turn it off and disconnect it from the APC. APC's are only to be used for computers and networking equipment. High powered devices such as Copy Machines, Heaters, and Microwaves should not be connected to an APC, and they should be connected either to a surge protector or directly into a wall outlet. Once you have turned off and disconnected the offending device, you may need to reset the APC by turning it off and on. To do this press the circle button on the front for less than 1 second to both turn it off and turn it back on.

  5. "Replace Battery" showing Red.

    This shows when the internal battery needs to be replaced.

    The APC will usually function fine in this state, however this light will usually be accompanied by periodic chirp noises. To request a battery replacement, please either create a request from the Helpdesk Portal or contact the Helpdesk.

If non of the above steps resolve your issue, please create a ticket or contact the Helpdesk.