It will spend most of its life sitting quietly as you use it. However, if you hear your UPS battery backup start beeping continuously, it’s letting you know there’s a problem.
A UPS battery backup will beep continuously if there’s a power outage and the battery is discharging. The same will also happen when the battery is low on power or if it’s faulty and needs to be replaced. Some UPS models will also beep continuously when it fails a self-test or experiences a fluctuating incoming power supply.
Whether you find your UPS beeping every 10 seconds or at different intervals, this guide will help you understand why it’s happening and how to silence the beeping.
What Does A UPS Beeping Mean?
UPS stands for Uninterruptible Power Supply. It’s main function is to keep a consistent flow of power to whatever device is plugged into it – even during a utility power outage.
And it has a means of letting you know when an outage has occurred.
A UPS battery backup will use beeping as a coded way of communicating its status to you. But unfortunately, those UPS beep codes aren’t universal. That means the various UPS manufacturers can assign different meanings to the beeps you hear from their devices.
Despite the codes’ differences, the beeps you hear from a UPS backup battery generally mean the same handful of different things.
So, here’s what it means when your UPS is beeping and what you can do to resolve its causes:
Related: 3 Ways To Use Battery Backup For Starlink
#1 The Backup Battery Is In Use
Why it’s beeping: The first reason your UPS is continuously beeping is that the backup battery is in use.
Remember: the purpose of a UPS backup battery is to supply battery power to your devices and appliances during a power outage.
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So, when the power supply to your home or building stops and the backup battery kicks in, it’ll start beeping continuously to let you know that it’s working.
How to stop it: In this scenario, the beeping will only stop once the incoming power supply is restored. Sadly, restoring utility power is not in your control.
In the meantime, however, most UPS models temporarily allow you to mute the beeping noise. You can look for a button on the front panel or refer to the user manual to know how to do so.
Read: What Happens When UPS Battery Fails?
#2 The Backup Battery Is Low On Power
Why it’s beeping: When a power outage occurs, the UPS backup battery will kick into action for a limited period. That period depends on the battery capacity in your unit.
As the battery drains and reaches its lowest levels, it’ll also beep continuously to warn you that it’s almost out of power.
The purpose of that beeping is so you can proceed to shut down your connected devices and appliances safely, protecting them from any damage.
How to stop it: Again, this kind of continuous beeping results from a power outage that you have no control over. Still, you usually have the option of muting the beeping temporarily.
Let’s suppose you still have devices running on the UPS battery power. In that case, you should shut those devices down immediately as well.
Read: What Are UPS Battery Failure Symptoms?
#3 The Backup Battery Must Be Replaced
Why it’s beeping: Your UPS can also beep continuously even when there isn’t a power outage. Most UPS models will beep when the internal battery is worn out and needs a replacement.
Typically, the UPS will monitor its battery health based on two factors: battery age and battery voltage. The UPS will sense when the battery reaches the end of its lifespan or has a drop in performance (i.e. a voltage that’s too low) and warn you by continuously beeping.
How to stop it: You can stop the beeping by replacing the backup battery with a new one. Your UPS model will likely allow you to temporarily mute the beeping. However, the sound will resume after a while until you replace the battery.
Replacing the battery is pretty straightforward, and you can do it at home. The process involves removing the front panel of the UPS and detaching the battery connector.
Then, you can connect the new battery and fit it into the UPS casing.
Read: Why UPS Battery Gets Hot?
#4 The UPS Failed A Self-Test
Why it’s beeping: The following reason your UPS battery backup is continuously beeping is that it failed a recent self-test.
Many UPS backup battery models come with self-testing features. Those features will help monitor your UPS battery health to quickly alert you to any problems.
UPS self-test features will run automatically on a fixed schedule, typically every two weeks.
When a UPS fails a self-test, it’s likely because the internal battery is not functioning correctly or another internal fault within the UPS.
How to stop it: You can stop the continuous beeping by identifying the reason behind the failed self-test and then resolving it. The constant beeping warns you of a problem, but you’ll have to rely on other indicators to understand what that problem is.
For example, you can check the UPS front panel indicator lights to see the problem. On models with a display, you’ll likely find a notification or error code that explains the cause of the self-test failure.
Once you resolve that root cause and the UPS has a successful self-test, the beeping will stop.
Read: How To Reset APC Battery Backup?
#5 Faulty Circuit Or Fluctuating Power Supply
Why it’s beeping: Aside from beeping non-stop, you might find the UPS beeping every 20 seconds. That will depend on the UPS beep codes that apply to your particular model.
The final reason your UPS beeps continuously is a problem with the incoming power supply. For instance, the circuit supplying the UPS might be faulty. Besides that, the incoming power supply might also have voltage or input frequency fluctuations.
How to stop it: You can stop the beeping by ensuring that the UPS receives a continuous and stable incoming power supply. For example, try plugging your UPS into a wall socket on a different circuit in your home or building.
If that doesn’t work, you’ll likely have to engage a qualified technician to troubleshoot your electrical system. The root cause of the problem is likely with your building’s electrical supply or the power supply from your local utility company.
Read: How To Tell If UPS Battery Needs Replacing?
Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)
Here are a few additional questions and answers to help you understand why your UPS is beeping continuously:
How Do I Get My UPS To Stop Beeping?
You can temporarily mute your battery backup beeping by pressing the relevant button on your UPS front panel. However, the UPS will continue beeping after a while. To stop it permanently, you’ll have to identify and resolve the root cause of the beeping, whether that’s a drained battery or other internal faults.
Why Is My UPS Making A High-Pitched Noise?
Aside from beeping, UPS battery backups sometimes emit a high-pitched noise. Depending on your UPS model, that noise might be an alarm that’s been triggered. Or, it could be the typical high-pitched sound coming from the internal battery as it charges.
How Do I Reset My Battery Backup?
You can reset your UPS backup battery by shutting it off and removing the internal battery for a few minutes. Doing that will reset the electronic components of most UPS models. However, some models might require you to press and hold a reset button (if they have one).
Is It Normal For UPS To Buzz?
Yes, a low-level buzzing noise is entirely normal for a UPS. That sound comes from the internal battery as it charges and also from its electronic components. As long as the buzzing isn’t too loud and there are no other alarms, there’s nothing for you to worry about.
Read: Can A UPS Last For 3 Hours?
What Does Red Light In UPS Mean?
A red light on a UPS typically means an internal problem. However, you must look at the label for that red indicator light to understand what it means. For some models, it could simply mean that the battery runs low on power or needs to be replaced.
Related: How To Size A UPS Battery Backup