First let me say that I support computer networks as part of my professional career and we use a lot of these UPS units (both the 1000VA and the 1500VA models) for some years now. In our business environment we have mandated monthly generator tests (typically 30 minutes) and this means that we put these to the test because we install them in many locations that do not have generator coverage and they have to keep things running while the tests are conducted. I also use one of these in my home office that I purchased 4 years ago and did not need to replace the battery yet. I never turn off any of my home office equipment and while I sometimes find the microwave clock reset due to a power outage, the office equipment is up and running like nothing happened. So, although there are many reviews about these UPS devices, I will try to make my review useful for both models and I hope it is helpful to someone looking for a UPS and is confused with all the choices out there.
How many VA you need:
No one can give you a specific answer on that because most loads will be rated in Watts (you can find the wattage in the lapel or the manual of your "load") and that can mean different amount of VA depending on the type of load. The UPS is rated in VoltAmperes (VA) which does not help a whole lot for real life AC loads. There is a difference between VA and W depending on the phase angle and the type of load but I will not bore you with that. Generally, for inductive loads you can multiply the VA by 0.8 and get a safe number of how many Watts of load you can connect. In most cases you will not connect inductive loads like motors so if you go with the VA x 0.8 rule you cannot go wrong. To give you a real world example, I have a BR1000G (1000VA) UPS in my home office and I have connected 2 40" LED monitors, 1 65" LED Samsung TV and 2 desktop computers. The UPS displays 460 Watts of load and it translates that to 56% of total capacity. Don't forget that as you connect stuff to the UPS, you will be able to see the load level on its screen. It is also recommended not to use more than 70% of the load capacity constantly. Keeping the load at 70% or less of the UPS capacity, will prolong battery life and power duration during outages and also, will allow to withstand an added 30% of temporary spikes in power demand.
Placement:
You should be aware that these units will work great and live long as long as you do not install them in places where ambient temperature exceeds 75 degrees regularly. I have seen many fail after a few months and they were all installed in a closet or attic including one that I had inside a multimedia cabinet at my home. Any other unit my team and I has installed in an air conditioned area or just in an open space like an office, has worked for at least a couple of years without an issue and all we ever had to do was replace the batteries and get it back in service working like new. So, keep it in a cool place if possible and make sure it is standing up because it has bents from the bottom and top forcing hot air to escape and cool air to enter.
User Interface:
The user interface is very simple with only 3 buttons and can give you basic and advanced information if you need it. At default, the screen displays the line input voltage (typically 110V to 120V), a graph showing the load and a graph showing the battery charge level. Here is what else you can see on the display by pressing the menu button (left button on the top).
1) Event counter: Typically shows how many times the UPS had to switch to battery power.
2) Estimated run time in minutes. This depends on the load. The more stuff you connected to the UPS the less time it will provide power to them until the battery is depleted.
3) Current load in Watts.
4) Current load in percentage.
5) Output voltage
6) Output frequency
The center button is the power on/off and it is not that easy to press because it does not extrude from its housing. To power off, you must hold it in for 2 seconds and to power on you must hold it for about half a second. There is also a silence button which is very useful because the beeping can drive you nuts when main power is out and it is using the batteries.
Connecting your stuff:
Note that as you look at the UPS from the back, only the left side outlets will remain powered during a power outage. The right side outlets (marked "Surge Only") are nothing more than line voltage outlets that have a surge protection circuit. For example, you should plug in your computer main unit and monitor on the left side outlets marked as "Battery Backup" and heavy loads like your laser printer on the right side marked "Surge Only". Keep in mind that the least load you plug in the "Battery Backup" outlets, the more time the batteries will be able to keep running on a single charge.
There is also a Master outlet control function that you can select by holding the Menu button in for 2 seconds and calibrate it when holding it in for 6 seconds. What that does is to control power to the "Master Controlled" marked outlets depending on the load of the "Master" outlet. So if you wish, you can calibrate it so when your computer that is plugged in the "Master" outlet is off and does not draw any current, the UPS will also turn off power to the "Master Controlled" outlets. When you turn on your computer, the UPS will see the current drawn at the master outlet and will turn on power to the rest of the outlets. However, I should say here that I never needed to use this function and I am not that excited about it because many things like small copiers and advanced printers, need to be powered off by their power button and abrupt power outages (caused by the cut off of the "Master Controlled" outlets) can damage them.
Replacing batteries:
Batteries are super easy to install, at the time of this review you can get them on Amazon at 46 bucks for both the1500VA and the 1000VA model (search for "BR1500G Battery" and look for the ones with the green label). To install them, unplug the UPS, power it off and slide the battery cover (located underneath) off the unit. Pull the battery pack from the plastic tabs and just drop the new battery pack in. You cannot put it in the wrong way and unlike other UPS units, you need no tools and you do not have to play around with cables because the battery pack has an integrated connector.
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From the manufacturer
APC Back-UPS Pro Tower 1500VA (BR1500G)
Premium Power Protection
The Back-UPS Pro 1500VA provides guaranteed power for computers, external hard-drives and other electronics, including your wireless router, so you can stay connected to your network and IoT devices when you need it most. The Back-UPS Pro 1500 (BR1500G) has enough battery run-time to give you plenty of time to save your files and graceful shut down a full-sized desktop computer and monitor. Additionally, your internet router can run for hours longer to keep you connected to what matters most.
At your Desk
Give yourself the time to save documents and gracefully shut down your computer without the harsh impact on your electronics of sudden power loss
Gaming System
Consoles, Gaming PC's, connected hard-drives and your Twitch stream all stay on when the lights go out
Wireless Router & IOT Devices
If the power goes out, stay connected to the internet and keep wifi-connected smarthome devices working by connecting your modem/wifi router to a UPS
Television and Cablebox/DVR
Don't lose your DVR recordings when the power flickers. A connected cable/satelite box will continue recording, even when the house is dark
Back-UPS Pro BR1500G
Compare APC Back-UPS
1500 VA / 865W | Battery Power | 700VA / 420W |
1 hrs 13 mins | Runtime at 100 watts | 33 Minutes |
5 / 5 | Battery/Surge Outlet | 3 / 3 |
Yes | LCD Display | Yes |
10/100/1000BASE-T | Dataline Surge Guard | 10/100/1000BASE-T |
Yes | Voltage Regulation | Yes |
No | USB Charging Port | No |
1500 VA / 865W | Battery Power | 1000VA / 600W |
1 hrs 13 mins | Runtime at 100 watts | 56.7 Minutes |
5 / 5 | Battery/Surge Outlet | 4 / 4 |
Yes | LCD Display | Yes |
10/100/1000BASE-T | Dataline Surge Guard | 10/100/1000BASE-T |
Yes | Voltage Regulation | Yes |
No | USB Charging Port | No |
1500 VA / 865W | Battery Power | 1300VA / 780W |
1 hrs 13 mins | Runtime at 100 watts | 1 hrs 26 mins |
5 / 5 | Battery/Surge Outlet | 5 / 5 |
Yes | LCD Display | Yes |
10/100/1000BASE-T | Dataline Surge Guard | 10/100/1000BASE-T |
Yes | Voltage Regulation | Yes |
No | USB Charging Port | No |
1500 VA / 865W | Battery Power | 865 Watts / 1500 VA |
1 hrs 13 mins | Runtime at 100 watts | 1 hrs 26 mins |
5 / 5 | Battery/Surge Outlet | 5 / 5 |
Yes | LCD Display | Yes |
10/100/1000BASE-T | Dataline Surge Guard | 10/100BASE-T |
Yes | Voltage Regulation | Yes |
No | USB Charging Port | No |
Customer reviews
Contacted APC (Schneider Electric) support regarding the bullet point "APFC compatibility" above here on the Amazon product page, and their response was: "we are not advertising APFC from our product specs", "we cannot control [what online resellers say]", and "recommended instead to consider a pure sinewave SmartUPS".I do not know where Amazon and other major resellers got the info that the BR1500G "ensures electronics that have active PFC power requirements will not unexpectedly shutdown" but APC does not seem to agree with it. Just FYI.
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Lara Gates
APC Back UPS 1500VA Battery Pack
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2013Size: BR24BPGStyle: External BatteryVerified Purchase
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Buy an additional battery pack to give longer running time
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Brilliant
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Don't go for APC and definitely not this model
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Defective product: Main circuit board broke down twice. Post warranty - It's a dead product!
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