Many people this weekend will reset their clocks to account for daylight savings time. A similar practice is for the local fire departments to remind people to change the batteries in smoke detectors. We're so used to these activities; we hardly give them thought anymore. I have one battery check you may not have thought about for a long while if ever. In fact, many people forget this device has a battery.

As is often the case with batteries, you don't realize they're dead till you need them. This was the case with me on Thursday. I was putting the final touches on tutorial and all of a sudden, I was in total darkness. This was a bit unsettling as I expected to hear beeping sounds and still have the glow of my monitor. It turns out the battery in my uninterruptible power supply (UPS) failed.

I always figured the UPS battery would kick in when I needed it as it had on so many other occasions. Depending on your make and model, your UPS system may have a battery replacement lamp indicator that lights when it's time to replace the battery. Some systems also provide an audible reminder. And in some cases, like mine, the feedback tools may fail too.

When you have 5 minutes this weekend, take a quick look at your unit. I would suggest that you note the model name and model number. These are key items you'll need when you buy a replacement battery. Once you have that info, do a quick test of the unit and see if it kicks in.

I've included the battery replacement web pages for popular home UPS systems at the bottom. While replacing the battery is an easy process, some companies also offer upgrade packages. These may be worthwhile if your power needs have changed. However, it's typically more economical if you replace the battery instead of buying a new UPS system. You should also take advantage of whatever services the company offers to recycle the old battery.

There are also companies that specialize in battery replacement so you're not necessarily tied to the manufacturer. I would do a quick price comparison using a service like Froogle and see if there is enough of a price differential including shipping costs. As with any online web retailer, remember to check out your retailers to make sure they're reputable and meet your standards.

Hopefully, this 5 minute test will save you from losing hours of work.

Additional Resources

• APC Battery Replacement
• Tripplite Battery Replacement
• Belkin Battery Replacement
• Froogle Replacement Battery Query
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