Comments on: Scrounging a UPS

By: Cam

Cam — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:22:36 +0000

I took apart a similar UPS the other day… Looked almost the exact same. Same philips chip, fets with “heatsink” plates, ceramic cap, looks to be the same transformer… except it was a different UPS. Like, smaller / smaller batteries / few different circuit components. Eerily similar, though. I only kept the transformer, circuit breaker, a big ceramic cap, and the steel housing for very unrelated reasons.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:00:08 +0000

I’m pretty sure the transformers in UPSs are used both ways — 120V -> 12V && 12V -> 120V… Would need the 12V to charge the battery from mains..

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By: Norman

Norman — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 04:13:09 +0000

I believe the 14v -> 120v transformer that I salvaged was on the order of 500-1000VA, meaning that the output current (if used as 120v -> 12v) could be up to 100A (input to the UPS is on a 10A breaker at 120VAC).

Also, did you ever figure out what the 3 pin power caps are for?

By: dfowler

dfowler — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:36:14 +0000

Mike,

The transformers should work in either direction. The only concerns would be the intended current in each of the windings. Be very careful while playing with 110VAC.

By: Mike Yancey

Mike Yancey — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:31:27 +0000

I just received a couple of rack-mount UPSs like this, with similar HUGE transformers. I wonder: a) can the transformer (reliably) be used in reverse? (120V down to 12V) and b) what would be the approximate current rating.

Mine were discarded by the company I work for (a large corp), probably due to end-of-life of the batteries and the fact that the computer interface is serial, not USB or Ethernet.

By: Norman

Norman — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:48:12 +0000

I just recently salvaged a APC Back UPS 500, took one battery out of it, a similar 14-16v -> 120VAC transformer, 4several NDP6051 (50V 48A) N-MOSFETs, 1 or 2 7400 IC’s, some various other resistor/capacitor type parts almost not worth saving, switches, and the case itself which with the transformer makes the perfect case for a homemade benchtop power supply.

In terms of UPS’s, the newer plastic cased UPS’s won’t always have beefy transformers, and also they won’t make the most useful cases.

By: dfowler

dfowler — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:50:14 +0000

Berni,

Wow… Guess what, we are planning something like that. This UPS was not selected for that potential use but I have anohter, even bigger one that we plan to do somethink like that with.

By: Berni

Berni — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 20:46:37 +0000

Why not use it as a inverter to get mains from your baterys and wind gerenator.