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October 8, 2009 7:45 AM

How do I connect the replacement batteries in my UPS?

I have a Belkin f6c1500-tw-rk UPS. It needs two replacement batteries, which I have. But the original batteries were removed by someone else, so I don't know how they were connected.

I do have the manual. See Figure 3 for my model. The directions say to connect "red to red and black to black."

There are 4 battery terminals (2 on each battery) Each battery has one red and one black terminal of course.

There are 4 cables. Two (one red, one black) are connected to the UPS itself, that means I have 6 cable ends free.

The diagram shows that two of the cable ends are plugged into each other.
At first I thought I would do this for a series connection:

Red end from UPS to red (positive) terminal on Battery 1
Black (negative) terminal on Battery 1 to red (positive) terminal on Battery 2
Black (negative) terminal to black (negative) end coming from UPS

That uses up 4 of my cable ends, with two left over. So it seems that, as in the diagram, I need to plug two ends in to each other. But how would that work? Should one cable just be an extension?

I don't think I can hook them up in parallel because there aren't enough terminal connectors, plus if I hook it up in parallel then I need all 6 cable ends for the terminals, and wouldn't have two cable ends plugged together as in the diagram.

posted by lockedroomguy to technology (6 comments total)

Usually UPS batteries are in series so your plan seems right. I'd assume that your two replacement batteries had a cable to connect the two, and your two old ones did as well, so that would account for the extra cable.
posted by reptile at 7:57 AM on October 8

But I don't see a way to connect the two batteries together. The batteries have all flat surfaces except for the terminals. (I still have the original batteries and they are the same.)
posted by lockedroomguy at 8:01 AM on October 8

And wouldn't the connection from negative on Battery 1 to positive on Battery 2 take care of any need for the batteries to be connected to each other?
posted by lockedroomguy at 8:15 AM on October 8

With the ones I've replaced, there's been a little 1-2" cable with two terminal connections that just loops from one to the other (like in fig 4 on your manual).

I see what you mean re: an extension now. It's possible, if a single cable won't reach from the terminal on one battery to the other.
posted by reptile at 8:15 AM on October 8

Yes, I like Figure 4 too but it is for a different model.

As long as my series connection looks like it makes sense I'm willing to give it a try, and just use an extension wherever I need it. I just didn't want to be connecting these in a way that they will not work, or explode, or whatever.
posted by lockedroomguy at 8:31 AM on October 8

Figure 3 is for your model, and it does look like one is used as an extension. You can see the connector on the end of the battery on the right. So your way of connecting it is proper.
posted by Climber at 1:26 PM on October 8