It was working BEFORE we moved...

[unixronin]

We have a 3KVA uninterruptible power supply that keeps my server rack running.  It was working fine before we moved, running off a dedicated NEMA L5-30 outlet connected to a 30A breaker that I'd wired into the breaker panel.  Yesterday, I finally got around to wiring in a similar 30A dedicated UPS outlet here, checked with a meter to make certain I had correct voltage and polarity, and plugged the UPS into it to charge.

The UPS powered on with a rather disconcerting bang, charged apparently normally for a while, then shut itself down complaining of unbalanced load.  It has subsequently refused to pass its power-on self-test, complaining about the same unbalanced load, whether there is a load connected to its outputs or not.

It goes without saying that this is most annoying.  While we do technically have the money to replace it with a reconditioned UPS (about $550) or have this one reconditioned ($430), I'd really rather keep that money in the bank in case we need it for a real emergency or for, say, heat.

Comments

[mrmeval.livejournal.com]

As far as you know you wired it correctly? Do you feel comfortable taking it apart? If so see if what banged left a mess.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

I've opened it up and poked around inside, and there's nothing visibly burst, leaked, burned, broken, loose etc. And yes, I verified very carefully that it was correctly wired. (Honestly, you've got to be pretty dense to wire an L5-30 wrong. They're very well labelled.)

What we're probably going to do is replace it with another used unit of the same type, but in considerably better shape than this one. (About $330 plus shipping.)

[mrmeval.livejournal.com]

I was guessing a capacitor or connection had cooked off. I doubted it was miswired. Moving electronics seems to cause problem, just carting stuff from a customers home to the shop could either break them or worse fix them.

[olafthunderfoot.livejournal.com]

have ya tried whacking it with a hammer?

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

That tends not to work well with expensive computer equipment. :)

[olafthunderfoot.livejournal.com]

it was a passing thought!