APC External Battery Pack, BR24BPG, Supplemental Battery for UPS Model BR1500G (Sold Separately)

The BR1500G UPS Backup and the BR24BPG supplemental battery pack, as well as the BX1500, are the subject of this lengthy review. Attempts to review these three units separately appear to have resulted in the last model's review being overwritten in favor of the most recent. As a result, this review will cover all three of them. Both the BR1500G and the BX1500G have significant differences. They are not the same, contrary to what some reviewers have claimed. I'm the proud owner of all three types. There's now a BM1500G model, which I haven't tried or bought, so I won't be including it in this review. br>br>Normally, all 1500VA APC models cost between $150 and $200. The majority of vendors will charge you $200. Each of the three boxes is a good device, but they are all unique. br>br>When discussing the BR1500G and the BX1500G, I'll only use the first two letters to avoid confusion. I'll refer to the BR24BPG as the expansion pack if I'm talking about it. I currently own two of each of the BRs, one of each of the expansion packs, and one of each of the BXs. br>br>The BR UPS backup has a unique connector that the BX and BM UPS backups don't have, which allows a battery expansion box to be added for three times the on-board battery capacity. Battery life is longer on the BR when compared to the BR on its own. When the BR and expansion box are used together, this connector makes the BR model a far better buy. Even without the expansion unit, the BR model is the best of the UPS boxes we've reviewed so far. If the BR is better, don't buy the BX or BM models. They're all capable UPSs in their own right. The BX does not support the battery expansion pack, charges MUCH slower, and lacks the AVR Trim function as well as the same level of surge suppression for coax and phone connections as the BR. br>br>I have one BR with an expansion pack, one BR on its own, and a BX model on its own. I use these UPSs to power a lot of my equipment. If you can afford both boxes, consider purchasing both the BR and expansion pack. It's possible that you won't be able to obtain them separately in the future. Yes, purchasing both costs twice as much, but it triples the amount of battery capacity. You'll have enough time. br>br>Both the BR and BX UPSs have two 9ah 12V batteries connected to form a 24V supply. When you add the battery expansion box to a BR model, you get four more of the same batteries. There are a total of six people in both interconnected units. With the addition of the expansion pack to the BR model, you can keep your devices powered for much longer. The battery expansion box is useless on its own and must be used in conjunction with a BR UPS. You're not going to raise the 1500VA of the BR. By adding the expansion unit, the output rating is increased to 865W. However, you will extend the time it takes for the devices connected to it to run. Both the BR and the expansion unit's six batteries will be charged and discharged completely by the BR. As a result, the BR charges quicker than the BX when used alone. The BR has better charging circuitry that allows it to charge up to 6 batteries simultaneously, whereas the BX was only designed to charge up to 2 batteries at a time and does so slowly. br>br>If any of the batteries in either UPS Backup fail (including the expansion unit), the UPS will notify you; if you need to replace the batteries in either UPS Backup, they slide in and out easily, keeping high currents away from you. The four batteries in the expansion unit, on the other hand, do not slide in and out. To change the batteries in the expansion unit, you'll have to open it up and replace them one at a time. I'm guessing that in order to fit four batteries into the same chassis as the UPSs, some sacrifices in ease of removal had to be made. Even so, the replacements aren't too difficult if you pay attention to where the wires came from and replace them in the same manner. Before pulling any wires, I usually take a photo for future reference. br>br>The batteries are rated to last three years in all three UPS and expansion boxes. However, if you get two years out of them, that is the norm. If your units are frequently charged and discharged due to power outages, they may not last two years. When your UPS indicates that your batteries are failing, you must replace all of them at once and as soon as possible. If even one battery fails, the system will be slowed down and will not be able to provide power for long periods of time. As soon as you receive a warning, replace all of the ones in the box. If you aren't going to use the boxes for a while, keep them plugged in and charged. The batteries will go bad if they are left uncharged for long periods of time, so keep them charged to get the most out of them. Some people use UPS backups as portable power supplies, unplugging them and using them when there is no AC power, then plugging them back in when they are close to AC power. You can do this, but deep-charging the batteries frequently and quickly can shorten their lifespan. br>br>In the BRs and BXs, there is a fan that runs even when the batteries are not charging or discharging. It appears that the temperature is being monitored. It's not much louder than my PC fans, but it may irritate people who are sensitive to white noise, and the only way to stop it is to turn off the UPS completely (which defeats the purpose of having a UPS). br>br>I have a BX and a standalone BR, both of which are equipped with a 3D printer, as well as lights and other accessories. All of my other important electronics (computer, audio/video, and some lights) are powered by the BR and the expansion pack. The BR/expansion pack provides about 90 minutes of battery backup time, and the BR/expansion pack provides about 30-minutes of battery backup time. From the BX and BR stand alones, it takes 60 minutes. I try to keep the backed up critical devices on UPSs at 50% of the available load. Make certain you do not hit the 100% mark on your display at any time. Overloading or running UPS backups at full capacity will eventually damage both the batteries and the UPS electronics. br>br>On all of these UPSs, the transition from battery power to line current is very quick. Even if there is a power outage, my electronics continue to function normally. I would have had no idea power had gone out if it hadn't been for the alarm. br>br>The sinewaves produced by these UPSs are all squared off. Although true AC is a sine wave, all of my devices appear to be fine with square wave approximations. However, keep in mind that some PCs and sensitive devices may require true RMS (sine wave) output in order to function properly. When using a UPS, devices with AC motors or fans may make a slight whirring noise because the UPS does not provide true AC. You'll need to invest in more expensive UPSs designed to keep sensitive electronics running in order to achieve true RMS. (The cost of 1500VA is typically over $350. ) That is true for the majority of electronics that require true RMS. However, not all of them do, and you might not realize it until your device refuses to run on UPS power. True RMS incoming power is not required for most home electronics. br>br>However, there was one point in the instructions and warranty information that bothered me. It states that all warranty repairs must be shipped to APC at the expense of the customer. It also states that you will receive a refurbished unit in return. They are responsible for the cost of returning it. It's not cool that APC will send you a refurbished unit after you pay for a new one. If the product is under warranty, they should cover both shipping costs and provide a new replacement. Because of this poor policy that isn't mentioned in the advertisements, I deducted a star. br>br>You don't need to install the software on a PC to use these UPS devices, but having the UPS connected to a computer gives you more tweaking options and information. It can provide information about the power history as well as record events in the Windows event viewer. The software allows you to keep track of long-term power problems and usage. It's a system tray icon that runs. Because I only use Windows 7 and 10, I don't know if Linux and Macs are supported. br>br>The black plastic cases are sleek and go well with black electronic gear. It looks a lot better than some of the other brands' clumsy packaging. No one would know these chassis aren't part of the electronics system if they were left out in the open. br>br>You can use a Kill-It-All-Kill-It-All kill-it-all kill-it-all kill-it Before purchasing a UPS, use a watt meter or something similar to determine the current draw of your equipment. Get the peak VA and wattage settings for each device you're going to put on a UPS. The UPS units are usually sold by their peak VA ratings, and occasionally by their wattage. Double the total amount of equipment you'll need and only purchase UPSs that can handle that amount. If you use more than about 50% of the UPSs rated load, your on-time rate will be lower than the UPSs rated load will be lower than the% The battery life has shrunk to the point where it is no longer practical. Also, don't try to use the backup sockets to run everything you own. Plan what you'll put in each socket (because their functions may differ depending on where they're plugged in). Only put your most important items on the backup side, and decide whether you need the Master/Slave on/off power-saving feature or if you can just turn it off like I did. Put surge protection only sockets on any devices that you can live without in the event of a power outage. Choose a device that you can live without during a power outage and move it from the battery backup sockets to the surge only side to get more up time. There's also a handy overload indicator that tells you if you're approaching the UPS's VA or wattage limit. br>br>Understanding how your devices use electricity will assist you in determining how to connect them to the UPS and may even provide you with useful information that will save you money. Microwave ovens, as well as major appliances such as water heaters, refrigerators, and washer/dryers, should not be connected to these UPSs. The power surges generated by these devices will far exceed the capacity of your UPS, causing it to fail. br>br>If you have a lot of equipment that needs to be powered by batteries, you should break down your power requirements into subsystems (such as the location of the equipment or the types of electronics). After that, each subsystem should be powered by its own UPS. It is far preferable to have several smaller UPS units, each running its own subsystem, than to have a single large UPS trying to power everything. Of course, replacing fewer batteries every two or three years with one large UPS would save you money in the long run. Also, avoid using extension cords that are too long or too cheap. These units also have some nice-looking information displays that show you a lot of information about what your power loads are doing as well as rough estimates of how much time is left on the batteries. You can program the display to stay on all of the time or only for a few seconds after pressing the button. Because the display consumes less than a watt, leaving it on all the time has no impact on your backup time; however, don't take the estimated number of minutes left too seriously. Unless your equipment has very consistent wattage drains, your wattage consumption may fluctuate, making it difficult to predict how much time you have left. br>br>Never connect two UPSs together or install any device that requires its own power conditioning. If you don't follow that advice, you risk killing your devices or starting a fire. Plug this unit directly into the wall socket. You cannot use an adapter in the United States to convert a three-prong socket to two prongs or one without the earth ground wire; you must use a three-prong socket for your and the equipment's safety. These boxes will have a lot of current flowing through them, so safety should be a priority. Also, instead of using power strips, connect each device directly to the UPS's back. Surge suppressors and line regulators in power strips can have a negative impact on how this unit handles power issues. If you must use an extension cord, make sure it is a high-amperage, heavy-duty cord with no surge protection. Extending cords and defective power strips or surge suppressors have ruined or rendered many backup UPS units useless, which may seem insignificant. If you don't take reasonable care of these units, 1500VA is a lot of current, and it could cause a fire. br>br>Keep flammable or meltable items away from UPS units, and don't cover them or stuff them into cabinets with no heat vents. They require air flow to operate safely, and they can get quite hot, particularly when charging and discharging. Also, make sure the house or business socket it's plugged into is wired for and capable of providing 15-amp power. In the United States, the equipment must be rated at 20 amps or it will keep tripping circuit breakers and blowing fuses in your home. If you use the higher voltage provided in some other countries, I'm not sure what the amperage drains are like. In conclusion, I like these APC units, especially with the expansion unit connected to a BR1500G. They come highly recommended from me. However, choose models with caution. As previously stated, a few different letters or numbers in the model number will usually distinguish those models.

Allyson Hogan

| Jul 31, 2021

I'm satisfied with the expansion pack's battery capacity - This is 4x more packs for the same price as the base unit's two. For those who are interested, there is a photo of the insides attached.

Edgar Bartlett

| Apr 10, 2021

One of the cells in the BR24BPG recently vented, filling the house with the lovely smell of hydrogen sulfide (not likely dangerous levels, but unpleasant nonetheless) and leaking enough sulfuric acid onto the shelf below to burn a hole right through the top layer, despite the lack of any battery health warnings. (This occurred while I was away, giving the acid time to work its magic. ) )br>br>Even after this, the BR1500G continues to advertise to the attached server that everything is fine, despite the fact that the battery has failed on its own LCD.

Sean Nielsen

| Nov 26, 2021

When I first plugged it into my BR1500G, I noticed a significant increase in capacity, which was to be expected. But then the battery started to drain, and after about a day or so, I was down to about zero bars. The BR1500G charged the BR24BPG after I unplugged and replugged it. However, it began to decline again over the next few days. I couldn't find much documentation, but someone on a forum suggested unplugging the UPS from the wall power source and forcing it to discharge some of its charge. I did this, and when I plugged the BR1500G back into the wall after discharging it, it immediately charged. It's been a month or two since then, and it's stayed fully charged and behaved as expected. If it weren't for this behavior, as well as the manufacturer's lack of clear documentation, I would have given it five stars.

Timothy Zamora

| Dec 25, 2021

Four 12v 9ah batteries are included in this battery pack. The batteries are CSB HR 1234W F2 models. The batteries in this battery pack, unlike those in the main UPS unit to which it connects, are not easily replaceable by the user. It's a letdown. They could have made it so the batteries slid out for easy replacement, as they do on the main UPS unit. However, with a little effort, the batteries can be easily replaced. Although you may break a small plastic tab or two on the front cover in the process, it will have no effect or cause any harm. Your two-year warranty is likely to have expired by the time you need to replace the batteries, so you have nothing to lose. 1. br>br> Remove the six screws from the unit's back.
2. Remove the front cover by prying it off with your fingers.
3. Place the unit on its side with the three front screws facing up.
4. Remove the three screws from the unit's front.
5. To remove the cover, slide it towards the unit's back.
6. Remove the leads from the battery's F2 terminals.
7. Remove the batteries from the system.
8. Reconnect the leads after installing new batteries. br>br>When I connected the unit to my BR1500G UPS, the PowerChute software estimated that my runtime would be roughly tripled. This is to be expected, given that the BR1500G comes with two batteries and the external battery pack adds four more. With a power draw of 233 watts, my reported runtime has increased to 96 minutes. There was no fan inside this external battery that I could find. Two Kung Long WP1236W batteries were included in the BR1500G. 36W at 12V 9Ah. Vietnam is the source of this product. Four CSB HR 1234W F2 12V 9ah 34W batteries were included in this external battery pack. br>br>It's still a five-star rating for me. Even so, I'm disappointed in how difficult it will be to replace the batteries when the time comes. br>br>I'm also curious if the BR1500G can alert the user when the external battery needs to be replaced, or if it just sends out a generic replace battery message for all batteries. I'm excited to see what other people have to say about it in the future.

Hope Mercer

| May 13, 2021