PDU & UPS life expectancy

[TDrake]

Does anyone know the average useful life of a PDU power distribution unit and UPS?

 

[petersonra]

Does anyone know the average useful life of a PDU power distribution unit and UPS?

A good UPS can last indefinitely as long as the batteries are replaced periodically.

PDUs can last a long time too.

I suspect that there are some pretty good numbers you can get from a manufacturer for a specific unit. I don't know that you can extrapolate that to an average for all UPS and PDU.

 

[Jraef]

A good UPS can last indefinitely as long as the batteries are replaced periodically.

PDUs can last a long time too.

I suspect that there are some pretty good numbers you can get from a manufacturer for a specific unit. I don't know that you can extrapolate that to an average for all UPS and PDU.

And in addition, I think the life expectancy can be though of as being directly proportional to the number of digits to the left of the decimal point in the price tag: meaning the cheaper it is, the shorted it can be expected to last. Or conversely, I can give you one that will last for a thousand years, if the check is big enough...

 

[Haji]

Does anyone know the average useful life of a PDU power distribution unit and UPS?

The IRS may have the details of useful life of those equipment in their 'equipment depreciation life' list.

 

[petersonra]

And in addition, I think the life expectancy can be though of as being directly proportional to the number of digits to the left of the decimal point in the price tag: meaning the cheaper it is, the shorted it can be expected to last. Or conversely, I can give you one that will last for a thousand years, if the check is big enough...

much of the cost of any UPS is in the batteries. and they are items that require periodic replacement.

 

[ron]

I find most UPS's reach the end of their useful life when replacement parts become a problem to get. Usually 20 years. By that time, the realization that efficiency is in the toilet relative to current model equipment also lends itself to replacement

PDU's have much less solid state material, so I've seen most PDU's go longer.

 

[petersonra]

I find most UPS's reach the end of their useful life when replacement parts become a problem to get. Usually 20 years. By that time, the realization that efficiency is in the toilet relative to current model equipment also lends itself to replacement

battery technology changes enough over that period of time that it is often hard to get replacement batteries that are optimally compatible with the charging circuits of the old UPS.

at some point, even if the thing is still working, it makes some kind of sense to rip it out and start over. In some cases, a good analysis of what is really needed may well result in a much smaller UPS or the realization that one is not even needed anymore.

 

[ron]

battery technology changes enough over that period of time that it is often hard to get replacement batteries that are optimally compatible with the charging circuits of the old UPS.

Interesting. Although battery technology is progressing in the electric car market and utility scale energy storage, UPS's have been using the same old VRLA or flooded lead acid batteries for a very long time with only a little light at the end of the tunnel.