APC RBC7

I’ve been using these APC branded replacements without issue for a couple of decades now. They cost more, but peace of mind is worth it.I went the non-OEM “a battery is a battery and I like saving money” route several years back. I had 2 identical units that use these batteries and both of the non-APC replacements ended badly. They both lasted about as long as the OEM batteries, but instead of just testing bad and replacing them without incident, they both got so hot that I had to turn the units off and unplug them for 12 hours until they were cool enough to touch. They got so hot that all the rubber feet completely melted! Once I was able to access the battery compartments safely I found that both batteries were completely stuck. I forget exactly how I managed to get them out, but I do remember that they could be moved slightly from side to side and that it took quite some time to “rock” them out. Once I removed them the reason was apparent, both batteries had shorted out cells that had swelled as a result, effectively wedging them in place. No, they didn’t fail at exactly the same time, it was a fix the first one, assume it was just a one time thing, then not too long after there goes the other one kinda thing. The failures were so close together that I do consider it a single incident; only a week or two apart.I put new APC replacements in each, lesson learned! Both of those UPS units were replaced about 5 years ago. One of them (the oldest) experienced a rather violent failure involving a very loud “pop” and a puff of smoke, but that was after it was taken out of service. It had been failing to recover from total battery depletion on restoration of line power for quite some time before that (it had to be powered up manually. Unacceptable!) It blew when I was using it for battery maintenance on its now unused “backup” battery. The other wasn’t responding to its power button with any consistency; both were retired at the same time. I’m wondering just how much the extreme heat both units experienced had to do with their ultimate failures only a few years later.Both units were replaced with the latest version of the same APC units and both OG batteries are still testing good. The amount that they are depleted during the short bi-weekly tests indicate that they will need to be replaced soon, but 5 years is a good run. I’m very impressed, since the old units batteries generally needed to be replaced every 3 years. APC claims improved battery management has increased the useful lifetime of the batteries, I’m inclined to believe them.UPDATE (5/17/24):Unbelievably, the OG batteries in both replacement units are still going strong (nearly 7 years so far!) I had to find a way to keep the 3 shelved replacements healthy until they’re needed. Two were bought 17 months ago (now well beyond the 18 months after manufacture date that the risk of permanently damaging them due to over discharge becomes an issue.) On average, new batteries are about 4 months old by the time you receive them, so they’re both at 21 months. All 3 are currently being maintained, however, and have been since last August (well within the 18 month limit for the “new” ones.)I purchased a very nice battery charger/conditioner for this purpose. It wasn’t cheap, but the first time the old “retired” batteries were connected it topped off the first one (tested good) and failed the other (no question, I knew 100% what their status was.) The 2 “new” ones just needed topping off as well, so they haven’t experienced any degradation. This time all three topped off quickly; all in excellent condition. It also resurrected a NOS battery that I’d completely forgotten about many years ago. When I found the sealed box, I realized what it was (and that it was over 8 years old!) It was completely dead, but amazingly this charger fully restored it. It’s now installed in my oldest active service UPS and doing great, approaching 9 months now.If interested, do a search for “Optimate7”, the higher current 12v/24v version. You may think it’s not worth it, but I’ve already recuperated the purchase price (and a significant amount more!) Unfortunately, doing a recent search it seems that the model I purchased is now quite difficult to find, but there are some still available.I’ll update when the OG batteries in the current units finally need to be replaced and on how the newly installed “long term storage” replacement batteries appear to be doing.That’s all for now.

Perfect replacement battery for my SMT1500C. Hot swapping was easy and straightforward, despite the heavy battery. the Latch to pull the battery was on the wrong side but this was no problem, I just removed it and sticked it to the opposite side. The display indicated it recognized the new battery and wanted me to confirm. After a few hours I run the self-test and a firmware update with excellent results.

It's interesting to read the reviews for this battery assembly. The reviews are very polarized. All either 5-Star or 1-Star.Most of the bad reviews are from people who did not receive an actually APC branded replacement, with a couple upset customers who found that APC put the little slide label on the assembly backwards.This sounds like a case of Amazon's product co-mingling issue. I find product authenticity to always be suspect on something that is sold & shipped by amazon. They deal with tons of products and tons of vendors.I was happy with my purchase, but I suggest you do the following. If anything shows up at your door that is NOT a 100% genuine OEM battery assembly from APC, send it straight back to Amazon. DO NOT TRY TO INSTALL IT! Heck, if possible, don't even open it.This listing is for the read deal. You are paying full price for one of the best battery replacement options available. For that reason, do not accept any substitutes. 90% chance that Amazon sends you the right battery assembly. If you are part of the 10% that gets something else, don't wait for the product to under-perform before doing something about it. Send it back immediately so that Amazon can get you the right item.

Full disclosure: I literally used to work for APC, which is now owned by Schneider Electric, and the quality of the line-interactive Smart-UPS is just great. I am quite glad to have an SMT1500C and it has saved my PC at least twice from dropping during a weather-related power outage. This RBC is of the same quality - reliable and even though it's cumbersome, it's easy enough to install. What a user needs to know, however, is how to reset the battery monitor in the UPS when a replacement is put in and that can be confusing unless you know how to do it. And I would not use aftermarket batteries with my Smart-UPS. A factory RBC is always the best way to go.

I read the other reviews that stated the battery was manufactured "backwards". Once I received it to see for myself, it's the decals and the pull-assist strip that are mounted backwards. The battery terminals are correct and the battery fits inside the compartment just like it should, however, the pull-assist tab has to be peeled off in order to slide it in, and then of course you have no pull-tab to get it back out. Not a real problem though because you can eek it out by grabbing one of the ridges formed into the case. As far as battery life, it came with a 90% charge and passed the unit's self-test. Time will tell how much life I get out of it. The original battery started to give an "end of life" message after three years, so, if I get that with the replacement, I'm fine with it.