Understanding Your Field Service Report

As a follow-up to a preventative service or maintenance check, your business will receive a field service report (FSR). FSR’s are a summary to understand the condition and reliability of the UPS. In this article, we will go over all that is included and how to interpret an FSR.

The Basics

To start, a FSR will include basic unit information, the UPS’s location, and a brief description of the job itself regarding what is being inspected to what tests were run and their results. Ultimately, the report will provide recommendations as a result of the job’s inspection and test results.

Vital Equipment: UPS Batteries

Arguably the most important part of a UPS is the batteries. The UPS battery is the lifeblood of the UPS providing back-up power in the event of an outage. Making routine maintenance checks all the more important. Here’s what to looks for on a field service report as it pertains to a UPS’s batteries.

When receiving an FSR for the UPS’s batteries, the basic unit information will include:

Make & Model
Internal vs. External Battery Delineation
Age
Number of Strings

An inspection will cover 3 key areas when testing: visual inspection, battery testing, and a check of safety measures. A report should have accompanying clear images, date codes, and follow-up instructions if applicable. These supplemental materials help communicate the overall “health” of the UPS’s batteries

The results of the visual and performed tests allow the expert technician to make recommendations for the UPS to remain in optimal operating conditions.

Vital Equipment: Capacitors & Fans

Another vital component of UPS systems are their capacitors and fans. As UPS systems greatly vary in design and technology, so do the required number and size of capacitors and fans — making them uniquely important to each individual make and model.

To determine potential areas of concern, a technician will perform a general equipment evaluation, with the results being delineated in the FSR. During the checks, age VS design life, signs of overuse, and overall performance are all being evaluated. In the case of capacitor or fan failure, prevention is key — get yours checked.

Performed Test: Balancing UPS Loads

When performed properly, balancing UPS loads maximizes its output and avoids overuse, ultimately, increasing the UPS’s useful life. However, equipment configurations change overtime as parts age or wear or new components are swapped in.

Many failures can result from unbalanced loads from premature equipment failure to potential fault overload.

Maintenance service ensures balanced UPS loads, surveying for equipment overuse and running tests with the results outlined in the FSR.

Performed Test: Thermal Image Scanning

Thermal image scanning detects infrared radiation and, from that information, generates a corresponding image. Excessive heat to any mechanical or technological component can be extremely damaging, making it one of the most reliable tests in predicting impending equipment faults.

From the scans, technicians are looking and noting temperatures outside of component tolerances as defined by the manufacturer. As a result, adequate courses of action can be recommended in the FSR.

While these are just a few of the items completed during a maintenance inspection, it is crucial to grasp the importance of each UPS component and be able to recognize signs of damage or underperformance in order to ensure overall reliability of a back-up power system.

Assure the health and longevity of a UPS system with full-service UPS maintenance checks from QPS.