FEATURE DATA CENTRE MANAGEMENT
WHY UPS MAINTENANCE SHOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY FOR DATA CENTRE MANAGERS
switch in a controlled and safe fashion, but are often left out of the design to save costs at the start of the project. Simple things can make a difference. By ensuring that basic labelling and switching schematics are up-to-date, disaster can be averted. Having clearly documented switching procedures available is recommended. If the site is extremely critical, a pilot - co pilot procedure (two engineers both check the procedure before carrying out each action) will prevent most human errors.
Riello’s Leo Craig tells Electrical Engineering why prevention is better than cure, when it comes to avoiding UPS failure and power outages within data centres
T
he UPS acts as the first line of defence in this environment, but as with any electronic
device, it is likely to need repair at some point during its product lifecycle. It is vital, therefore, that businesses have a robust maintenance regime in place to prevent downtime and ensure efficiency remains intact. Regardless of the sector in which they operate, data centres should be resilient by nature. This is fundamental to ensure operations remain fail-safe and continue to work in an efficient manner. As UPS systems are the backbone of minimising this risk, it is crucial to endeavour to keep up a regular and robust maintenance regime. As a data centre manager you will be aware of the importance of carrying out regular UPS maintenance, but it is also important to be aware of the specific checks and balances that can be put in place to make this task easier.
USING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY UPS maintenance is intrusive by nature, so reducing downtime is only a good thing. Common problems, including electrical components failing, are proceded with an
increase in heat. For example, If a connect point is not tightened properly, it will start to heat up and eventually fail in some way. It is not always possible to check every connection manually, which is where thermal image technology can come in handy. This technology can identify potential issues that would not necessarily be picked up using conventional methods.
HUMAN ERROR Whether it be engineers throwing a wrong switch, or carrying out a procedure in the wrong order, human error is the main cause of problems that occur during UPS maintenance procedures. It may seem easy to place the blame solely on the engineer when in fact errors of this kind are often the result of poor operational procedures, poor labelling or poor training. By tackling these issues from the offset and throughout the UPS installation, risks can be avoided. For example, if the system being installed is a critical system comprising large UPSs in parallel and a complex switchgear panel, castell interlocks should be incorporated into the design. Castell interlocks force the user to
SELECTING THE RIGHT MAINTENANCE By purchasing a maintenance package as part of a UPS contract, you can give yourself some piece of mind that if there is a failure an engineer will be on hand to respond as soon as possible. However, customers often believe they are getting a good deal from suppliers who claim to offer a four-hour response rate, but on closer inspection of the contract, the ‘response’ may be just a phone call. When selecting a maintenance package,
organisations need to ask what happens once their supplier has ‘responded’. Will there be a guaranteed fix and what is the timeframe? If they do not fix the UPS, what is the penalty? They need to look at the response times and evaluate how realistic they are. To address this issue, Riello has just released its Diamond UPS maintenance package. This promises not just an emergency response within a set four-hour timeframe, but a guaranteed fix time too.
LOOKING AHEAD With the cost associated with downtime on the rise not only in terms of revenue, but also company reputation, businesses need to be more aware of the importance of power protection and the benefits of a reliable, well maintained UPS. Complex industrial environments, such as data centres, will always require exceptional levels of resilience and reliability under all operating conditions. Having the right UPS and support in place
will give peace of mind that even when the worst happens, the impact on the business can be managed.
www.riello-ups.co.uk
30 APRIL 2018 | ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
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