repair APC Smart-UPS: any dangers lurking inside?

Question

Moin

My trusty old APC Smart-UPS SU-1500 is still working fine generally, only that the C13/C14 output jacks in the back (made from plastic) have become so brittle as to crumble under the slightest pressure, so that one cannot plug in anything anymore.

So I want to try and wire in new sockets. SHould be easy enough, but:

After I remove the battery, and of course disconnect it from mains etc, *and* disconnect the battery-connection plug/socket safety at the back....

Could there still be any dangers (large, slow-dissipation) capacitors lurking inside that might give me a nasty surprise (I know camera flashlights are dangerous that way), or should it be safe after 1-2 days off any power-source?

thanks

Tom Horne · Accepted Answer

Much depends on whether or not the engineer who designed it included bleede r resisters to drain the large capacitors. If you are comfortable working inside the electronics you need only shunt the capacitors out of the circui t by attaching clip leads across the capacitor terminals. Very large capac itors are shipped with a shorting bar across the terminals so that they can not build up a charge by exposure to strong electromagnetic fields and then discharge that charge through the first human being who then tries to hand le them during storage or installation.

repair APC Smart-UPS: any dangers lurking inside?

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