READ before replacing battery or PSU

Some 2 years and 8 months ago the NBN was installed in our area. A backup battery power supply unit (PSU) was also fitted. This was to power the internet and phone for about 5 hours in the event the electricity failed.

However just recently a rather annoying beeping sound emanated from a box behind our big TV and wall unit which is tough to move to gain access. It was not something I wanted to consider, so I thought or hoped I could ignore this incessant beep but I couldn't, as I knew what it meant. Yep, work and effort to resolve. Bugger!

On further examination and help from google and the NBN user guide, the beep that was sounding every 15 minutes was a battery flat or defective warning. Also confirmed by a red led indicating replace battery. Yep more trouble alright and more investigation.

Upon reading the guide and more googling, I performed the following steps in hope for a cure, preferably quick and inexpensive.

1) First was a PSU reset by holding both 'Alarm Silence' and 'Battery Emergency Use' buttons down for between 5-10 seconds. After about 7 secs I heard multiple beeps but the red led did not go off.

2) I then turned off the mains power for a few minutes and then back on. Nope that didn't kill the red led or beeping either. My thoughts of a new battery seemed inevitable.

I then began pondering whether it should have gone flat or become defective so soon.

One post stated the cost of a new battery was $50-$80 so it wasn't a quick and cheap change and let's suck it and see deal. Then how long would a new battery last? Replacing it every few years neither seemed a just proposition or reasonable in this day and age, so on the investigation went.

Then reading "if you still have the "backup replacement" light on after changing the battery, then please contact our Tech Support team on 1800 TFIBRE (1800 834 873) as the PSU may need replacement."

So was it the battery or PSU?

What were my rights and who was liable? Should I be contacting NBN and kicking up, getting a new battery replaced for FREE under consumer law or a new unit? Was there a battle in the wind or should I suck up the cost of a new battery and save my energy?

But was this rechargeable battery buggered in need of replacement, wherever it may come from, or could it be salvaged? This seemed to be the first thing I needed to establish.

I was one who always liked to get to the specific root of the problem, not just replace this and that hoping to strike it lucky type of guy.

So from looking at the guide the battery was a big boy, a 12v@7.2AH sealed lead acid type. It was then I remembered from many moons ago when I changed a 12v@1.2AH battery in my home alarm, after some 10 years of faithful use. And after that experience, I learnt of the memory effect that Nicads and rechargeable batteries suffered from, effectively reducing their capacity to hold a charge and rendering them in a state of being defective. A troublesome effect even with mobile phones.

So surely the battery can't be stuffed this early in. So what of cycling the battery to clear the possible memory effect I thought. Maybe this will help re-condition the battery through a series of discharging and charging phases. I was game to give this process a whirl.

3) So the mains power was switched off. The red led was still on and in addition to the System Status (green led) from before, the Battery Power (green led) was now on. The cordless phone and internet was working for about an hour before I headed out.

On my return some hours later, a number of green leds on the modem were out. There was no internet and the phone would not dial out, only hearing a loud tone.

I switched on the mains and presto. The red led and beeping was gone and in a few minutes the modem was up. That was about 2 days ago now. Yes, it took a modicum of reading but no pulling the unit apart, replacement hassles or costs.

Good for me and hope this works for you too!

Updates - Extending the life of the battery
==================================

Mon 13/8/18
At about 7pm dreaded beep and red led returned, with a period of 15 mins between beeps too.

At 7:30pm the mains to the PSU was switched off. A 3 second beep was heard followed by 2 green leds (system status and battery power) and 1 red led (replace battery).

From about 7:45pm 4 beeps sounded every minute or so and green battery power led was flashing.

The charge in the battery powering the PSU (Internet & Phone) lasted about 3 1/4 hrs before hitting the sack.

The following morning the PSU was checked at about 6:30am before turning the mains power back on. There were 3 leds on (2xG,1xR).

Sat 27/09/18 [45 days duration]
It's back! Heard early in morn.(leds: 2G, 1R)

6:20am Turned off at mains, time for another cycle. Let's see how long the battery stays charged before the modem passes out.

8:18am - Back grn led flashing and beeps, multiple times twice within about 10 mins, then died. Switched mains back on. Grn power led on and Red Backup batt led on.

Will turn off mains tonight before hitting the hay to let battery discharge fully overnight and hopefully with switch on on in morn, only the green power led is on. fingers crossed.

Thur 15/11/18 [48 days duration]
Beeping back about 7pm. Red led on. Endured a beep every 15 minutes before switching off NBN box over night, a nice long period of discharge before back on in the morning at about 6.30am. Red led gone.

Mon 31/12/18 [46 days duration]
Beeping back and turned off overnight. By morning of the new year, only the system status [green power led] was on.

Fri 15/2/19 [46 days duration]
Same as previous. Turned off at night and switched back on in morn.

Tue 2/4/19 [46 days duration]
As previous.

Sun 19/5/19 [47 days duration]
As previous.

Sat 10/8/19 [83 days duration]
As previous. Extension of days could be due to colder weather increasing battery capacity.

Wed 26/9/19 [47 days duration]

Sun 10/11/19 [45 days duration]

Thur 26/12/19 [46 days duration]

Mon 10/2/20 [47 days duration]

Fri 27/3/20 [47 days duration]

Sun 17/5/20 [51 days duration] Days are becoming colder

Fri 7/8/20 [82 days duration] Very cold day (Winter)

Sun 8/11/20 [93 days duration]

Wed 10/2/21 [94 days duration]

Sun 28/3/21 [46 days duration]

--think I may have missed a date, although a 4.5 month period would be impressive--

Sat 14/8/21 [duration since last reset ??]

Thur 30/9/21 [47 days duration]

...missed...

Fri 15/7/22

Tue 13/9/22 [60 days duration]

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2
By:Glass from VIC, AU on August 29, 2019 @ 1:21 pm
If you just want to completely silent out the battery backup, you'll need to press the two blue buttons simultaneously for 10 seconds.

That will completely turn off it's alarm unless the mains is turned off/power fluctuates.

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