Any and all advice, guides, and reviews are unbiased and based on my personal experience. If you buy through affiliate links, I may earn commissions, which helps support my website. This does not have an impact on posts or my opinion of any reviewed products. If you find this post helpful and want to say thanks, please buy me a coffee or take a look at my book on Amazon. It keeps this page ad-free. Thank you!
I own the APC BVN650M1 UPS, which has served me well, but last week the alarm went off, and it wasn’t due to a power outage. It was a battery failure warning. Despite what the manual says, you can replace the battery. It’s easy and relatively safe (unplug, remove circuit breaker, unscrew, swap, done!) and cheaper than buying a new UPS. I’ll embed the how to guide video further down in this post.
As with all self-repairs, I provide no warranty, guarantee or support. It worked for me, but please be safe and if there’s clearly damage or burn marks, safely dispose of the entire unit. Also, don’t throw the old battery in the trash, it should be dropped off at a battery recycling facility – Home Depot and Staples typically take old batteries and can recycle them safely.
The battery in the BVN6501M1 is a 12V 9AH Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) battery. I found a replacement battery on Amazon for under $30. Once you replace the battery, I recommend you check it all using APC Powerchute (free download). You will require connecting the battery to your computer to run diagnostics. If you don’t have the USB A to USB B cable anymore, grab an Amazon basics USB B cable.
It takes about 15-20minutes to change the battery and the only tool you need is a Philips head screw driver and you will be good for another 5 years for well less than half the price of a new APC UPS.
Here’s the how to video for the APC BVN650M1 battery replacement.
I can’t take credit for this video, but sharing to help others.
APC Alarm Codes
In case it helps others, here are the APC Alarm Codes for the BVN650M1 model, I’m not sure if applies to other UPS models. But should save you scrambling to find them! If you’re desperate for the APC BVN650M1 manual, you can fnd it here.
| Mode | Visual Indicator | Audible Indicator | Mode Selection Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiet Alarm (default) | The POWER button is solid green and flashes twice every 2 seconds until Low Battery notification where it will flash green in rapid succession. | No alarm until Low Battery notification where the alarm beeps twice every 30 seconds. | Flashing green |
| No Alarm | No visual change while UPS is On Battery. | No alarm while the UPS is On Battery. | Flashing red |
| Full Alarm | Normal operation shows flashing amber. | Alarm sounds 4 beeps every 30 seconds until Low Battery notification where the alarm beeps every half second. As the UPS shuts down, it sounds one beep every 4 seconds. | Flashing amber |
Hope this post helps someone else!
Any and all advice, guides, and reviews are unbiased and based on my personal experience. If you buy through affiliate links, I may earn commissions, which helps support my website. This does not have an impact on posts or my opinion of any reviewed products. If you find this post helpful and want to say thanks, please buy me a coffee or take a look at my book on Amazon. It keeps this page ad-free. Thank you!