I have several uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units around the house, and replacing their lead-acid batteries has become a recurring maintenance task that significantly adds to the cost of ownership over time. Sometimes you don’t know a battery is bad until the power goes out!
In my latest video, I take a look at a UPS system with a more reliable LiFePO4 battery that its manufacturer claims is good for at least ten years. LiFePO4 batteries are much safer than lithium ion batteries.
You can find the Ouepes UPS here on Amazon, and my coupon code LONUPS1200 should get you an additional discount.
While I can’t test a decade of longevity of a new product, I was able to see how this device compares to the tried and true lead acide battery systems where it counts: keeping my keep my equipment running when the power goes out.
It supports loads of up to 1,200 watts and has a battery rated at 368 watt-hours. Running near the maximum load will leave less time available to run on battery, and the available capacity will decrease as the battery ages.
My own backup-power needs are fairly specific. I have a standby generator, so I generally need a UPS to keep things running for roughly for about a minute or so until the generator takes over. For that setup, maintaining power through the transition matters more to me than operating a gaming computer for an extended outage.
The UPS has two operating modes. The default economy mode works like a conventional UPS, with a stated transfer time of about eight to ten milliseconds when utility power fails. The other option, called online mode, continuously converts incoming AC power to DC and then back to AC through the inverter. Because the connected equipment is already running through that inverter, this mode is intended to eliminate the transfer gap when incoming power disappears.
That continuous conversion comes with tradeoffs. Online mode uses more electricity, produces more heat, and runs the internal cooling fan harder. It provides an option for equipment that needs an uninterrupted supply, but I wanted to see whether my computers would stay running in the default mode first.
There are eight AC outlets on top, and all eight have battery backup. That differs from units that divide their outlets between battery backup and surge protection. The UPS is specified to provide pure sine wave output in both operating modes. Two front USB charging ports offer approximately 36 watts and 18 watts, allowing a phone or another compatible device to draw from the battery during an outage. A front display shows operating information and can be reactivated with a button push after it goes dark.
For the initial test, I connected a gaming desktop, a gaming laptop, and my overhead lights. With both computers running gaming benchmarks, the UPS showed a load of about 650 watts. I cut the incoming power using a smart switch. The lights briefly flickered, everything continued running. The laptop stayed on as well, although it had its own battery, so the desktop was the more useful indication of the UPS’s performance.
I then increased the load to approximately 1000 watts and repeated the power cut. The UPS again switched to battery power while the desktop continued operating. When I restored utility power, it waited a second or two before switching back. The display estimated about half an hour of battery time during the earlier 650-watt test and 21 minutes at the higher load. Those were the UPS’s estimates; I did not run the battery down to verify them. Switching to online mode demonstrated the same results.
Ouepe’s companion app connects through either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, so connecting the UPS to a home network is optional. I could see the current power draw, battery activity, USB output, and an event log. The app also let me switch operating modes and adjust some alarm settings. Not every alarm can be disabled, but there are controls over certain alerts and their duration. A separate USB connection on the rear is intended to allow a connected computer or other supported device to shut down automatically while the UPS is operating on battery power.
The battery’s longevity remains the unresolved part of the ownership calculation. Oupes markets a ten-year battery life, but the warranty is three years. Those are different commitments, and the brief testing in this review cannot establish how much capacity the battery will retain over time. The battery also did not appear to be user-replaceable. That matters when comparing it with the lead-acid units I already own, where replacing a worn battery allows me to keep using the product. But if the battery does last as long as advertised, the cost of ownership might be lower vs. a lead acid model despite its higher price tag.
I plan to put it in my server room and monitor it over time and will report back with any issues.
Disclosure: Ouepes provided the UPS free of charge. No other compensation was received and they did not review or approve my review prior to publication.