Canadian winters are notorious for surprise storms and power outages. For those of us entrusted with keeping critical infrastructure operational—whether in data centers, clinics, industrial sites, or offices—proactive UPS readiness is not just a smart move, it is a business imperative. Based on our years working with APC UPS systems nationwide, this winter checklist goes deeper than the usual maintenance pitch. It comes from real field knowledge, highlighting how small oversights can escalate into big problems during a January blizzard. Let’s step through a highly focused approach to winter UPS preparation.
1. Assess Your Winter Power Risk
Begin by mapping the true impact of a winter outage on your organization—what is at stake, and for how long?
- Data Centers: Even brief outages can mean major data recovery efforts or service interruptions for remote users.
- Healthcare Settings: Downtime endangers patient care, affects compliance, and interrupts diagnostics.
- Industrials & Manufacturing: Power loss halts processes, risking frozen product lines.
- Offices & Retail: Lost transactions, idle teams, and customer dissatisfaction add up quickly.
Map each UPS, list what equipment is protected (like servers or sensitive electronics), and identify what is left unprotected. This snapshot guides all further actions and upgrades.
2. Confirm Actual Runtime—Don’t Assume
The batteries that got you through autumn might not suffice mid-winter. Temperature swings accelerate battery aging, sometimes cutting runtime without warning. Here’s our field-tested process:
- Choose a safe maintenance window, such as early morning on a low-traffic day.
- Use your UPS system’s maintenance mode or a safe test outage. Measure the actual runtime under your current, real load.
- Document details: battery install date, load percentage, and the final runtime minutes before warning.
If runtime has dropped substantially (sometimes by 30% or more compared to previous years), your UPS is not winter ready. For critical servers, aim for a minimum of 15–20 minutes at normal load—if it drops near 10 minutes during tests, it’s time for battery servicing.
3. Inspect UPS Batteries—More Than a Quick Glance
Batteries are the heart of your winter resilience. Cold weather increases their internal resistance, causing seemingly healthy batteries to fail suddenly. We recommend this approach:
- Audit every battery’s age, type, and install date. SLA batteries typically last 3–5 years; high-rate versions can push 5–7 years. Lithium-ion batteries last even longer.
- If your most critical systems use batteries nearing end-of-life (SLA batteries past 70–80% of their design life), proactively plan a replacement.
- Check for bulging cases, corrosion on terminals, and melted plastic or frayed cables. These are urgent red flags.
- If your workspace’s temperature regularly drops below 18°C in winter, plan for more frequent battery checks and keep the battery environment within 18–25°C.
You can purchase quality UPS batteries—including sealed lead-acid and lithium-ion options—through upsplusbattery.ca. For urgent battery replacements, request service at gdftech.com.
4. Check UPS Load Margins—Prepare for Winter Spikes
Winter brings higher electrical loads, from space heaters to boosted IT activity. Your UPS should always run below 70% of max rated capacity. If you’re operating at 80% or higher even in moderate use, you’re at risk if a new device is plugged in or when restarting after an outage.
- Review each UPS display or management portal. Document the output power and recent peak load events.
- If you’re near capacity, consider rebalancing loads, upgrading, or installing an extra UPS for non-critical systems. For scalable UPS modules and extended battery packs, check upsplusbattery.ca.
5. Winterize the Physical Environment
Protect your infrastructure from more than just voltage drops:
- Ensure UPS and batteries are housed in rooms that stay between 18°C and 25°C—never below 10°C for long periods.
- Verify HVAC settings for server rooms and UPS closets. Cold air leaks from outside walls or loading areas should be sealed.
- Inspect cable entries and exterior panels for moisture or ice risk. Water intrusion stresses both cables and hardware.
6. Implement and Document Preventative Maintenance
Preventative maintenance is far more than a box-ticking exercise. Our most successful clients schedule a comprehensive inspection every autumn, covering:
- Physical check of all UPS modules, batteries, power cables, and connectors
- Testing all alarms, indicators, and log files for prior incidents
- Verification and retorque of cable connections as necessary
- Battery string performance testing, using conductance or impedance tools
- Review of your firmware version and management software settings
If you prefer expert hands-on support, schedule annual maintenance or emergency inspections through gdftech.com. We always recommend a focused pre-winter inspection (September to November) in addition to routine annual checks. It’s also a good time to check your network management card settings: valid IP addresses, up-to-date contacts for alerts, and accurate system time for logs.
To learn more about how regular maintenance reduces downtime and costs, see our resource on how regular maintenance reduces downtime and costs.
7. Test Alerts, Monitoring, and Safe Shutdown Policies
Even the best-maintained UPS fails if your team is unaware of a problem. Each season, confirm that:
- Alert emails for battery, overload, and shutdowns go to valid, monitored addresses.
- At least two team members (or more, including after-hours staff) receive test alerts and understand their escalation procedure.
- For IT environments, ensure shutdown timers match the true, measured runtime of your UPS—add a 20% safety margin to account for worst-case scenarios.
8. Prepare a Winter Power Outage Runbook
Write a concise, practical guide that covers:
- Immediate safety checks and notification steps for facility and IT teams
- Battery runtime and load estimates for each critical UPS
- Manual shutdown and restoration sequence for non-essential and essential systems
- Contact information for utility, landlord, and service providers like APC Service Canada or GDF Technologies
This guide should be simple and accessible, especially for those on call during overnight storms.
9. Know When to Bring in Professionals
Call for immediate help if you encounter any of these red flags:
- UPS frequently transfers to battery even though the main power appears stable
- “Replace battery” or critical warning indicators are persistent
- Noticeably reduced runtime versus last winter’s test results
- Physical heat damage, noise, or irregular fan performance
Book a full service or emergency diagnostic with gdftech.com before the next major winter front.
10. Winter UPS Readiness Checklist: Snapshot
- Map all UPS-protected and unprotected loads for your facility
- Test and document current runtime under operational loads
- Inspect battery age, type, and physical condition; replace if at end-of-life or showing wear
- Keep UPS load under 70% of rated capacity to absorb winter spikes
- Stabilize the temperature of UPS and battery rooms
- Schedule preventative maintenance and high-quality battery surveys
- Validate monitoring alerts and safe shutdown processes
- Update power outage runbook and contact details
- Request professional help for any warning signs or if you are unsure
By taking these actionable steps, you move from being reactive to proactive, minimizing the chaos of winter storms and maintaining confidence in your electrical resilience. If you need personalized advice, scheduled servicing, or rapid emergency support, our partners at gdftech.com are on call. For sourcing reliable UPS batteries and hardware upgrades designed for Canadian environments, browse upsplusbattery.ca.
Stay prepared, stay resilient, and let winter storms become non-events for your business operations.
