Customer Reviews

APC Back-UPS ES 725 Broadband Backup Power Supply (Part Number BE725BB)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I first heard about this particular UPS when PC World gave it a Best Buy rating in their August 2004 issue. It seemed too good to be true: APC quality, 725 VA capacity, broadband support, and a bargain price. Buying it was a no-brainer; I've bought dozens of APC UPS's as a network administrator, and it's always been my preferred brand. The only APC UPS I've ever bought for home use is 8 years old, and STILL works! The only reason that I am replacing it is for the broadband protection and the extra capacity.

I was also surprised to learn that this UPS has a datalink to the computer, for automated shutdowns and numerous configuration options. I particularly liked the feature that let me disable the UPS alarms. You can even tell it the voltage threshholds when the battery power should kick in... amazing.

I honestly believe that you won't find a better home or small office UPS for the money.

I've had this for a couple of weeks (strictly home use) and it works as promised. As these things don't actually do that much there isn't that much to say, but here goes
PRO:
(1) Software installs easily (I run XP pro) and is easy to work wotj
(2) comes with a USB cable, something that is increasingly rare
(3) I tested it by pulling the plug and it works -- sends my PC into hibernate mode (or you can have it shut down, but I did not check that)
(4) Telephone support has 800 number and when I called at 11:00am on a Monday I got through in under 5 min

CON (all minor):
(1) Estimated time on battery way off the mark (it says 55 min!), but in practice is exactly what I was led to expect based on APC's web site estimator (about 12 min)
(2) Undocumented gotcha -- I tested it by pulling the plug and learned the hard way that you have to wait a couple of minutes after plugging it back in and before turning the PC for the unit to run it's self test. If you don't do this, it will turn your PC off ungracefully. I did this twice, called their tech support and we figured it out.

As with the previous reviewer, I was shocked at how loud the unit is. I just hooked mine up yesterday and it is still humming/grinding away. The weight is not a problem since it was expected - there IS a battery in the unit, so it will be heavy. Regarding the shipping condition - with one terminal being unattached - I do agree - APC should determine a better way to allow easier hookup and reinsertion of the terminal. HOWEVER, the most important thing is that it works! Which it does - after several tests today (unplugging from wall, etc..). This is an adequate UPS - nothing really special. If you are ready to withstand a constant whirring, then go ahead and buy this UPS, because it does work.

I never used to be a fan of APC's power products. I'd been let down in the (now remote) past by poor performance in a couple of data centers that I worked in. However, when it came time to purchase a UPS for my home equipment, it was hard to ignore the price and availability of this APC unit.

I just bought my second one (because the network has expanded). Although I live in a nice, "power-safe" neighborhood, I do sometimes get power sags and hear the unit "click over". My server machine never notices a thing, which is the point.

This unit is also nice because it has eight plugs, with some merely surge protected (no sense wasting battery life on the server's monitor or a printer). The fit-and-finish is nice and replacement batteries are widely available (haven't needed one yet).

So I've reformed my view of APC and strongly recommend this unit.

This is a good UPS but I think the Back-UPS ES 500 is a better deal. This unit only has a slightly bigger battery which only lasted 15 minutes vs 12 minutes for the ES 500 in my test (200W load). It does however have 2 extra outlets and Coax surge protection, which might make it worth the extra for some people.

If you wanted more runtime for about the same price the new Back-UPS ES 750 has a significantly larger battery which probably lasts a bit longer. I would suggest looking into that. Overall it's a pretty good but very basic UPS, well suited for the average home computer.

I purchased four (4) BE725BB units. With one of the units, I experienced the "noise" issue described in some of the above posts. A quick search of the APC Knowledge Base revealed the following:

"Answer ID 6942-Hissing sounds coming from the BE725BB.
Question:
Why is there a strange hissing sound coming from my BE725BB?
Answer:
The reason for the hissing is linked to a part in the unit that has a non-dangerous irregularity. This is a purely cosmetic issue and is in no way dangerous, nor will it impede the process of keeping your equipment up during a power disturbance. If you have one of these and would like it replaced with a non-hissing unit please contact e-mail support via our support page [http://www.apc.com/support/index.cfm]. You will need to include your model and serial number in the e-mail."

I followed instructions and APC promptly sent a replacement unit along with a pre-paid shipping label with which to return the defective unit. Note that you will need your receipt to expedite the exchange process.

I bought this particular model because all the good reviews that I read. However, my unit quit working in 2 months. The LED is still green, and when you unplug it from the wall outlet it still makes loud beeps. But it won't power up the things connected. I heard other people have the same problem and it might be related to the batteries.
I returned mine yesterday, but since it's over 30 days old, I can't get the reimbursement for the shipping cost.
In conclusion, I can't recommand this thing, although I know APC is supposed to be a company that makes quality products. You may need to try another model.

I purchased one of these from Dell and have used it since Christmas. It's dead quiet and perfectly reliable. From what I read here, the noise issue is a known problem with SOME units, and will be corrected by APC upon request. I just bought another one and will be trying it out tonight. Yes, it's heavy (DUH)... it has a big heavy battery in it, that's how it works. Took me less than a minute to open my first one, connect the battery, and close it up. Maybe the person who had trouble was trying to hold it in one hand and connect it with the other, otherwise I can't imagine why he had trouble. And yes, you have to charge the battery fully before the first use (DUH again). My only complaint is the plug layout. Some plugs are UPS and some are surge only. I would prefer that they ALL be UPS and it be on my head if I overload it and have low backup time (I have several minimal drain devices (LinkSys routers, etc.) that I mainly want to not have to reset after "blinks"). Also, the power off button ONLY controls the UPS plugs, NOT the surge only plugs... so half of it's kind of like a surge protected power strip WITHOUT a switch... still scratching my head about that one (the only way to power off the surge only devices is to unplug them from the unit). Anyway, I like it. I'll let you know if the second one is a turkey and what hoops (if any) I have to jump through with it. Right now I recommend this product highly.

Running your computer without battery backup is like driving drunk - it's a dumb risk that will likely end up with a crash. Most people use surge protectors, but most surge protectors do not have battery backup.

Voltage spikes and dips (surges and brownouts), even small ones which you wouldn't notice, are the root of many computer problems and crashes. With a battery backup, you can be sure that your computer will always have adequate power to get past those momentary brownouts. And should the power go out for an extended period, you'll have enough time to save your work and safely shut down.

The one concern I have with this model is that two-pronged plugs fit very loosely into the sockets. Three pronged plugs fit nice and tight, but I worry that I'll knock out the two pronged ones with even the lightest bump. I hope APC addresses this in the future. I may need to tape them in or use a 2->3 prong adapter.

Other than that, this battery backup was very easy to setup and install.

This unit was easy to configure and setup. software for "computer shutdown" was easy to install, but had 1 drawback. It requires that you logon as ADMINSTRATOR. Having adminstrator rights is not enough. This is a drawback as many people don't know or remember the administrator account, nor how to change that password.

Size of unit, support for up to 8 devices, battery life are very good. Allows for minimum of 2 power bricks and didn't take up much space.

You'll need some cable management ties or tiewraps or something to keep your wires straight and now would be a good time to label each power cord.

As stated, good unit, and good value. Don't forget if you allow your computer to run a battery to calculate how long it takes to shutdown your computer properly. If it takes 4 minutes to shut your computer down, don't allow it to run on battery for 20 minutes or there won't be enough power left for shutdown. Experiment...