Emergency UPS Rental: What to Do When Your Existing UPS Fails

August 25, 2026

 

Need urgent assistance?

If you already have a YorPower maintenance contract that includes 24/7 emergency cover, call us immediately using the emergency contact number provided with your agreement.

Not currently a YorPower customer? Call us on 01977 688155 anyway. Tell us what has happened and we will see what we can do to help.

 

A UPS failure can leave essential equipment exposed to power cuts, voltage fluctuations and unexpected shutdowns. For hospitals, data centres, industrial facilities, offices and other critical sites, the loss of UPS protection requires an immediate but controlled response. 

Whether your UPS has stopped supplying power, transferred to bypass or displayed a serious alarm, the priority is to protect people, understand the condition of the system and restore suitable backup protection as quickly as possible. 

This guide explains what to do when an existing UPS fails and how emergency UPS rental can provide temporary protection while the original system is repaired or replaced.

1. Contact your UPS support provider immediately 

Do not wait to see whether the fault resolves itself. Some UPS alarms provide an early warning that the system is operating with reduced resilience, while others indicate that the connected equipment may already be unprotected. 

Contact YorPower as soon as possible and explain what has happened. 

Existing contract customers with 24/7 emergency cover should use the emergency number supplied with their UPS maintenance agreement. This will allow the call-out process to begin as quickly as possible. 

If you do not have a YorPower contract, call 01977 688155. We will discuss the situation, establish what support may be required and see what we can do to help.

2. Make safety the first priority

A commercial UPS contains potentially dangerous electrical components and high-energy batteries. Do not remove covers, disconnect cables or attempt internal repairs unless you are appropriately qualified and authorised to do so. 

If there is smoke, excessive heat, leaking batteries, unusual smells or another immediate hazard: 

• Keep people away from the equipment 

• Follow your site’s emergency and evacuation procedures 

• Contact the appropriate emergency services where necessary 

• Do not touch or attempt to restart the UPS 

• Inform the attending UPS engineer about the suspected hazard 

Any switching, isolation or bypass operation should only be carried out by suitably qualified personnel in accordance with the site’s electrical procedures. 

3. Establish whether the critical load is still protected 

A UPS fault does not always mean that connected equipment has immediately lost power. The system may still be supporting the load, operating from its batteries or transferring the load to an internal or external bypass supply. 

However, equipment supplied through bypass may be receiving mains electricity without normal UPS protection. If the mains supply then fails or fluctuates, the critical load could be interrupted. 

Check the UPS display or monitoring system without opening the equipment. Note: 

• Whether the critical equipment is still operating 

• Any alarm messages, warning lights or fault codes 

• Whether the UPS indicates online, battery or bypass operation 

• The apparent battery charge and estimated runtime 

• Whether a standby generator is available 

• When the fault first occurred 

• Any electrical work, maintenance or power disturbance that happened beforehand 

Pass this information to YorPower or your UPS engineer. It can help determine the urgency of the fault and the most appropriate response. 

4. Activate your business-continuity procedure 

If the UPS is no longer protecting the load, follow your organisation’s business-continuity or emergency power plan. 

This may involve notifying facilities, IT, operations and senior management teams; preparing critical systems for a controlled shutdown; or transferring essential operations to another protected location. 

Avoid making unplanned changes to electrical loads unless directed by a qualified person. Switching equipment on or off can affect the load presented to the UPS and may introduce additional risks. 

For critical healthcare, life-safety or industrial processes, always follow the relevant site-specific procedures. 

5. Do not repeatedly reset the UPS 

Repeatedly clearing alarms or attempting to restart a faulty UPS can be extremely dangerous. A UPS will often shut down as a protective response to an internal fault, preventing further damage to the UPS, batteries, connected equipment or electrical system. 

Resetting or restarting the UPS without first identifying the cause of the shutdown could result in a catastrophic failure, particularly where there is an internal electrical fault, short circuit, failed component or battery issue.

Do not repeatedly clear alarms, reset the UPS or attempt to force the system back online.

Record the information shown on the display and, if it is safe to do so, take photographs of the alarms and equipment labels. Wait for instructions from a qualified UPS engineer before attempting any reset, bypass transfer or restart. 

A specialist UPS engineer may be able to diagnose and repair the fault safely. If the system cannot be restored quickly – or if replacement components are not immediately available – a rental UPS can be installed to provide temporary protection while repairs or replacement are arranged.

6. Gather the information needed for emergency UPS rental 

The more information you can provide, the faster a suitable temporary system can be identified. 

Where possible, have the following details ready: 

• Site name and full address 

• On-site contact name and telephone number 

• UPS manufacturer and model 

• UPS rating in kVA 

• Single-phase or three-phase configuration 

• Input and output voltage 

• Current load level 

• Required battery runtime 

• Equipment or systems being protected 

• Details of any generator or external bypass 

• Access restrictions and delivery requirements 

• Photographs of the existing UPS and data plate 

• The required duration of the hire 

Do not worry if some of this information is unavailable. YorPower can discuss the situation with you and determine whether a site assessment is required.

How does emergency UPS rental help? 

Emergency UPS rental provides a temporary system while the existing UPS is inspected, repaired or replaced. 

It may be appropriate when: 

• A UPS has failed unexpectedly 

• Replacement parts have a long lead time 

• A permanent replacement system is being manufactured or delivered 

• The existing UPS must be isolated for repair 

• Critical equipment cannot remain without power protection 

• Additional temporary capacity is required 

• Planned electrical work has revealed an unexpected problem 

Hiring avoids the pressure to purchase a permanent replacement before the site’s long-term requirements have been properly assessed. It creates a temporary bridge, allowing the business to restore protection while making an informed decision about repair or replacement. 

 

Arrange emergency UPS rental with YorPower 

If your UPS has failed, act promptly. 

Existing YorPower customer with 24/7 emergency cover? Call the emergency number supplied with your maintenance agreement immediately.

Not currently a customer? Call YorPower on 01977 688155. We will assess the situation and see what we can do to help.

YorPower provides UPS rental and hire, installation, commissioning, repairs and UPS servicing and maintenance across the UK.