Blue Box Batteries are a specialist provider of battery power solutions for a host of commercial and domestic applications.

The Blue Box Batteries team have firmly positioned themselves as a trusted, established, and leading provider in the British battery market. The business’ head office is located in Hammerley Enterprise Park, Burnetts Lane, Eastleigh.

Frequently checking that sufficient power is being distributed in the workplace can save your business both time and money by ensuring IT infrastructure and critical building services remain powered and online.

This will enable day-to-day business to continue to operate efficiently and without interruption. If any potential faults or issues are identified, they should be rectified at the earliest stage possible resulting in minimal disruption to your business infrastructure.

Implementing this process will make sure:

• Staff productivity levels remain high

• The threat of power outages and periods of downtime will be significantly reduced

• The safety of your work colleagues and employees is maintained and not compromised

• Communication with clients and customers can be maintained at all times

• The overall risks to your business are minimised

Without regular and thorough checks, the impact will be far more detrimental to your business should a power failure or fault occur.

Within your premises, there will be a vast range of devices, systems and technologies which rely on a smooth and sufficient power supply in order for them to function properly.

• Some of the core examples include:

• Data centres

• Emergency lighting systems

• Fire alarms

• Security systems

• Telecoms and IT devices

Losing power in any instance can cause damaging implications. However, the severity and impact on your business will ultimately depend on which area has been affected.

To combat this, as mentioned, you should carry out regular checks to make sure that everything is working to the required standard.

Please Note: At this stage it’s important to remember that you should never attempt to carry out anything technical if you’re not sure what you’re doing. Instead, seek professional advice to avoid causing further issues and headaches for your business.

In contrast to the more technical areas, there are some basic checks that can be completed without the need of an expert.

These include:

• Walking around the premises and observing if all lights and illuminated signs are lit up properly.

• Checking that emergency lighting isn’t flickering or cutting out.

• Asking departments if they have experienced faults, shortages or downtime with IT or telecoms systems.

• Making sure that all fire alarms are working and are loud enough for colleagues in the building to hear.

• Checking for any wear and tear or general ageing to the batteries you are using.

• Seeking advice from a technical professional if you do observe any major issues.

In the event where you do notice that certain technologies, systems or devices are not functioning properly, then it might be time for a new battery.

Many of the examples listed above are powered using a valve-regulated lead-acid battery (commonly referred to as a VRLA battery).

To ensure that building facilities and IT equipment remain online during a power outage, your business should also have a UPS installed in the premises.

Standing for uninterruptible power supply, a UPS provides instant backup power if the mains power fails.

This means that servers and IT equipment can continue to function properly without any downtime and your business won’t lose any valuable content or data as a result.

A UPS works by powering the connected electrical load as soon as the mains power fails using power from the batteries installed within its system. Once power is up and running again, the mains takes over and the UPS batteries will charge back to their full state ready for future use.

Whilst running via UPS, your telecoms, computer networks, and security systems will be provided with a clean power supply until the initial mains outage is resolved.

A UPS is the perfect way to ensure that power is maintained throughout the workplace during a disaster. Without this option, your business could experience the following:

• Decreased staff productivity

• Significant and damaging financial implications

• Lost communication with customers, clients and staff

• Downtime across business departments

• Loss of valuable customer, client, and staff data/content

When you weigh up the cost of installing a UPS against the implications that could be caused if the mains power was to fail, it’s not hard to see why so many businesses utilise this invaluable technology.

If your business doesn’t currently have a UPS in operation, we strongly advise getting this in place. This is even more relevant if your company has data centres and high volumes of information and content that you need to protect.

Find out more about what a UPS is by taking a look at this Blue Box Batteries blog post.

Losing power can be highly frustrating, but it’s important for you to understand what causes the batteries supplying the power to fail.

If you are aware of the reasons behind this, then measures can be put in place to reduce the risk of a similar situation happening again in the future.

There are a number of reasons as to why batteries fail, but some of the most common causes include:

• Incorrect operating temperatures

• Loose connections or inter-cell linking

• Incorrect float charge voltage

• General ageing and wear and tear

• Lack of maintenance

• Loss of electrolyte

Operating temperatures can greatly affect the performance and service life of a standby battery, so it is important to make sure that the batteries are being stored in a sufficient environment and within the correct operating parameters recommended by the manufacturer of the battery.

It is worth considering that if battery room ambient temperature conditions are 0 degrees Celsius, this could reduce the capacity of the battery by up to 20-30%. In contrast, excessive room temperature will also be an issue for standby batteries - as a guide, every 10 degrees above 25 degrees centigrade will half the service life of a VRLA battery. Optimum battery room temperature is 20 – 25 degrees centigrade, maintaining this ambient temperature will ensure that batteries provide maximum service life and reliable power.

In any instance where you notice that a battery isn’t working, you should replace it as soon as possible.

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VRLA and UPS batteries can be purchased directly from the Blue Box Batteries website.

If you find your standby system requires a new battery then don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of professional experts.

We can assist you with any questions you have relating to which brand to choose or which battery is most suitable for your business requirements.

If you fail to replace your batteries as soon as you notice any issues then your business may experience major problems further down the line. Speak to the professionals and make sure that you’ve got the correct batteries in place so your business can operate to its full potential.

Thanks for checking out our guide to ensuring power in the workplace, we hope you’ve found the information useful. Don’t forget that you can keep up-to-date with the latest news, tips and advice by following the Blue Box Batteries blog as well as the social profiles listed below:

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For further professional advice, the friendly team here at Blue Box Batteries are more than happy to assist you. Contact the team directly or alternatively call us on 02381 789 197.

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Many businesses up and down the country rely on a variety of IT equipment in their offices - such as servers and telecoms equipment. These centres are hugely important as they house and operate the information, communication technology or 'ICT' infrastructure that supports their company.

Depending on the size of your business, you might have an IT infrastructure that contains a cage of equipment, or on a larger scale, a whole room dedicated to multiple cabinets such as a data centre. These centres, servers and devices store important company data and content.

So, take a moment to think about the implications of losing this information if the power was to fail. This is where an uninterruptible power supply can help. Let's find out more.

Without a sufficient uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system in operation, if the power fails and cuts off your existing IT infrastructure, your company could experience the following:

Lost or un-retrievable data, information and content

Downtime across your organisation effecting your existing IT devices

Damaging financial implications

Decreased staff productivity

As a business you'll want to do all you can to reduce the risk of a power outage occurring, to keep your data centres running and your company delivering the best results possible. Even if your data centre is housed externally, as opposed to in-house, there is still a risk of a minor or significant power outage if UPS batteries are not set up as a backup.

The UPS battery powering your UPS will provide your business with the power you need in a scenario if the mains power for your data centre fails. Should the power fail, UPS are designed to take over from the mains supply straight away, effectively in 'zero time' - meaning that your data and content will remain accessible, safe and secure.

This is hugely beneficial for your company, as it allows you to continue to operate as normal, access all of the information you need, and maintain solid business relationships.

A data centre which is protected with UPS batteries will also allow your business to:

Stay in control

Enhance security

Manage risk

Without this setup, it's very difficult for your business to regain control after a disaster until the initial problem is resolved - which could take a number of hours.

Here at Blue Box Batteries, we sell a vast range of UPS Batteries to help your business data centres run sufficiently in the event of a power failure.

Make sure that your data, content and information is secure at all times by purchasing the batteries you need today.

Contact the Blue Box Batteries team for further assistance on 02381 789197 or alternatively get in touch via our website.

Take a moment to imagine how damaging the implications would be if your business experienced a sudden loss in power.

Long term power outages are bad news, but even a five minute interruption can affect your company’s performance, reputation and security of data.

To protect your business, an uninterruptible power supply, containing UPS batteries can ensure that during a power failure, you can continue to operate as normal without any downtime.

Let’s find out how.

Without utilising a UPS with good quality standby batteries, when the power goes down it stays down until the problem is fixed and resolved.

In contrast, if UPS batteries are in operation, they will take over from the mains supply instantaneously if the power fails. Once it returns to normal, the mains will take over again and the UPS batteries will charge back to their full state. This means that they will be fully charged and ready in the event that another power outage occurs in the future.

Whilst in use, a UPS will maintain a clean power supply so that your telecoms, IT servers, computer networks and security systems can continue to run sufficiently.

The same process applies with Cloud computing too, as there are still batteries installed in large three phase UPS, in place to power servers for your business’ hosted infrastructure. For extra security, large data centres will often run an N+1 UPS arrangement, meaning an additional UPS will be in place to ensure power supply even if the first UPS fails.

Losing power in your business premises can be a catastrophe. Alongside the financial implications, customer service satisfaction levels can decrease if you fail to sustain communication with them.

You also run the risk of losing data, experiencing a decrease in staff productivity and damaging business relationships for the future.

A disaster recovery plan, incorporating the use of UPS systems, will ensure that risks such as these are eliminated across the board.

With UPS systems in place your business can take advantage of a wide range of benefits, including:

Improved profitability

Increased employee productivity

Protection of customer, client and staff data

Continuous communication with business contacts both internal and external

Avoidance of downtime and long term recovery cycles

Although these are just a handful of the advantages, it’s important that you evaluate your existing setup and make sure you have the correct amount of UPS batteries to protect your business.

If a major power fault or outage does ever strike and you have the luxury of continuing to work without disruption, you’ll appreciate the power of the UPS battery.

As battery specialists, we stock a wide range of UPS Batteries to ensure that your business applications always run smoothly via a reliable power source.

Don’t compromise on your businesses reputation; make sure you have the essential power in place to prevent a disaster affecting you.

Speak to our expert team today on 02381 789197 to find out more or get in touch via our website.

The battery really is an amazing invention. It’s only when you stop to think about the power of these devices that you realise how much easier and more efficient they have made our lives.

Larger batteries have the capabilities to power emergency lighting systems, mobility scooters, motorbikes and even entire buildings too.

As well as giving power to a multitude of devices, the battery also has the functionality to recharge too, so that its power can be restored and used once again.

So, what exactly is involved in this process? Let’s take a closer look.

When you begin charging, electrical energy is converted back into the chemical state. The elements of the battery acid are still contained within the power supply, but they are broken down into electronic particles.

A chemical reaction then results in the current produced by the charger taking the used particles and fusing them back together, so that the battery can return to its normal working state once full charging is complete.

Charging your battery for the required amount of time is highly recommended so that maximum service life can be achieved.

As mentioned, different batteries are used to power a range of various devices. It’s because of this that each one must be connected to the specific charger designed for the model you own.

Always make sure you are using the dedicated charger for your device. So for example, if you are charging a mobility scooter battery, use a charger that’s compatible for this. If you use the wrong charger then you run the risk of causing more damage than good.

When chargers utilise what’s known as a 3 stage charging method, the full phase goes through, not surprisingly…three main stages!

This method is displayed below and measures the voltage level of the battery, before changing the output of the charger accordingly.

Here’s the full process explained in more detail:

Step 1 - Bulk charge

The charger provides a consistent current and the voltage increases until it reaches a pre-determined level. A large percentage of the recharge process is achieved during this single phase alone.

Step 2 – Constant voltage

Otherwise referred to as the ‘Absorption stage’, during step two the voltage is held at a consistent level, whilst the current level decreases until full charge is completed.

Step 3 – Float

During stage three, the charge voltage is decreased to the required and recommended float level. The current also drops to less than one percent of the battery capacity. The float stage will maintain full battery power and also means that you do not need to disconnect the charger from the appliance too.

In contrast to the above method, this charging process provides, as the name suggests, a constant current into the battery, regardless of whether it’s needed or not.

These chargers are on the whole cheaper alternatives than those mentioned above, as they do not reduce the current or voltage level at any given stage.

If you are going to use this type of charger, then make sure you keep a close eye on how long the batteries have been charging for. If left unattended for a prolonged period of time, overcharging is possible. This is the main distinction between the constant current method and the 3 stage charging process.

There’s nothing wrong with using this variation, you just need to be more vigilant when charging is taking place.

We hope you’ve learnt a thing or two about how chargers work and restore full power back to your batteries. It’s a science that few people are aware of, although it’s one that we should all be thankful for.

Remember, if you need to get hold of a brand new charger new charger then here at Blue Box Batteries we stock a wide range of devices suitable for a whole host of applications.

Our team understand that choosing a charger isn’t always an easy task, so if you require further assistance, please don’t hesitate to get in touch today.

Ensuring the integrity of standby power systems, whether this is for emergency lighting, security and fire alarms, or an uninterruptible power system (UPS), is of optimum importance.

In doing so, you will protect electronic data, computer equipment and even the occupants of your business premises in the event of an unexpected power outage. This is where batteries come into the equation - powering these devices will help to maintain building services and ensure that your business is protected.

So if you have discovered that your emergency lighting batteries need replacing, your UPS equipment isn’t providing backup power, or you simply want to consider your options for the future, take a look at five potential choices below.

To offer a sufficient and reliable level of power, you need a battery that’s going to last.

With the C&D Technologies MRX Range, this is exactly what you will get. The full MRX VRLA battery range is designed for a whole host of standby applications and offers high-quality and proven performance.

This style of battery offers maximum life and greater power during discharge, ensuring high current UPS output whilst making sure your emergency lighting operates correctly and complies with strict industry standards.

From the UPS12-100MRX 12V 34 Ah VRLA to the UPS12-600MRX 12V 147Ah VRLA model you can view our full product range of C&D Technologies MRX batteries here.

Another reliable brand for emergency lighting batteries is Enersys, and in this example we’re looking at the SBS range.

With a vast amount of choice available and excellent performance quality, Enersys SBS batteries are a solid choice for your requirements.

The models within this product line have been designed with harsh environmental conditions in mind - resulting in a series of ultra-durable designs. Take a closer look at the Blue Box Batteries Enersys SBS range for standby applications.

With 16 options available in the Exide GNB Marathon product line on our site, these valve regulated lead acid batteries have been key players in the industry since 1996.

Suitable for long duration backup power, the Marathon range has evolved and developed over the years to remain at the forefront of technological innovation.

The new XL products reflect this by offering an increased power rating and shows that Exide are always looking to meet the demands and challenges faced by the industry and consumers alike.

Discover these robust and low maintenance batteries for yourself by clicking on the link above.

A name synonymous with reliability, Fiamm FLB Highlite VRLA batteries are built on the back of a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise.

Development of the Fiamm range has taken place over 60 years and this is one of the main reasons for their continued success.

Fiamm don’t compromise on quality, so you are guaranteed optimal standby performance for your applications with the FLB range.

Here’s a full look at the Fiamm battery options.

Lastly on our list is the SWL range from Yuasa. These designs are perfect for standby applications, such as UPS, alarm systems and static inverter emergency lighting too.

Models in this line give up to 40% additional discharge capacity compared to the original NP range due to their enhanced design features, so you’ll get the power you need even for the most critical applications.

Head over to the Yuasa emergency lighting batteries page by clicking on the link above and view the products in more detail.

So there you have it, five potential options for replacing your emergency lighting batteries.

Remember that if need any technical assistance before you make a purchase, you can contact the friendly team here at Blue Box Batteries – we’ll be more than happy to help.

We stock a wide range of brands, models and accessories for all of your power supply needs, so don’t hesitate to get in touch today.

When you talk about art, everyone has their own opinions as to what’s good or bad. It’s because of our individual differences that what appears lovely to one person might seem unwieldy to another.

Although many of the most famous lawns can be found in the UK, where the inclement weather lends itself to greenery, the team here at Blue Box Batteries have spun the globe and picked out the most artistic and beautiful lawns across the world.

Feast your eyes on our top ten and see if you agree or disagree with our choices.

This lovely lawn at Rodmarton Manor, near Cirencester, complements the arts and crafts theme of the carefully designed garden. The grass follows the line of precision-trimmed box trees, with a delightfully plotted stone flag path. This is one of those gardens where someone has taken a great deal of time and energy to produce something that looks both casual and organic.

Sometimes the lawn is the main feature for a large garden, but other times it creates a foil against the fabulous growing decoration. The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, in San Marino, California, sports a busy and highly intricate Japanese garden, set off with a perfect manicured lawn.

Deceptively simple lines can hide an endearingly complex design, as this lawn at the Villa Ephrussi, Italy demonstrates. The symmetrical geometric shapes provide a lovely balance, echoed in the shape of the house, which dates from 1912.

Kensington Gardens is a classic British attraction, and the [Sunken Garden uses the lawn to frame the pond in perfect synchronicity with the planted borders. Diana, Princess of Wales walked the lines of this beautiful lawn many times during her residence at Kensington Palace.

The Hortensia House gardens belong to a private home in Blenheim, New Zealand, and are open to the public throughout most of the year. The luscious lawns, of which there are several, give this beautiful and exotic garden a real look of luxury and comfort.

One of the most unusual, but well-designed lawns in the UK can be found on the roof of a tourist attraction in Cumbria. Built by a company that began as a farm – and who still operate the farm – the lawn on this building serves a unique and aesthetic purpose for visitors and tourists alike.

This gorgeous, geometric lawn is reminiscent of alien crop circles, or a traditional stately home maze, and belongs to the grounds of Crichel House in Dorset, UK. Rebuilt in the 1700s, the original house was a Tudor classic, and the lawn here is a lovely representation of the Tudor garden style.

For delightful simplicity, this geometric lawn is the epitome of artistic, when it comes to a twist on the green carpet. Located in the kitchen garden at Aberglasney in the Tywi Valley, Carmarthenshire, the gorgeous verdant shapes set off the stonework, while the lawn as a whole stands out in its own right.

For several centuries, the palace at Versailles has been upheld as an icon for buildings as well as gardens. The stylish non-symmetry of the curled shapes of the lawn are in true contrast with the outline of the gardens in which they sit, giving the whole area a busy look, despite the overall regimented design.

Our number one artistic lawn falls to La Licorne d’Eiffel, an artwork by Yona Friedman, on the Island of Vassivere, in the Limousin area of France. Similar to the prehistoric ‘Long Man’ chalk figure in Sussex, the unicorn on this image has been created using carbonate minerals. This lawn isn’t just artistic: it IS art.

Feeling inspired to cut your own lawn? Don’t forget that Blue Box Batteries stock a range of lawnmower batteries to ensure that your mower is up and running and can do the job properly.

Lawn image from Bigstock.