BBU not charging the battery
highschoolhank
Enthusiast - Level 2

REPLACE BATTERY light of BBU came on.  Replaced with new battery but light came on again after about 45 days.  Figured new battery was also bad.  Charged it and light again came on after about 45 days.  Battery reads more than 14V.  Put meter on leads inside BBU that hook to battery and reading is less than .5V.  Seems to me that BBU is not supplying the trickle of charge to the battery that it should.  Is BBU faulty?  

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Re: BBU not charging the battery
gs0b
Community Leader
Community Leader

Sounds like it could have failed.  You can test if it still supplies power during outages by unplugging it and seeing if phone service stays up.  This may inform your decision.

Know that Verizon doesn't support BBU's anymore beyond selling new batteries.  If you contact them, they will come and remove it.  They will replace it with a standard power supply.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as the BBU powers internet for just a minute or two; it provides several hours of backup for phone.  You can accomplish the same thing as a BBU by installing your own UPS or generator, and they will power internet, phone and TV.  Most people find internet more useful than phone during outages.  And many people have cell phones to use during power outages.

Verizon may also try to sell you a "power reserve."  This is a big box that holds a large number of D-cell alkaline batteries.  It must be turned on and off manually.  It only powers phone service.  It is not rechargeable.  Batteries are not included in the purchase price ($39.99 last time I checked.)  I suggest you avoid it.

You have several options:

  • Ignore the battery light on the BBU.  You may or may not have phone service during power outages.
  • Contact Verizon and have them replace the BBU with a power supply.  Then install your own backup (UPS or generator.)
  • Contact Verizon and have them replace the BBU with a power supply.  Purchase their "power reserve."  I don't recommend this due to the issues described above.

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Re: BBU not charging the battery
gs0b
Community Leader
Community Leader

Sounds like it could have failed.  You can test if it still supplies power during outages by unplugging it and seeing if phone service stays up.  This may inform your decision.

Know that Verizon doesn't support BBU's anymore beyond selling new batteries.  If you contact them, they will come and remove it.  They will replace it with a standard power supply.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as the BBU powers internet for just a minute or two; it provides several hours of backup for phone.  You can accomplish the same thing as a BBU by installing your own UPS or generator, and they will power internet, phone and TV.  Most people find internet more useful than phone during outages.  And many people have cell phones to use during power outages.

Verizon may also try to sell you a "power reserve."  This is a big box that holds a large number of D-cell alkaline batteries.  It must be turned on and off manually.  It only powers phone service.  It is not rechargeable.  Batteries are not included in the purchase price ($39.99 last time I checked.)  I suggest you avoid it.

You have several options:

  • Ignore the battery light on the BBU.  You may or may not have phone service during power outages.
  • Contact Verizon and have them replace the BBU with a power supply.  Then install your own backup (UPS or generator.)
  • Contact Verizon and have them replace the BBU with a power supply.  Purchase their "power reserve."  I don't recommend this due to the issues described above.
Re: BBU not charging the battery
dexman
Community Leader
Community Leader

If the OP has an older Tellabs 611/612, the Power Reserve wouldn't be compatible. Verizon last replaced my late 611's BBU in 2017.

Today, I suppose the BBU would likely be removed and the ONT operate on AC power.

Re: BBU not charging the battery
gs0b
Community Leader
Community Leader

@dexman wrote:

Today, I suppose the BBU would likely be removed and the ONT operate on AC power.


Exactly.  Verizon techs remove BBUs whenever they work on ONTs.  They replace them with the new power supplies.  I think the PowerReserve can be used with the new supplies regardless of the ONT in use, but I could be wrong.  Regardless, it's my opinion that the PowerReserves are useless.  Just buy a UPS and have an automatic backup that keeps internet up.

I suspect the PowerReserve is made available to meet some FCC mandate.  Back in the early days of fios when the phone service was regulated circuit switched (i.e. POTS), they HAD to provide eight hours of phone backup per FCC requirements.  Thus, the BBU was designed.  They got that requirement modified over the years, even for the folk who still have POTS (not FDV) service.  It's still a bad solution.

Re: BBU not charging the battery
Edg1
Community Leader
Community Leader

@gs0b wrote:

@dexman wrote:

Today, I suppose the BBU would likely be removed and the ONT operate on AC power.


Exactly.  Verizon techs remove BBUs whenever they work on ONTs.  They replace them with the new power supplies.  I think the PowerReserve can be used with the new supplies regardless of the ONT in use, but I could be wrong.


 That is correct. The power reserve can be used with the power adapter no matter which ONT is used. 

Re: BBU not charging the battery
dexman
Community Leader
Community Leader

So the power supply that Verizon installs with the Al-Lu 211 is also compatible with the Tellabs 611 & 612, or, does Verizon use an updated power supply that is specific to the 611 & 612 that contains the same jack for a BBU that is found on the power supply for the 211? 🤔

The power supply connects to the 611/612 via an entirely different connector, so, I'm not sure how the two supplies are compatible unless Verizon stocks a wiring harness that it can connect to the new power supply on one end and and the 611/612 on the other. 🤔

Re: BBU not charging the battery
gs0b
Community Leader
Community Leader

@dexman wrote:

The power supply connects to the 611/612 via an entirely different connector, so, I'm not sure how the two supplies are compatible unless Verizon stocks a wiring harness that it can connect to the new power supply on one end and and the 611/612 on the other. 🤔


The Verizon techs have a bunch of options to deal with this.  The new power supplies have both a custom connector and a terminal block.  The techs have access to the cables and various connectors on the different models.  Sometimes they build a custom harness, sometimes they remove a custom connector from custom cable and use the terminal block, sometimes they have a ready built cable.  Short story, the techs have the tools, parts and training to make this work.