APC Replacement Battery Cartridge #31

SKU: RBC31

S$437.00
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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

APC Replacement Battery Cartridge #31 (RBC31) - 2 Years Local Warranty

APC RBC31 Replacement Battery Cartridge — 48 V 9 Ah VRLA Tray

The APC RBC31 is a 48 V, 9 Ah sealed lead-acid replacement battery cartridge in a long, shallow tray measuring 70 x 165 x 419 mm and weighing 11.23 kg. Schneider states the voltage twice over — in the battery-voltage field of its product data sheet and in the official product name itself, which reads “VRLA battery, 9Ah, 48VDC”.

That is unusually good documentation for a cartridge of this vintage. Most legacy APC cartridges leave the pack voltage unstated and force you to work it out from the weight; on the RBC31 there is nothing to infer.

The 48 V Correction — and Why 12 V Was Never Right

This listing previously described the RBC31 as a 12 V cartridge with 9 Ah of capacity, in a 151 x 98 x 99 mm box weighing 7.0 kg. Every one of those figures except the capacity was wrong. The cartridge is 48 V, it is a 419 mm long tray, and it weighs 11.23 kg.

Twelve volts is what one block inside the pack is rated at. Four such blocks in series make the 48 V the UPS actually sees, and 11.23 kg divided four ways gives about 2.8 kg per block, right in the range for a 12 V 7 to 9 Ah cell. The block count is a derivation from the mass; the 48 V is Schneider’s own published figure.

A 48 V Bus Means a Rack-Class UPS

Cartridge voltage tells you a lot about where a part belongs. Desktop units run 12 V or 24 V internal buses; 48 V is the territory of rack-mounted Smart-UPS units and the extended-runtime systems built around them. The shape agrees — a 70 mm tall, 419 mm deep tray is designed to slide into a chassis, not to sit in a desktop battery compartment.

For a Singapore comms cabinet that has been in service a decade or more, a cartridge like this is often the only thing standing between a working UPS and a disposal. The electronics in these units are durable; the cells are not.

Supplied Locally with GST Invoice and Two-Year Warranty

SourceIT supplies the RBC31 as genuine APC stock in Singapore with GST invoicing and local warranty handling. Schneider states the term as two years, repair or replace, worldwide with no regional split, so Singapore gets the full two years.

One caveat we would rather raise than bury: Schneider publishes no host model list for this cartridge, and the distributor cross-references that do exist contradict each other badly. Check the number on the pack you are removing, or ask us to verify against your UPS before ordering.

APC RBC31 Datasheet — Technical Specifications

General

Part Number (SKU)	RBC31
Product Name	APC Replacement Battery Cartridge, VRLA battery, 9Ah, 48VDC, 2-year warranty
Product Type	Sealed lead-acid replacement battery cartridge, supplied assembled
Brand	APC by Schneider Electric
GTIN	731304111788
Manufacturer Warranty	2-Year Manufacturer Warranty (APC by Schneider Electric)
Warranty Coverage	Local Warranty (Singapore)

Battery Specifications

Nominal Voltage	48 V — stated in Schneider’s battery-voltage field and in the product name
Capacity	9 Ah
Chemistry	Sealed lead-acid (VRLA), maintenance-free
Construction	Multi-block assembly, supplied complete; approximately four 12 V blocks in series by mass — Schneider does not state a block count
Expected Service Life	Not published by Schneider for this cartridge

Physical & Environmental

Dimensions (H x W x D)	70 x 165 x 419 mm
Net Weight	11.23 kg
Packaged Weight	12.73 kg
Operating Temperature	0 to 40 °C
Storage Temperature	-15 to 45 °C
Relative Humidity	0 to 95 percent, non-condensing
Operating Altitude	0 to 10,000 ft
Safety Notice	California Proposition 65 lead warning applies
RoHS Position	Pro-active compliance (product out of EU RoHS legal scope) — Schneider’s own wording
REACh	REACh declaration available from Schneider Electric

Compatibility & Runtime

Fitment: what Schneider publishes is nothing, and the rest disagrees

This is the one place where the RBC31’s otherwise excellent documentation runs out. Schneider publishes no host model list for the cartridge, and the third-party cross-references that fill the gap contradict each other. One widely-copied list spans a broad range of Smart-UPS tower and rack models; another assigns the RBC31 to a Back-UPS RS 1500 and describes it as a single 12 V 9 Ah cell. That second claim cannot be right — a single 12 V block cannot make 48 V, and it cannot weigh 11.23 kg.

Because a wrong cartridge here is an 11 kg return, no host list is published on this page. That is a deliberate omission, not an oversight.

What the specifications do tell you

A 48 V bus and a 70 x 165 x 419 mm tray point firmly at a rack-mounted or extended-runtime Smart-UPS system rather than a desktop unit. If your UPS is a small tower with a 12 V or 24 V battery compartment, the RBC31 is not the cartridge for it, whatever a cross-reference table says.

How to confirm the fit

Read the number printed on the cartridge currently installed — APC prints it on the pack, and it is the only check that cannot be wrong. Schneider also publishes the UPS to RBC cross reference list. Alternatively send us the model and serial number of your UPS and we will look it up before you order.

Hot-swap

No hot-swap claim is made here. Schneider’s hot-swap statement applies to Smart-UPS models with user-replaceable batteries, and while the RBC31’s voltage and format both suggest a Smart-UPS host, the host is not confirmed by any Schneider document — so there is nothing solid to attach that statement to. Treat a cartridge change as a powered-down job unless the documentation for your specific UPS says otherwise.

Package Contents & RBC Series Ordering Information

In the box

One assembled APC RBC31 cartridge — a complete multi-block tray, wired and ready to fit — with the APC installation instruction sheet. Schneider publishes no colour for this part.

Other 48 V APC cartridges at SourceIT

Cartridge numbers in this range are not interchangeable. Two cartridges can share a case, a weight and a chemistry and still differ in voltage, capacity or connector, so the number printed on the pack you are removing is the only safe way to order a replacement.

RBC31 (this listing)	48 V, 9 Ah, 11.23 kg, 70 x 165 x 419 mm tray
RBC43	48 V, 10 Ah, 19.09 kg — a 2U Smart-UPS rack tray, 533 mm deep
RBC27	48 V, 24.55 kg — the Smart-UPS XL 3U cartridge
RBC34	6.36 kg flat tray, 440 mm deep — voltage not published by Schneider
APCRBC117	Smart-UPS X rack cartridge, treated earlier in this rollout

Handling

11.23 kg net and 12.73 kg packaged. A one-person lift for most people, but a long, awkward one at 419 mm — take the weight at both ends when sliding it out of a chassis, and keep it level. The battery safety data sheet linked below covers handling and storage.

Datasheet & Downloads

The data-sheet copy above was opened and the part number inside checked against this listing before it was published. Schneider’s own download host is not linked: it redirects across domains and has repeatedly returned a different model’s document, which on a cartridge range this dense with near-identical part numbers is a real hazard.

Frequently Asked Questions — APC RBC31

Is the RBC31 12 V or 48 V?

48 V, and Schneider says so twice — in the battery-voltage field of the data sheet and in the official product name, “VRLA battery, 9Ah, 48VDC”. The 12 V figure that appears on many listings, including this one until now, is the rating of a single block inside the pack.

Which UPS does it fit?

We are not going to name one, because Schneider does not and the third-party lists contradict each other — one of them describes the RBC31 as a single 12 V cell, which is impossible for a 48 V, 11.23 kg pack. Read the number on the cartridge you are replacing, or send us your UPS model and serial and we will check it.

Does 9 Ah at 48 V mean more or less energy than a 24 V 9 Ah cartridge?

Twice as much. Amp-hours describe the cells; energy is volts multiplied by amp-hours. A 48 V 9 Ah pack stores about 432 Wh against roughly 216 Wh for a 24 V 9 Ah pack of the same capacity rating. That is why comparing cartridges on Ah alone is misleading.

How many batteries are inside?

Schneider does not state a block count. The 11.23 kg net weight divides into about four 12 V blocks of roughly 2.8 kg each, which is the right mass for a 12 V 7 to 9 Ah cell and is consistent with four in series making 48 V. That is a derivation from published figures, and it is labelled as one in the specification table.

Can it be replaced while the UPS is running?

No claim is made either way. Schneider’s hot-swap position covers Smart-UPS models with user-replaceable batteries, and the RBC31’s host is not confirmed, so there is no documented basis for the claim. Follow the procedure in your UPS manual.

How does it compare with the RBC43?

Both are 48 V. The RBC43 is 10 Ah in a 19.09 kg 2U tray 533 mm deep; the RBC31 is 9 Ah in an 11.23 kg tray 419 mm deep. Different chassis, not interchangeable, and the RBC43 has a documented host list where the RBC31 does not.

Does it come with a local Singapore warranty?

Yes. Every APC RBC31 sold by SourceIT comes with local Singapore warranty and a GST invoice; APC backs the RBC31 with a 2-year manufacturer warranty. Schneider states the term as two years, repair or replace, with no regional split, so the figure above is the one that applies in Singapore.