APC Replacement Battery Cartridge #46
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
APC Replacement Battery Cartridge #46 (RBC46) - 2 Years Local Warranty
APC RBC46 Replacement Battery Cartridge — Genuine 12 V 5.1 Ah Single Block
The APC RBC46 is a single-block sealed lead-acid replacement battery cartridge for the Back-UPS ES range. Schneider publishes it as a 12 V, 5.1 Ah cartridge weighing 1.7 kg and measuring 112 x 99 x 74 mm, supplied assembled and ready to drop into the battery bay.
This is a small, light, inexpensive part, and that is exactly why it is worth ordering by number. Several cartridges in the Back-UPS ES range share this case to the millimetre and differ in capacity, in weight, or only in the unit they are catalogued against, so a cartridge that fits perfectly is not necessarily the right one for your unit’s runtime rating.
RBC46 Specifications: Four Corrections Against the Previous Listing
This page was rebuilt from Schneider’s own product data sheet, and the corrections are large. The cartridge is 12 V, not 24 V, and 5.1 Ah, not 9 Ah. The net weight is 1.7 kg, against the 14.5 kg previously shown — an overstatement of more than eight times, and unusual in this range, where the boilerplate has generally understated weight rather than inflated it. The published dimensions of 200 x 150 x 100 mm were wrong too; the real figure is 112 x 99 x 74 mm.
The UL and CE claims have gone, because Schneider publishes neither for this cartridge. Its RoHS position is pro-active compliance with the product outside the legal scope of the EU directive, which is a weaker statement than a compliance badge and is reproduced here as written.
Back-UPS ES Battery Replacement for Singapore Homes and Small Offices
A Back-UPS ES sits under a desk or behind a router, and the battery inside it is a consumable with a finite life. Singapore’s 230 V, 50 Hz supply is dependable, but the brief dips that accompany storm season are precisely what these units exist to bridge — and a unit with tired cells will still filter and regulate while failing to carry the load through the interruption that matters.
Warmth is what wears these cells out. A small UPS pushed against a wall in an unconditioned room, or tucked into a cupboard with a router and a modem for company, runs hotter than its rating assumes and loses capacity years earlier than it should. If a cartridge did not last as long as you expected, where the unit sits is usually the better explanation.
Buying the RBC46 in Singapore with GST Invoice and Local Warranty
SourceIT supplies the RBC46 as genuine APC stock with a GST invoice and local Singapore warranty support. Schneider states the cartridge warranty as two years, repair or replace, with no regional split. If you are not certain the RBC46 is your cartridge, send us the model and serial number from the label on your UPS and we will check it before you order — on a part at this price, a return costs more than the battery.
APC RBC46 Datasheet — Technical Specifications
General
| Part Number (SKU) | RBC46 |
| Product Name | APC Replacement Battery Cartridge #46 with 2 Year Warranty |
| Product Type | Sealed lead-acid replacement battery cartridge, supplied assembled |
| Brand | APC by Schneider Electric |
| GTIN | 731304220688 |
| Manufacturer Warranty | 2-Year Manufacturer Warranty (APC by Schneider Electric) |
| Warranty Coverage | Local Warranty (Singapore) |
Battery Specifications
| Nominal Voltage | 12 V — stated outright in Schneider’s battery-voltage field |
| Capacity | 5.1 Ah |
| Battery Blocks | 1 (single block; the 1.7 kg mass and the case size leave no room for a second) |
| Chemistry | Sealed lead-acid (VRLA), maintenance-free |
| Expected Service Life | Not published by Schneider for this cartridge |
Physical & Environmental
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 112 x 99 x 74 mm |
| Packaged Dimensions | 159 x 178 x 184 mm |
| Net Weight | 1.7 kg |
| Shipping Weight | 1.96 kg |
| Colour | Not published by Schneider for this cartridge |
| Rack-mountable | No |
| 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 |
| Storage Altitude | 0 to 50,000 ft |
| Carbon Footprint | 12 kg CO2 equivalent, lifecycle |
| Packaging | Recycled cardboard, minimum 70 percent (50 percent in the US) |
| Recyclability Potential | 1 percent |
| Green Premium | Yes |
| 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
Which UPS models does the RBC46 fit?
Schneider publishes an installation sheet covering the RBC45 and RBC46 together (document SPD_ASTE-6Z7V45_EN, linked below), but its landing page names no UPS models and its body sits only on Schneider’s download host, which we do not use. So there is no Schneider-documented host list for this cartridge, and what follows is labelled by source.
The authorised distributor listing names a single host: the Back-UPS ES BE500. It carries an explicit and unusual restriction worth quoting — the cartridge is for that UPS model only, not for the C, G, R or U sub-models. That is a narrower fitment than most cartridges in this range and it is the reason to check your exact model suffix rather than the family name.
A caution about the 230 V question
The only host identified for the RBC46 is a 120 V North-American unit, and the distributor’s note explicitly excludes the R sub-model — which is the suffix Schneider uses on several of its 230 V Back-UPS ES builds. We have not found a confirmed 230 V host for this cartridge. If you are replacing the battery in a Singapore-supplied Back-UPS ES, send us the model and serial number first: the answer may well be a different cartridge number, and we would rather tell you that before you order than after.
Cartridges that share this exact case
Three cartridges in the Back-UPS ES range are published at 112 x 99 x 74 mm. The RBC46 is 12 V 5.1 Ah at 1.7 kg; the RBC30 is also 12 V 5.1 Ah but 2.0 kg; the RBC29 is 12 V 4.5 Ah at 1.7 kg. Measuring the old cartridge will not tell you which one you have, and neither will weighing it with any confidence. The printed number is the only reliable identifier.
The reliable way to check
Read the number printed on the cartridge you are taking out. If it has gone, send us the UPS model and serial and we will look it up. Schneider also publishes the UPS to RBC cross reference list, which maps UPS models to cartridge numbers.
Runtime after replacement
A fresh cartridge restores the runtime the UPS was designed around and does not extend it. On a small Back-UPS ES the practical runtime is a few minutes at a typical desktop load — long enough for an orderly shutdown or to ride out a brief dip, which is what the class is built for. These units take one internal cartridge and have no external battery pack option.
Hot-swap: not claimed
Schneider’s hot-swap statement is written for Smart-UPS models with user-replaceable batteries, and the Back-UPS ES range sits outside it. No Schneider document extends the claim to this cartridge, so none is made here. Shut the UPS down and unplug it before opening the battery bay, and follow the instruction sheet in the box.
Package Contents & RBC Series Ordering Information
In the box
One assembled APC RBC46 cartridge weighing 1.7 kg, with the APC installation instruction sheet. The cartridge is not rack-mountable — it seats inside the UPS chassis.
Adjacent 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.
| RBC46 (this listing) | 12 V, 5.1 Ah, single block, 1.7 kg, 112 x 99 x 74 mm |
| RBC30 | 12 V, 5.1 Ah, single block, 2.0 kg — the same capacity in the same case size |
| RBC29 | 12 V, 4.5 Ah, single block, 1.7 kg — another Back-UPS ES cartridge in the same case |
| RBC47 | 12 V, 3.0 Ah, single block, 1.4 kg — the BE325 Home/Office cartridge |
| RBC35 | 12 V, 3.0 Ah, single block, 1.4 kg — the 120 V Back-UPS ES 350 cartridge, published in a narrower case |
Handling and disposal
At 1.7 kg the RBC46 ships as a single small parcel. Sealed lead-acid cartridges are non-spillable but remain batteries for transport purposes, so air freight is handled under the relevant dangerous-goods provisions; local delivery within Singapore is straightforward. The exhausted cartridge should never go into general waste — ask us about collection for recycling when the new one is delivered.
Datasheet & Downloads
- Schneider Electric product page for the APC RBC46
- Schneider Electric product data sheet for the RBC46 (as mirrored by Mouser, an authorised distributor)
- Schneider replacement battery sheet covering the RBC45 and RBC46 (SPD_ASTE-6Z7V45_EN)
- Authorised distributor listing naming the host UPS model and its sub-model restriction
- APC UPS to RBC Cross Reference List (document UPS_to_RBC_EN)
- Replacement Battery Cartridge manual for Back-UPS and Smart-UPS (SPD_JHSH-7ENFZG_EN)
- Safety data sheet for APC sealed lead-acid battery cartridges (v3.3, 24 Sep 2025)
Every specification on this page was read out of the documents above. We do not link Schneider’s own download host directly: it redirects across domains and has repeatedly returned a different model’s document, so each copy linked here was opened and the part number printed inside checked against this listing. If you need the data sheet emailed as a PDF for a tender or a submittal, ask us and we will send it.
Frequently Asked Questions — APC RBC46
Is the RBC46 12 V or 24 V?
12 V. Schneider’s product data sheet populates the battery-voltage field as 12 V, and the 1.7 kg net weight with a 112 x 99 x 74 mm case is a single block with no room for a second. The previous version of this listing said 24 V and 9 Ah; both were wrong.
The old listing said 14.5 kg. Which is right?
1.7 kg. The 14.5 kg figure was boilerplate and overstated the real weight by more than eight times. That direction of error is unusual here — most of the fabricated figures in this range understated weight — but it is just as wrong, and it matters if you were costing a bulk replacement.
Which UPS does it fit?
The Back-UPS ES BE500 only, per the authorised distributor, and not its C, G, R or U sub-models. Schneider itself publishes no model-by-model list for the RBC46, so we do not present a longer one.
Will it work in a Singapore Back-UPS ES?
We cannot confirm that it will — see the caution in Compatibility above. Send us the model and serial number and we will check which cartridge your unit actually takes before you order.
How does it differ from the RBC29 and RBC30?
All three are single-block Back-UPS ES cartridges published at 112 x 99 x 74 mm. The RBC29 is 4.5 Ah, the RBC30 and the RBC46 are both 5.1 Ah, and the published net weights are 1.7, 2.0 and 1.7 kg respectively. You cannot distinguish them by eye, so the printed number is what to order from.
Can I change it while the UPS is running?
No claim is made here. Schneider’s hot-swap statement covers Smart-UPS models with user-replaceable batteries, and Back-UPS ES units fall outside it. Power down, unplug, then open the battery bay.
Does it come with a local Singapore warranty?
Yes. Every APC RBC46 sold by SourceIT comes with local Singapore warranty and a GST invoice; APC backs the RBC46 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.
