Can I bring a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) through a TSA Security Checkpoint?
 

There are threads about checking a UPS into checked baggage, but has anyone tried to successfully carry one on? I'm taking Frontier and don't wanna pay to check a $30 UPS.....

It will be up to the TSA agent:

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-...-wet-batteries

UPS is not the issue. What type of battery and what size. You can see TSA and F9 requirements on their respective websites. Very unlikely that you will have an issue with a standard external battery used to charge a mobile phone. But, again, the details of the battery matter.

To be clear, it is not "up to the TSA" Officer. Rather, TSA rules do govern.

UPS batteries normally are non-spillable lead-acid, not lithium-ion. They aren't restricted.

As the post above me says, most UPSes used to lead acid but today there are Lithium ones. Those are way, way above legal limit. Consider the biggest phone/laptop external battery you can carry on is ~1lbs and most of that is the LiOn cells themselves. Most of a desktop UPS is again the battery (75-80% at least) and they are much heavier than a pound or two.

There are two parts of the carry on battery rule:
The type of battery, whether it is banned, restricted to a certain capacity or allowed.
If they are the restricted type, then you would need to see if they are within the capacity restriction.
Most APC UPS will have these on the label.

However, the wildcard is whether the TSA agent understands these rules and applies them.

Do not plan your travel around what some random TSA Officer might or might not do. Yes, there are occasions when they make the wrong call. But, if it is down to something which matters -- and it would here -- then ask for a supervisor. They have the capacity to pull up their policy as well as the public-facing website.

If it is something odd-ball, it does not hurt to have a printed copy of the TSA website covering the issue.

It is easy to correct an error without getting into the sneering put downs which wind up as problems.

If you do decide to do this, I'd suggest disconnecting the batteries, and on the smaller units, taping the battery terminals. Quality units usually have a physical disconnect switch/plug on the back of them. While lead-acid batteries aren't anywhere near as bad as LiIon batteries in acting badly, it still can happen. Likewise, you don't want the UPS randomly turning itself on while it's in an enclosed space and overheating. Fire on an aircraft is a very bad thing.

I've never seen a disconnect switch. Every remotely modern UPS I've dealt with has a plug in the cable coming off the battery and it's behind a panel so it can't be plugged in by accident. A switch could get bumped.

thanks - sorry for the late reply - didn't realize i didn't have email subscriptions not enabled...>.<

since i'm "new" i can't apparenly post the link to the TSA website, but if you google "tsa non spillable wet batteries" then it's the first post that comes up; below is the contents of that webpage...

"Non-Spillable Wet Batteries
Carry On Bags:
Yes (Special Instructions)
Checked Bags:
Yes
No more than two spare non-spillable wet batteries are allowed as long as each battery does not exceed 12 volts and 100 watt hours."


per the above it seems like a non spillable wet battery (this is an AGM battery) such as the one in the ups would be allowed w/ restrictions, which is why i need to know the watt hours


i chatted w/ APC regarding the unit, and below is the chat transcript; as i don't see the watt hours anywhere on the battery

i'm at a loss - this a BN450M APC Back UPS (450VA/255 watt) unit, but again, the unit has no watt hours printed anywhere...the battery is encased and not meant to be removed/replaced.

====
Ross (12/2/2019, 5:07:54 PM): Hello FirstName, thank you for contacting APC by Schneider Electric, my name is Ross. How may I help you?
Me (12/2/2019, 5:08:43 PM): hi
Me (12/2/2019, 5:08:50 PM): q regarding this product
Me (12/2/2019, 5:08:56 PM): what is the watt hours on it
Me (12/2/2019, 5:09:06 PM): or how do calculate it
Me (12/2/2019, 5:09:21 PM): 450 VA
Me (12/2/2019, 5:09:23 PM): 255 watts
Me (12/2/2019, 5:09:40 PM): do you know if it can go on a plane?
Ross (12/2/2019, 5:10:26 PM): No it is only designed for domestic use.
Ross (12/2/2019, 5:10:34 PM): Are you taking the unit somewhere else?
Me (12/2/2019, 5:10:40 PM): no
Me (12/2/2019, 5:10:42 PM): i mean
Me (12/2/2019, 5:10:46 PM): i'm taking w/in us
Me (12/2/2019, 5:10:54 PM): so want to know if i can bring on the plane
Me (12/2/2019, 5:10:57 PM): tsa says:
Me (12/2/2019, 5:11:14 PM): [deleted since flyertalk won't let me post url until i have more posts]
Me (12/2/2019, 5:11:22 PM): so it can't exceed 100 wH
Me (12/2/2019, 5:11:37 PM): so what are the wH and max voltage on the battery itself?
Me (12/2/2019, 5:11:44 PM): it's not anywhere on the package
Me (12/2/2019, 5:11:47 PM): i can't find it on the battery
Ross (12/2/2019, 5:12:42 PM): Let me check if we have that info
Me (12/2/2019, 5:14:57 PM): thx
Ross (12/2/2019, 5:16:29 PM): Is there anything else that I can help you with?
Ross (12/2/2019, 5:17:38 PM): Still checking on this
Me (12/2/2019, 5:21:47 PM): ok
Me (12/2/2019, 5:22:04 PM): idk why you guys don't just print it on the battery like every other manufaturer
Me (12/2/2019, 5:22:06 PM): :-/
Ross (12/2/2019, 5:29:44 PM): I apologize for the delayed response time. It appears that we do not have the info that you are looking for because this unit does not have a replaceable battery. I apologize for the inconvenience.
Me (12/2/2019, 5:31:51 PM): is tehre any way to calculate it
Ross (12/2/2019, 5:32:04 PM): We'll go ahead and escalate it to see if we can produce the info
Me (12/2/2019, 5:32:05 PM): there*
Me (12/2/2019, 5:32:12 PM): thanks
Ross (12/2/2019, 5:32:13 PM): Can we get back to you via email?
Me (12/2/2019, 5:32:16 PM): i guess
Me (12/2/2019, 5:32:32 PM): hopefully this doesn't go into some email black hole...hehe
Ross (12/2/2019, 5:32:53 PM): Don't worry. We'll try to get back to you within 24 to 48 hours
Me (12/2/2019, 5:33:02 PM): thanks
Ross (12/2/2019, 5:33:30 PM): Is there anything else that I can help you with for now?
Me (12/2/2019, 5:34:00 PM): is that it then?
Me (12/2/2019, 5:34:07 PM): we disconnect now?
Ross (12/2/2019, 5:34:28 PM): If there is nothing else, then we can disconnect this chat

looks like i just met my 5 post criterion to be able to post photos and urls;

the tsa url is here:

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-...-wet-batteries

what an agm battery is is here:

https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/..._glass_mat_agm



https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b725502546.jpg
photo of bottom of unit now that i have posted 5 posts and can link images...

Isn't the 100Wh limit for rechargeable lithium batteries? (They don't mind primary lithium batteries.) AGM is a lead-acid technology, not lithium.

that’s what I thought, but the above link is from the tsa website directly and references non spillable lead acid batteries

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-...-wet-batteries

If it helps, here is the user manual for that particular model, which shows that there is a battery disconnect built into the bottom panel (see Page 2):
https://download.schneider-electric....AHUG-A7DC9U_EN

The manual also specifically states that the unit uses a "Sealed, maintenance-free, lead acid, 12V" battery.

Kinda stinks that APC is making units with non-replaceable batteries. Every APC unit I've ever owned has had the battery go bad after a few years and require replacement, but the batts are generally a fraction of the cost of a whole new unit, so I've had APC that lasted well over a decade before I passed them on to someone or upgraded.

Replacement battery is a 420 Wh SLA battery