Why do consumer UPSs go through batteries so quickly?

As I start to type this, my UPS is beeping at me, reminding me that it
needs a new battery.

Why?

Why do consumer level UPSs go through batteries so quickly? A gel
cell battery generally lasts several years, but in a UPS they seem to
die in around a year, sometimes even bulging and drying out (I guess
THAT is due to continued overcharging. but that doesn't always happen.)

Generally the batteries are almost never actually discharged, unless
of course the power goes out, which generally happens a few times a
year, usually for only a few minutes.

I know that there's a few things that ruin gel cell/lead acid
batteries --

1- overcharging turns the electrolyte into water and oxygen
which then escapes. In a maintenance-free battery, there is no
way to replace this, and the battery is damaged.
2- leaving the battery fully discharged for any length of
time will ruin it, and
3- heat ruins them as well. (Though I'm not sure how much
heat is required, or how fast it should ruin it.)

In any event, it seems that with every UPS I've ever used (and I've
used several, with all sorts of brands and ratings) the batteries tend
to die in about a year.

Is there something I should be doing to prolong their life? Replacing
them gets expensive ...

--
Doug McLaren, dougmc@xxxxxxxxxx
The death of one man is a tragedy; the death of a million is a
statistic --Joseph Stalin
.

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