Inverter Not Charging? The Makers’ Own Checks, Starting With the Mode Switch

For a home inverter (Home UPS) with a tubular or other lead-acid battery: what Exide, Microtek, Livfast, Luminous, Okaya, V-Guard and Amaron publish about mains on but not charging, with each code table labelled by model.

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The short answer. If the mains is on and the battery is not charging, check the mode switch first. Exide’s GQP, Magic and Star manuals list “Mains ON but Not Charging” with the cause “UPS/ Normal Selection switch may be in UPS mode”. After that, work through the checks below: mains reaching the inverter, its MCB or thermal breaker, the charging setting, battery water, terminals, then battery age.

Solar, hybrid and vehicle inverters are different systems and are not covered here.

Why an inverter is not charging when mains is on: the mode switch

Exide’s GQP troubleshooting table (selected rows; 6 rows printed):

Magic prints the same two “not charging” rows; Star prints only the mode-switch row. Of the four Exide home-inverter manuals we read, Dlite is the one without a “not charging” row.

The reason is the input window. UPS mode accepts a narrower mains voltage range than the wide mode. Livfast’s manual describes UPS mode as “To select the input voltage window, narrow for computer system or required more voltage regulation for connected load” and Eco mode as “To select the input voltage window wider”. The published windows:

Outside the window, Microtek’s and Livfast’s documents show the unit running on battery. Microtek’s LUXE NEW shows “Lo” in “Battery mode” when “Mains on, frequency normal but the voltage low out the normal range”. Livfast lists “Mains input is too low / too high” as a cause, with the action “Wait for mains to normalize”. For what each mode is for, see our UPS vs inverter explainer.

How to switch, per maker. Microtek (LUXE NEW, ES NEW DG/SW, SP NEW SW, HDVT NEW): “To changeover from UPS mode to Inverter mode: Press Power Button for 2secs.” (the LED models print “2 sec.”). Exide GQP uses a rear-panel selector, and its LCD shows UPS mode ON when that selector is set. V-Guard says both modes “can be selected by an external switch”. We found no Luminous switching procedure.

The front switch does not stop charging on two makers’ units. Livfast: “However, the charging will continue if mains is within the normal limit”. Microtek LUXE NEW: “When the Push switch is at OFF position then it By-Pass the mains AC supply & charges the Battery.”

The checks in order, tagged by maker

The order is ours; no document we read gives one merged list. Each step names the makers that publish it.

1. Mains reaching the inverter (Livfast, Microtek). Livfast: “Dead wall socket” and “Line cord plug is loose”, with the actions “Check the socket with lamp” and “Plug the line power cord properly”. Microtek LUXE NEW: “a) Dead wall socket, Line AC input Connections are loose / not proper.”
2. MCB or thermal breaker (Microtek, Livfast, Exide). Microtek LUXE NEW: “b) Check MCB at the Rear Panel. If it is in Off position then set it to On position to switch On the output. If trips again, call auth. Service personnel to check shorting/overload in the output circuit.” Livfast’s thermal breaker knob pops out under heavy load; “During this event UPS will not detect mains presence and will continue to operate in battery mode, please reduce the connected load as per capacity and press the knob to reset this circuit breaker”. Exide Magic: “Mains LED Blinking with Buzzer” means “Thermal Circuit Breaker Trip”, solution “Reset Thermal Circuit Breaker”. Exide Star: “Buzzer Continuous Beep” means “Circuit Breaker Trip”. Exide’s inverter warranty says a blown thermal circuit breaker “will be a paid service”.
3. Charging current and battery type (Microtek, Livfast, Exide). Details below.
4. Battery water (section below).
5. Terminals (section below).
6. Battery age (section below).

A wrong charging setting is a maker-named cause

Microtek NEW series (LUXE NEW, ES NEW DG, HDVT NEW) set charging current and battery type on rear DIP pins:

Microtek’s caution: “Proper selection of switch position is recommended based on the battery manufacturers specifications, for proper backup and also to avoid any damage to the battery due to wrong selection.” Its low-battery fix includes “Check the battery type selection pin location, reset to right setting.” The older Heavy Duty vTurbo brochure lists 10, 15 and 20 A; the vTurbo NEW manual lists the four settings above.

Livfast Smart Flash has a charging-current menu: L for 100Ah-120Ah, M for 135Ah-150Ah, H for 160Ah-230Ah. “Select the charging current according the battery Ah, which is connected to the system” (sic).

Exide GQP offers “Tri State of Charging i.e. Normal, Boost & Fast Charging Rate”. Exide’s battery warranty lists “less than 10% charging current” among the improper installation practices it does not cover.

Luminous: “If you notice frequent water loss, get the charging settings checked, because overcharging can increase water consumption”.

Display and beep codes, by maker and model

Microtek UPS LUXE NEW 1000/1200/1400 12V SW (same table in the Luxe SW manual), selected rows

Microtek ENERGY SAVER NEW DG/SW, SUPER POWER NEW SW, HEAVY DUTY vTURBO NEW SW (LED models)

Exide Home GQP, LCD and LED (selected rows)

Exide Home Magic, Home Star and Dlite front panels (the same light means different things)

Livfast Smart Flash 1125+, messages (selected)

No code table in what we read: Luminous (its document centre served a placeholder PDF on 30 September 2026), V-Guard (its product page says the indications are “described in the manual”, which we could not find), Okaya (FAQ and warranty pages) and Amaron (leaflets and product pages only). For how two of these brands compare overall, see Microtek vs Luminous.

Battery water: what each maker says

A Livfast blog post gives a different top-up instruction; Livfast’s own manual says DM water, and that is the line to follow.

Luminous adds: “Stop at the recommended mark. Do not fill to the brim”, and “If the level is only slightly low, topping up after a full charge often gives a more accurate level”. Luminous: tap water “is not” fine. Livfast: “Make sure to wear gloves or avoid any physical contact with the liquid”. Luminous: “If one cell keeps dropping faster, the battery may need professional inspection”.

Terminals and corrosion

Livfast’s manual: “Battery terminal and thimble should be cleaned and properly fastened otherwise it may give false indications of battery charged and low battery trip”. Its product page says buildup can “slow down charging”. Exide GQP: “Clean battery terminals. Be careful not to allow corrosion to come in contact with eyes.” Luminous, on white or greenish deposits: “follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions or have the battery inspected by a qualified technician. Do not open the battery or try to repair it yourself”. Amaron: “Ensure proper tightening of battery terminals”.

If you reconnect cables, Microtek warns: “Wrong Polarity connection with UPS will Cause Reverse Protection Fuse Blown and may lead to Fire Hazards.”

How long a full charge takes

Only two figures in what we read, each for its own models:

• Livfast Smart Flash 1125+: “Typical Recharge Time” “10-12Hrs.” for 100Ah-230Ah batteries.
• Microtek LUXE NEW, ES NEW DG, HDVT NEW: when backup is short, “charge the battery with mains, min. for 8-12 hours”.

Luminous notes that if power returns only briefly between cuts, “the battery may not get enough time to recharge fully”.

Is the battery simply worn out?

Luminous lists replacement signs: “Reduced backup time”, “Frequent low-battery warnings”, “Slow charging” and “Battery not holding charge properly”. Lifespans, each with its source:

• Luminous batteries FAQ: around 3 to 5 years. Luminous home-inverter FAQ: the battery may need replacement every 3 to 5 years.
• Luminous water blog: “With regular water top-ups, clean terminal maintenance, and proper charging”, a high-quality tubular unit “typically lasts between 4 and 6 years of reliable daily service”.
• Livfast: “typically ranges from 3 to 5 years”.
• Okaya: with the warning signs in the FAQ below, the battery “may be nearing end of life”, typically after 4 to 6 years.

When to stop and call service

• Livfast: “Do not open the cover of UPS as there are dangerous high voltages inside even when power switch is off. Contact company service engineer only if it is not working properly”.
• Microtek: an MCB that trips again; backup still short after the 8-12 hour charge (“get the battery checked up by auth. service personnel.”).
• Exide GQP: “Thermal shut down”: “Call the service support. There is overheat problem in the system”.
• Okaya, for low battery on a charged battery: “A technician can run a specific-gravity/voltage check and rule out sensor/PCB issues”.
• Luminous: “A qualified technician can check whether the problem is with the battery, the inverter or the connections”.

What we could not verify

• Code tables for Luminous, V-Guard, Okaya and Amaron inverters.
• Luminous’s procedure for switching between Eco and UPS modes.
• A full-charge time from any maker other than Livfast and Microtek.
• A home-battery topping-up interval from Exide or Amaron.
• Repair or service-visit charges: we sourced none for this page.

Buying a New Inverter? Start Here

If you are replacing your inverter, the full comparison is in Best Inverter for Home in India (2026), the HomeVerdicts guide to inverters for home use. These are the first two products in that guide; the guide compares all of them.

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