It certainly depends on what you are powering and what UPS you are using. You bought a digital UPS which is going to run a lot longer than a standard PC type UPS (probably about twice as much if I do the math right). So long as you know it won't smoke your equipment, you are good to go. Anyone else popping a UPS onto their pumps, I would do the same research Panda did first. Inversion is heavily dependent on quaility power supplies and general design.
Cheap Power Outage Protection
- Thread starter cameron
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Quite true. A UPS is designed to run at near-peak to peak loads, which is where the higher efficiency levels come. The batteries are designed that way.
If you want a really great solution for an aquarium, I recommend getting an power inverter and deep cycle battery like the ones used for solar power. Those batteries are easily capable of supplying 100 watts of power over 1 or more days and can be used in groups to improve capacity. They're designed for low amp loads over long periods of time. For a few hundred dollars, those with larger tanks could get a day of backup on low watt flow pumps like Hydors.
The large battery solutions aren't nearly as cheap as the battery operated air pumps, but if you have a large tank, you need a larger solution.
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By the way, it is a Xantrex 1800- I paid $350 for it at keenzo.com. It "supposedly" is made to power home and office equipment, rather than strictly computers, but I dont know if that makes a difference. To be honest, I understand the bare minimum when it comes to this E.E. stuff, so I will rely to Goerge and Cameron to do my legwork!:shades:
George;35931 wrote: That's very much dependent on the design. Newer UPS systems easily get nominal ratings out of 1kW untis of 50%-60% with 5kW and up units hitting 80%-90%. Now granted most people don't have a 5kW UPS at home, but even the little 500W-1kW jobs can be pretty efficient. But no battery is ever efficient over the whole spectrum of draw. And I do agree that the battery will degrade over time. Quite severely at first, depending on battery technology.
In any case, I wouldn't run Tunze's on a backup for the very reason you stated.
If you want a perpetual system, hook up an air line to a compressor for air tools. Let it run air stones, then when the power comes back on, it'll automatically recharge. Not sure how much bubbling you'd get out of a tank of compressed air, but I bet it would last for a fairly long time. Extreme, but guaranteed to be there.
I don't think I'd use a compressor for air tools... Many of them are self-oiling systems, and I would seriously worry about the risk of contaminants of various kind leeching through the compressor - I'm not even sure that the compressors meant for airbrushes would be entirely safe... However, if you really wanted to go that route, I'd try one of the little electric jobs meant to be an emergency kit for a car that has it's own little battery (for jump-starts) with a DC plug and a little electric compressor for tire inflation. Those things, I don't think, have any oiled (or oiling) parts in them, and would prolly be your safest bet. In addition, since many models have their own battery, it would be perfect during power outages (plug it into a UPS also and it should last a LONG time), and, well, if you ever have a flat or a dead car battery at home, you can use it for that too! Just don't get wheel or engine crud on it!
For that matter, if you're up to the engineering, a marine boating deep cycle battery (esp. one rated for cold climates) will work like a champ. In my years of IT, one of the many neat things I've seen was the battery back-up room while converting a S.A.C. bunker into a data-center. That backup room was essentially a room with 12 steel boxes 4' H x 4' W x 8' L. Each box was willed with a mix of Sears 12v Die Hard automotive batteries and WestMarine DeepCycle boating batteries, and was designed to be capable of pulling the entire load for the facility without interruption for up to 3 hours I think, otherwise providing power-conditioning for the facility at all times. Oddly enough, most everything in the place ran on DC power...
A note about these types of battery; they release hydrogen gas! So make sure you either have VERY adequate venting in the area, and/or ensure that there is nothing near the battery that could be a possible ignition source, such as a power-strip/wave timer, etc. In a car or boat, this really isn't much of an issue, generally, but in an enclosed space it might be a problem. Maybe a good idea to wire such a device in your garage with it's own mini-fan (I'd recommend an 80mm chassis fan from a PC... I have lots at work, come see me
) and then run a separate power line for it to your tank.- Messages
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I have a 5K generator in case of prolonged power outages. Would hate to lose my livestock and for my beer to get warm!!!
They won't let me install a generator here... Being that I'm on the 7th floor and all However, having now lost fish and much other livestock, and still suffering issues 2 months after a power outage, I'm doing my best to ensure it never happens again! I've got a 3kW UPS that should run my powerheads for at least a day, and I'm going to get some of those little battery-powered air-stones this weekend.
However, having now lost fish and much other livestock, and still suffering issues 2 months after a power outage, I'm doing my best to ensure it never happens again! I've got a 3kW UPS that should run my powerheads for at least a day, and I'm going to get some of those little battery-powered air-stones this weekend.Quick notes:
Don't put an unsealed battery in your home. Make sure any batteries installed are completely sealed batteries and I am not talking about putting them into a box. The battery itself should be sealed.
Solar inverters are the best inverters money can buy for the most part, but even cheap ones are expensive for this task as they run $250 new up to well over $2000. This doesn't include the cost of the battery.
Don't put an unsealed battery in your home. Make sure any batteries installed are completely sealed batteries and I am not talking about putting them into a box. The battery itself should be sealed.
Solar inverters are the best inverters money can buy for the most part, but even cheap ones are expensive for this task as they run $250 new up to well over $2000. This doesn't include the cost of the battery.
