backup power
- Thread starter dga
- Start date
You can also add an additional battery from the car. Just check if UPS also use 12V battery. In this case UPS can work for several hours. Of course, it depends from the load. I have done this with very old APC 250 and it works. There may be a problem with battery charging but it also depends from UPS.
are ther no commercially made batterey backups available, if so does anyone have info.?
tgreene
Reefer
Small powerheads are one thing, while our regular return pumps are entirely different.
Large return pumps generally REQUIRE a true sine wave, which most computer battery backup systems do not provide. They create what is called a modified sine wave, which results in clipping.
If you do a search on eBay, there is a vendor currently selling NIB $400 true sine wave battery systems for $149, as overstocks from a gov contract. I bought one last week, and am expecting it to arrive any day now.
OPTI-UPS PS1440 1440VA Sine Wave AVR Battery Backup UPS
Large return pumps generally REQUIRE a true sine wave, which most computer battery backup systems do not provide. They create what is called a modified sine wave, which results in clipping.
If you do a search on eBay, there is a vendor currently selling NIB $400 true sine wave battery systems for $149, as overstocks from a gov contract. I bought one last week, and am expecting it to arrive any day now.
OPTI-UPS PS1440 1440VA Sine Wave AVR Battery Backup UPS
Go to your local yamaha dealership and buy a EF1000i Generator. They weigh about 30lbs and you could run them inside if it wasn't for the exhaust output. Amazingly quiet and small. They also put out a perfect sine wave. They are a little pricey at around $699 but hey, you have a portable generator then too.
Power Supply Backup
Power Supply Backup
After losing my first tank due to hurricane Rita, my husband suggested a Powerpack 1500. You just plug it in and charge it and it will come on automatically when the electricity goes off. According to my husband it should run my 75 gallon tank for a couple of days. I am still doing research on it before I leap into it so if anyone wants to check it out here is the link. Let me know what you think.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200313775_200313775&issearch=167603
Power Supply Backup
After losing my first tank due to hurricane Rita, my husband suggested a Powerpack 1500. You just plug it in and charge it and it will come on automatically when the electricity goes off. According to my husband it should run my 75 gallon tank for a couple of days. I am still doing research on it before I leap into it so if anyone wants to check it out here is the link. Let me know what you think.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200313775_200313775&issearch=167603
dga
New member
quite true as i found out.
After purchasing a ups today, i found out most inexpensive backup units are either square wave or a modified sine wave, which work well for anything but motors which need a pure sine wave to function properly. and of coarse these are the more expensive units. i plugged 3 of my powerheads into the backup after charging and 2 would not "spin up" at all. hence the need for a pure sine wave backup. "apc" company has units that are a pure sine wave called "smart ups" this looks like the road i'll take. The below link is a site i found refurbished units with brand new high quality batteries for an excellent price. shipping is not bad either. i checked this unit out at the "APC" web site and even though its a discontinued model, along with the stats it shows it to have a pure sine wave output and retailed at $299.00
UPS System
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tgreene
Reefer
I received my Opti-UPS yesterday, and was quite plesantly surprised that they upgraded (at no additional cost) me to the NEW model PS1500B which sells for $120 more. This is a 1500va True Sine Wave system, that cost just under $200 shipped.
These are BRAND NEW, non-refurbished units!
http://stores.ebay.com/BoDeHe -- While not advertised as such, the receipt that came with the PS1500B clearly shows that this is factory direct, because all of the shipping and contact info is from Opti-Ups.
In all honesty, I would skip the $79 dollar 700va Smart-Ups, because for $120 more, you can have a brand new 1500va unit which should keep your return pump running for several hours. When testing my unit yesterday, my Mag-12 only had a 5.6% power draw, as indicated on the LCD display. Also, it's interesting to watch the display as it shows constant activity of surges and dips, but then stabilizes the output through line conditioning. The surges and dips can and will wreak havoc on pumps over time, so it was good to see this.
These are BRAND NEW, non-refurbished units!
http://stores.ebay.com/BoDeHe -- While not advertised as such, the receipt that came with the PS1500B clearly shows that this is factory direct, because all of the shipping and contact info is from Opti-Ups.
In all honesty, I would skip the $79 dollar 700va Smart-Ups, because for $120 more, you can have a brand new 1500va unit which should keep your return pump running for several hours. When testing my unit yesterday, my Mag-12 only had a 5.6% power draw, as indicated on the LCD display. Also, it's interesting to watch the display as it shows constant activity of surges and dips, but then stabilizes the output through line conditioning. The surges and dips can and will wreak havoc on pumps over time, so it was good to see this.
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tgreene
Reefer
I'm only running my Mag-12 return, and not the Mag-18 which is on the CL.
If my calculations are correct (Mag-12 = 115v x 1.5amps = 172.5va {1440va / 172.5va = 8.69 hours runtime}) I "should" be okay a projected 8 hours with nothing else connected to the backup system, and safely allowing 6 hours due to battery decay. With my other APC system (modified sine wave), I ran the same pump for up to 4 hours once, at which time it overloaded and shut down... I also had additional controllers connected to that same system.
I mentioned in my earlier post that the Mag-12 was creating a load of 5.6%, but as of a system check just a little bit ago, that load has been reduced to 4.1% since the batteries (3) are now fully charged. This being the case, I may even connect one of my SEIO-1500's to it, just to keep the water flow as close to normal as possible, without risking too much of a battery drain.
If my calculations are correct (Mag-12 = 115v x 1.5amps = 172.5va {1440va / 172.5va = 8.69 hours runtime}) I "should" be okay a projected 8 hours with nothing else connected to the backup system, and safely allowing 6 hours due to battery decay. With my other APC system (modified sine wave), I ran the same pump for up to 4 hours once, at which time it overloaded and shut down... I also had additional controllers connected to that same system.
I mentioned in my earlier post that the Mag-12 was creating a load of 5.6%, but as of a system check just a little bit ago, that load has been reduced to 4.1% since the batteries (3) are now fully charged. This being the case, I may even connect one of my SEIO-1500's to it, just to keep the water flow as close to normal as possible, without risking too much of a battery drain.
ambaratur
Premium Member
Wouldn't the best practice be to not power the return pump at all and only power part of the powerheads in the event of a power outage?
It seems to me this would give you the longest runtime and provide you with the needed flow. Could you not go 2-3 times longer in that type of configuration if needed?
I mean if you only have occasional 30 min outages running your return pump would be no problem - but if you might be out for 24 hours it seems you might want to run only that which is absolutely necessary.
It seems to me this would give you the longest runtime and provide you with the needed flow. Could you not go 2-3 times longer in that type of configuration if needed?
I mean if you only have occasional 30 min outages running your return pump would be no problem - but if you might be out for 24 hours it seems you might want to run only that which is absolutely necessary.
Marine Depot has this Hurricane Cat 5 back-up air pump. I live in Tampa and just happened to order this for my tank which is at my office:
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_air_pumps_hurricane_category_5_battery_professional.asp?CartId= I realize that this is probably only going to keep the water oxygenated and not provide much circulation. What do you think?
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_air_pumps_hurricane_category_5_battery_professional.asp?CartId= I realize that this is probably only going to keep the water oxygenated and not provide much circulation. What do you think?
dga
New member
the opti system is nice, but at a cost either way. @79.00 the 700va system should keep a single powerhead operating for some time. i can always revert to using a air pump on the inverter and this should extend the time even further or at least until i get home to fire up the generator and recharge the ups. i need to find run time charts or get the equasion numbers to figure out how long a certain wattage powerhead will last on a given volt amperage output of the ups.
joelowrider
In Memoriam
what about a power inverter running off a car 12 volt
