Battery Backups or Surge Protectors anyone?

[benf]

Since starting saltwater tanks 4+yrs ago i had been running Battery backups(2 1500va), but each year i find i have to replace them and thankfully i have the extended warranty so i am only out the warranty money. This tuesday another one went out(i mean it now reads overload) and today another same thing. Both this time only 2 months old.

Am i waisting my time with battery backups? I know not to plug my MH lights into them cause of the major power draw. I am thinking of switching to Surge Protectors and cut back to 1 battery backup which will run my AC3 controller, wireless adapter, and 2 of my tunze powerheads. Everything else i would run from the surge protectors only. After reading the info on the 1500va units they are only rated to 12A, but why do they work for months then all of a sudden go into overload and wont work after that? 12A the problem?

Do you run a surge and or Batt. Backup on your system?

Also i should mention i did run 2 dedicated CGFI 20A 4 outlet circuits for my tank stuff.

 

[oct2274]

if they read overload, that means you have more wattage/amperage hooked to them then they can backup. Only things you should have on a battery backup, at most........., would be return pumps and your powerheads. You want your battery backup to last as long as possible if the power goes out. If you can lose power and have your return pump off without overflowing your sump, I would have that off the backup as well. Really all you need is something to keep the water moving till the power comes back, preferrably something that aggitates the surface of the water. You must have alot of stuff hooked up to it if you are using more than 12 amps. Power heads wouldn't even pull one amp unless they are pretty huge. I can run all my lighting including 2 150 halides, 4 T5HO 48" bulbs, my eheim 1260, my sequence dart and still be less than 15 amps. I am not sure why they might go into overload if they were working fine at first unless something started drawing more power then it should be.

 

[BeanAnimal]

oct2274.... that is not really the problem.

The UPS systems that the OP is using are likely not outputing anything near a true sine wave. That means that motors (pumps, powerheads) that are hooked to the unit are damaging the the output transistors and/or overload circuitry.

Put simply: YOU CAN NOT run a motor from a modified sine wave or step wave. Computer power supplies could care less how dirty the wave form is, they have swith mode power supplies that work from the peaks and valleys of a wave form, not the smooth transisitions of a sine wave.

So no 12A is not the problem. You can damage one of those junkers with a 1A motor.

You do not need to run a surge protector on pumps, heaters or magnetic ballasts. They may do a little good on electronic ballasts and controllers.

If you need to have backup time for your pumps, then you need to purchase a UPS that outputs a TRUE sine wave. The Liebert GXT2 series is a perfect candidate. Expect to pay A LOT.

In the end it is much cheaper and more realistic to get a small genset or standby generator.

 

[benf]

thanks for explanation....I guess i will do as i mentioned and run everything off the 3 surge protectors except a couple of Tunze nano powerheads and my Aqua Controller. I would imagine those couple items would last quite a while on a 1500.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Yes those items will more than likely be just fine on the UPS.

 

[oct2274]

excellent information, but i'm confused, you said that motors will run them, but then right above you said they will be fine on the UPS? I missed that part hehe.