how long will a UPS last ?

[Thurge]

Most of the computer UPS seem to be rated for at least 200+ watts, but for only like 5 maybe 10 minutes. How do I figure out how long that same UPS will last with only say 25w drawing on it?

Thanks
Lost power for 8 hours last night, and I would have rather slept than bailing my Sump back up to the reef to keep things going.

 

[MadSkillzMan]

im curious too. I was given a 425watt supply, and my mac is 600watts..no way in hell itll keep it powered at all, id like to know how much a powerhead would last to keep my skimmer going

we seem tto get screwed on power ALOT here in cleveland

 

[sagi]

The link below may give a good estimate. Not linear, a crude guess is 5-7 hours based on this data from APC. The manufacturer of the UPS may be the best source.

link

 

[Eggs]

UPS

UPS

I'm also interested, and I don't think UPS data will help answer the question.
Being an Engineer, the only way to figure this out is to try it with the UPS system.
I'm trying to find a used system (doesn't have to be an All-star system to test) to try out using basics (heater, powerhead, and skimmer).
I believe all of us need to address the power outage issue.

Mike

 

[MadSkillzMan]

heater will run the thing out so ungodly fast

i was talking to an electrical engineer, he said id have to know what batteries are inside, the mAh of each, wattage, Amps, etc..and then the amps/wattage/voltage of my pumps

i only have a powerhead skimmer on my 20 so id be ok just powering that. my FW tank is fully planted, and it already proved to be fine for an entire week with a clogged filter...ammonia was still 0 lol

 

[Thurge]

I agree the heater will kill any run time.
My idea is to run a tiny (less than 20w) powerhead from the sump, back to the tank, and an air pump in the sump (cause i hate bubbles in the tank). This would also have the added benifit of keeping water moving through the filtration.

 

[Eggs]

For a short-term outage, heater may not be needed. I'm concerned about not having power for a long period in the winter. I would think the heater would run intermittently.

You could use a small car/tractor battery with an inverter to keep things going, but that doesn't help if your not there when the power goes - which is why I'm looking into a UPS set-up.

I also read somewhere you could rig a UPS with a car battery to have a longer/greater power source.

 

[frank10]

you could always go with a generator for about $450-500

 

[itZme]

There are lots of threads about this int he DIY section of reefcentral. The biggest thing is having something running to keep circulation going so your corals don't die. The live rock will still be a good enough filter even without your sump or the benefit of a fuge with macro etc.

If you have a small powerhead like a Maxi-jet 600 or 900 and a small UPS you could get by for hours. The temp will drop till it reaches room temp which in most houses will not be cold enough to kill your livestock but they will not be loving it for sure. I am sure there are times when the water gets to 70 degrees in the wild even in tropical locations.

If there are enough people interested in making things like this or buying them I could either show the club how to make an automatic switch that will power a pump ONLY when the household power goes out or make them and sell them for just about what the parts cost.

I would really like to start doing some projects in our club but I know that not everyone is into the DIY reef thing and they would rather just buy a pre-fab item. I have thought about making auto top offs at the meetings too but there are so many different ways to go about it that everyone would have to decide which type of system they wanted beforehand.

The auto-power-loss switch would be fairly easy and would really only require a relay and an extension cord to do it cheaply.

If there is more interest maybe I could get some parts lists and costs together and post it here...

The total should be no more than $20 for the auto switch and about $30-40 for the auto top off system.

-- Kevin

 

[Eggs]

I would be interested in how to make the auto-power-switch.
I've seen the DIY auto top-offs and I'm going to try making one.

Mike

 

[frank10]

I think it's a great idea.

 

[MadSkillzMan]

i just found out the pump on my HOB fuge is 4.5 watts so..should last quite some time

also, one thing i was warned. with computer backups, (this is comming from an electronics engineer) the battery will produce "Square waves", meaning if the pump cant handle it, itll spin out of wack and start shaking itself to death ..so..something we gotta watch out for

 

[Thurge]

I will have to ask Dad about that Square Wave thing.

I would be interested in learing DIY projects, but I can't make Friday night meetings.

 

[sammie]

I used an APC 1000smart UPS and it ran a Oceanrunner 6500 pump for about 4 hrs. Using the heater would cut it down to about 1.5 hrs but I normally didn't have the heater plugged into the UPS. All you really need is circulation.

 

[Thurge]

FYI in 8 hours my house droped from 70* to 60*

 

[Eggs]

Did anyone lose power after the big wind the other night?
Ours went out for about 10 minutes in the middle of the night. I just happened to wake up and guess what my first thought was.

I may be buying an APC at least for a short-term solution.

 

[MadSkillzMan]

i swapped mine in. im using the aquaclear 300 as a fuge, and that thing POURS water like CRAZY in my 20gal..plus its only 4.5 watts, so itll last me a loooong time. might not be a bad option for you guys, i know powerheads pull alittle more

 

[MadSkillzMan]

ok problem

the square waves problem is..quite a problem

i went to band practice and we had a bad storm coming. I came back to a clicking noise in my aquarium, figuring it was the jebo light actingup

til i notice the fuge is bone dry UH OH

The impeller literally gets unseated..we had a power flicker or something

I noticed when plugging it in, the power source boots up, using AC power, beeps, then uses battery power, beeps, and in that instant, the impeller goes wacky