Uninterrupted power supply

[Tava176]

Good day all!

i am trying to figure out how big of a UPS I will need. I plan on using one made for computers and servers (I cna get a good deal through work).

I am not so much interested in it running my 400 watts of VHO. I would like it ot run heater, skimmer and pumps.

Do I just add up the total watts all these use, or volts, or what?

Thanks for the help!

James

 

[Joboo]

It all depends on how long you wish to run. If you goto APC.com they have a calculator that will help you determine how large of a unit you will need. Unfortunalty their site is down right now(weird) so I can't provide the exact link to the calculator.

 

[maroun.c]

I bought one last year (don't recall if it is an APS or UPS) however i face a problem with it whenever i ran anything hat is motorised on it. my fluorescents didn't work same for the halides, pumps,.... even the hair dryer didn't work with it. heaters and lamps worked normally. so basically anything motorized or with a transformer didn't work for me

 

[PRC]

The best I can figure there's no way to very accurately determine how long a UPS will last without actually trying it. It depends on a lot of variables like the type of load and such. The best you can probably do is add up your total wattage and compare it to the VA rating for the UPS, although VA dose not compare directly with Watts for the above mentioned reasons.
In the end you'll probably find that even the largest reasonably priced UPS will not run much of your equipment (especially the heater) for any useful amount of time. Most likely much less than an hour at most.
If you can do some minimal wiring work you can build one yourself for much less than what you'll spend on a commercial unit (even with your work deal) using a deep cycle battery, an inverter, a battery charger and a few relays. I built one using the largest marine battery I could find at the auto parts store and it runs two Seio M620's for at least 24 hours (tested extensively after hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma). I have two batteries so I can switch one out and recharge the other one from my generator. Having the UPS allows me to not have to run the generator 24 hours a day, plus it kicks in automatically when I'm not at home.
Here's a plan for building one if you're interested:
http://home.netcom.com/~larry_l/battery_ups.htm

 

[alten78]

ups' aren't really meant to run computers or whatnot for any length of time. When the power goes out they pretty much give you enough time to shut down the systems in order not to lose data.

IMO if you are worried about power outages you'd be better off buying a generator. Hope this helps.

 

[Tava176]

Well, I guess I would just need soemthing to run a 300 watt heater and then maybe one pump for circulation. So add another 50 watts to the 300.

I see UPS out there tht are good for 450 watts for a couple of hours for like $100-$150. Anyone have input on this idea?

thanks in advance for input and thanks to those who have already replyed!

 

[jeffbrig]

I have an APC SmartUPS 1400 VA unit as a backup for my tank. I have a pair of Tunze Streams plugged into it to provide enough flow to sustain oxygen levels when the power goes out. An older SmartUPS 1100 unit supports my QTs, running a small biowheel filter on each. The 1100 unit went about 3.5 hours before it shut off (remember, this one is older, so its batteries are not full strength). The 1400 ran the streams for 4 hours at one point before I had the generator running, and it was not even alarming that it was about to run out.

I made it 6 days without power last year, and kept everything alive with a combination of generator power, and these UPS devices. I would run the generator for 16-20 hours each day, turning it off to save gas when I could. The UPSs charged while the generator was running, and took up the slack when it was off. I also had the battery air pumps as a last line of defense in case the UPSs ran down.

I'm also happy to report that a new 1100 VA UPS can sustain a 32" television and DirecTV Hi-Def DVR receiver for 90-100 minutes.

 

[PRC]

If you don't want to try building your own UPS I'd say your best bet would be to buy the biggest one you can afford ( >1000 VA) and buy a Seio 620 to plug into it. I think you'll have to forget about running your heater since it will probably drain the UPS in a matter of minutes. To use jeffbrig's example: two tunzes probably draw about 25W total, so assume they'll run for about 6 hrs on the 1400 VA UPS ( a fairly large unit). The 300W heater alone is 12x the power draw of the Tunzes, and, if it were linear (which it's probably not) would drain the UPS in 30 min, probably less. A Seio 620 draws 8W and should run for close to 18 hrs on the same UPS. I run two 620's on my 220G when the power goes out and my generator's not going and it's done fine with just those two pumps running for over 24 hrs. Does your house heat go out when you lose power? Even if it does it would probably take awhile for the tank to cool down significantly.
A generator really is a great investment if you live in an area that experiences a lot of outages. However, they're not cheap (around $1000 for one that won't rattle your fillings out) and you need to be around to start them so they don't help if you need something to kick in without you being there.

 

[Tava176]

The only time I have to worry about major power outages in in the winter. Here in Buffalo it gets 0 degrees. If power is out for 4 hours, my house will be around 40 degrees inside. In my opinion, the heater is more important than the circulation. (well, they are both very important, but does not make sense to have circulation in a 50 degree tank full of dead livestock). I may have to look into buying a generator and vent it outside somehow.

 

[DarkStar76]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6522807#post6522807 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PRC
If you don't want to try building your own UPS I'd say your best bet would be to buy the biggest one you can afford

If you are rich enough, you can wire one in-line with your circuit breaker and just put the whole house on UPS. Yes... they do make them this big. However, a generator is far cheaper.

I run 5 UPS units at home for various reasons, and I cannot say I love them. One day, you'll wake up to hear the dang thing *beep* *beep* *beeping* like its about to explode... when you finally decipher the light-codes, you'll learn that it is "time" to replace the battery. GREAT. How do you do that? SImple... POWER DOWN THE UNIT AND REMOVE THE BATTERY.......

So much for the UNINTERRUPTABLE Power Supply...

Factor in the cost of batteries when yo buy.... Its a toss-up as to how long they last.... some last years... some last months.... And if you don't replace it when it beeps at you, it'll just shut you down whenever it feels like it.

 

[JimR]

For $4000, maybe a little less, you can have an automatic generator installed. It senses when the power goes out and starts itself, auto switching off the power from the pole and switching on the generator power to your box. It is a really neat setup. They use a 4cyl engine, so they are pretty quiet ( like standing next to a Geo Metro when its running ). Once power is rtestored, it re-switches everything back and shut's itself down. They can run on either natural gas or propane, so you have a pretty unlimited supply of fuel available. $4000 installed is the basic unit. They can run much higher in cost.
http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDU...ID=ccceaddgkhmeijicgelceffdfgidgml.0&MID=9876

Or, you can get a decent portable generator. My Generac 7500/12500watt with electric start was $1,100. It runs my whole house no problem.

 

[musty baby]

FYI, my UPS is about 3 years old and gives about 2 minutes to shut everything down before it makes a big steaming pile on my carpet. Not saying it's impossible, but I wouldn't trust an aquarium to it. Certainly wouldn't want to power anything more than maybe a powerhead, either.

If I need power someday I'll drive home, grab the tractor and PTO generator and hook my whole house up!

 

[PRC]

40 degrees in 4 hrs, Ouch. I don't feel so bad about those three hurricanes last season anymore.
I'd say your only options are a big UPS or a stationary generator. For the generator the $4,000 is definitely a starting point. From what I've heard it usually turns out to be more like $6k - $8k by the time you're done. My neighbor is currently putting over $30k into one to run his whole house.
If you don't want to build your own UPS you can buy a similar unit like this one http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=177 and then buy several deep cycle batteries, either marine batteries or, preferably real UPS deep cycle batteries like Surrettes, and hook them up in series.
I guess the other thing I'd worry about is if a 300W heater will be able to maintain a reasonable water temperature for very long in a 40 degree house.