What do you use for backup power?

[RussC]

I've got all this great, new equipment that will be useless in a power outage. What do you guys use to backup your system? I have varios pumps as a return and skimmer (both 12V), wav pumps for powerheads on an APEX system. Looks like the APEX has a power supply, but don't yet know the capacity. How do I keep this thing going?

 

[telathas]

I believe you can hook it up to something as simple as a UPS battery backup. They get pretty pricey though.

 

[RussC]

Yea, those systems can get pricey quick. I'm looking for some DIY system ideas.

 

[Clowning_Around]

Car battery and an inverter? Generator? Bicycle powered elec

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

 

[RussC]

Yes, I can work on my cardio with my bike! I thought about a car battery with an inverter. Any ideas the capacity it takes to run simple pumps and how much capacity it will take to run an hour? A generator would be ideal. Just money, right?

 

[Clowning_Around]

Its hard to answer how long with out tallying up your equipment needs (watts). There's many variables. Like how efficent is your return pump, these can vary greatly even amongst the same class. How many batteries Will you keep on hand/ wired in series, just the one? Will you put your lights on the backup, if not are they led or halogen, will your ato be on it, your rodi, one of two heaters, and so on. These are examples but you get the gist, it can be bare bone essentials only to everything backed up... you could have two same sized systems and one last 5 mins and the other last 4hrs, it just depends I'm afraid is the answer for now...

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

 

[hkgar]

Having lost a tank to a power outage from hurricane Charlie, (and I notice you are on the golf coast) i can only recommend a generator. Everything in the tank was dead in 24 hours and we were without power for 3 days. You HAVE to maintain the gas exchange.

I have a 6000 watt and a transfer switch. Used properly 6000 W will run almot my entire house.

I used it here in Michigan when we lost power for 3 days from an ice storm.

 

[homer1475]

I'm the same.

A generator saved my tank 5 times 2 winters ago. All times we were minimum out of power for 12 hours.

Mine is a simple 6k watt on a cart. I have my breaker box wired so I can back feed the power and power up the essentials(heater, fridge, tank, TV, couple lights). It will not power my whole house, but it's enough to be comfortable.

 

[hkgar]

I'm the same.

A generator saved my tank 5 times 2 winters ago. All times we were minimum out of power for 12 hours.

Mine is a simple 6k watt on a cart. I have my breaker box wired so I can back feed the power and power up the essentials(heater, fridge, tank, TV, couple lights). It will not power my whole house, but it's enough to be comfortable.

I hope you are not actually back feeding the breaker box and that you are actually using a transfer switch. The lat thin you want i back fed power going out to the lines that the electric company i working on.

 

[LuizW13]

I hope you are not actually back feeding the breaker box and that you are actually using a transfer switch. The lat thin you want i back fed power going out to the lines that the electric company i working on.

What does that mean?

 

[homer1475]

I hope you are not actually back feeding the breaker box and that you are actually using a transfer switch. The lat thin you want i back fed power going out to the lines that the electric company i working on.

No transfer switch. I throw the main off in the panel box. No back feeding out to the main lines that way. I simply plug my generator into an outlet I have outside and push power back to one side of the bus. Basically the same thing a transfer switch does, I just do it manually.

I know when the power comes on because my garage is on a separate panel box.

 

[hkgar]

What does that mean?

For some reason my computer doesn't like to type s's. Here it is with the s's

I hope you are not actually back feeding the breaker box and that you are actually using a transfer switch. The last thing you want is back fed power going out to the lines that the electric company is working on.

What it means is that the power sent to the box from the generator goes out the main breaker and out to the lines te crew may be working on and they think they are not live

 

[dublo8]

My wife and a spatula. No joke. it's happened.

Battery powered air stone pump works well too.

 

[Hitch08]

My wife and a spatula. No joke. it's happened.

Battery powered air stone pump works well too.

Is she available for hire if my power goes out?