What's a good backup in case of power outage?

[goldfish69]

Hi Forum.

Up here in Canada, we had a major snow storm and some areas were without electrical power for a FULL week - luckily in our area, we were only down for a few hours.

Currently, I do not have any backup plans so I'm looking to get one of the following for peace of mind:

http://www.theinverterstore.com/inve...00w-1500w.html

Which one would you recommend to be able to run a 300W heater + 1 small Tunze power head for 2-3 days in 160G DT (Assuming that power is back by then)?


Thanks.

[ca1ore]

I just ended up buying a portable generator that will run the tank during the day and then a battery backup to run circulation at night.

[Maxxumless]

Gas powered generator I purchased (like this one) was the best purchase I made for my aquarium, hands down. Hurricane knocked out my power for a week and a half and it powered everything pretty easy on two tanks, plus a window unit, lights, and a small television For little hiccups in the power all my tanks are on UPS. I did the math (watts) and every tank can run the heater and the return pump for 1 hour. If power isn't up by then, on goes the generator.

[oscarinw]

I am no electrician but I don't think any of those would be able to sustain a 300W heater. Maybe this is a good question for the DIY zone where the electricians tend to meet...

[snorvich]

Worst case is have battery powered air pumps which are inexpensive and can save you in an emergency. I have a whole house natural gas powered generator which has come in very handy multiple times. BUT those are expensive. The intermediate solution is a portable gasoline powered generator but be sure to run it outside.

[Maxxumless]

Originally Posted by oscarinw

I am no electrician but I don't think any of those would be able to sustain a 300W heater. Maybe this is a good question for the DIY zone where the electricians tend to meet...

Without a problem. The generator I have is 4K Watt. I ran two tank returns, 2 heaters, a window unit, and some lights. The thing most people don't realize is some of these appliances have a 'startup' wattage which is much higher than their sustained wattage.

Here's a chart with some wattage/usage/startups (link).

The point is, get the right generator for your needs, then get a little bigger one. Do the math and heed the safety warnings (grounding rod, proper gauge extensions, and ventilation requirements).

[trinidiver]

I have a few of these connected to my tanks and has saved me allot of heart ache over the years. At least it will sustain you for a few hrs. Also have a battery backup on my MP40's

http://www.amazon.com/Silent-Series-...ackup+air+pump

[Spyderturbo007]

Originally Posted by Maxxumless

Without a problem. The generator I have is 4K Watt.

I have a 4k generator also, but haven't had to use it yet. The generator is actually still sitting in the box. I bought it one morning when the power went out for no reason, but by the time I got it home, the power was back on again.

Anyway, I decided it was just a better idea to keep it than to return it. I would love to put in a natural gas generator, but my wife and I plan on buying a bigger house here in the next couple years, so I'll wait until then.

[dkeller_nc]

Originally Posted by goldfish69

Hi Forum.

Up here in Canada, we had a major snow storm and some areas were without electrical power for a FULL week - luckily in our area, we were only down for a few hours.

Currently, I do not have any backup plans so I'm looking to get one of the following for peace of mind:

http://www.theinverterstore.com/inve...00w-1500w.html

Which one would you recommend to be able to run a 300W heater + 1 small Tunze power head for 2-3 days in 160G DT (Assuming that power is back by then)?


Thanks.

Any of those inverters will run the equipment you're speaking of (you don't, btw, need a "pure sine wave" inverter). The problem is the battery power needed to run them for the 2-3 days you're speaking of.

An average deep cycle marine battery has a capacity of 50-70 Amp Hours at 12V. That's equivalent to saying that it will run a 12 watt device for 50-70 hours. For 120 watts of load, then you can run for 120w/12V = 10 Amps for 5-7 hours.

Getting one of the inverter/chargers with automatic switch-over from The Inverter Store along with 2 marine deep cycle batteries connected in parallel will get you about 4-5 hours of backup circulation and heating, which is enough time to get an inexpensive gasoline powered generator hooked up. Another possibility is to put a 100 watt heater set for 70 deg F in your system connected to the inverter/charger and batteries. While insufficient to keep your system at optimal temperature, the smaller heater will keep the tank from falling very quickly in the danger zone, and allow you enough time to set up an alternative (a good one is a propane-powered camp stove and several 1-1/2 qt mason jars).

[wcharon]

Originally Posted by dkeller_nc

Any of those inverters will run the equipment you're speaking of (you don't, btw, need a "pure sine wave" inverter). The problem is the battery power needed to run them for the 2-3 days you're speaking of.

An average deep cycle marine battery has a capacity of 50-70 Amp Hours at 12V. That's equivalent to saying that it will run a 12 watt device for 50-70 hours. For 120 watts of load, then you can run for 120w/12V = 10 Amps for 5-7 hours.

Getting one of the inverter/chargers with automatic switch-over from The Inverter Store along with 2 marine deep cycle batteries connected in parallel will get you about 4-5 hours of backup circulation and heating, which is enough time to get an inexpensive gasoline powered generator hooked up. Another possibility is to put a 100 watt heater set for 70 deg F in your system connected to the inverter/charger and batteries. While insufficient to keep your system at optimal temperature, the smaller heater will keep the tank from falling very quickly in the danger zone, and allow you enough time to set up an alternative (a good one is a propane-powered camp stove and several 1-1/2 qt mason jars).

Wowwww... i was also thinking to get a Power Inverter for my tank also but my thoughts was that for delicated equipments like the one we use in our tanks the Pure Shine was required to avoid up and down voltage. By the way they are super expensive.

Can you please elaborate a little why you recommend going with the non Pure Shine or it al depends in the equipment to be connected (Powerheads, Return pumps, etc) ???

Thanks in advance...

[tmscube]

i run a generator powers the whole house tied into the main panel .. it has a 5 min delay when power goes off .. it is one of the best buys you could have on your house no matter where you live ..

[dkeller_nc]

Pure sine wave generators are very useful when you are powering sensitive electronic equipment, or for equipment that derives timing signals from the AC frequency (an electric clock, for example). But you don't need it to run pumps and heaters.

[wcharon]

Ok.. Thanks for the clarification.This rule is also for power inverters right??? So i can get a 1500 Power Inverter with Deep Cycle Battery and use it for the main pump also???

[kurt_n]

Originally Posted by dkeller_nc

Pure sine wave generators are very useful when you are powering sensitive electronic equipment, or for equipment that derives timing signals from the AC frequency (an electric clock, for example). But you don't need it to run pumps and heaters.

Agree... 'cause I've done it!

There are arguments that it will reduce the life of the device being powered, which is probably true. However, considering the rated life of the product in hours, the amount of time it spends on a non-sine wave power supply is peanuts in my situation. And I'd much rather replace a $30-$60 item once in a blue moon versus springing for a large capacity sine-wave UPS.

In the end, the best backup is a gas-powered generator. As you get more $$ invested in your tank, a generator is really just a drop in the bucket when you consider how much money you might lose. Doesn't have to be big, just big enough to power your tank. However, I'd recommend getting a bit bigger one. If you don't, you and/or your family will start to grumble after sitting for 8 hours in a dark house and a warming up fridge/freezer, while your fish are fat and happy in their little 80 degree cocoon of light!

[Derrick12]

A gas generator can be a life savor