UPS back up power for small tanks

[Walter White]

So after the first big snow storm where allot people were left without power for dangerous periods of time including myself. I have started looking into a solid UPS solution. I have been testing a few different units with several configurations ranging from running a single 6 watt mini power head alone up to two 6 watt power heads and a 75 watt heater.

So far I have one 450watt unit that seems very promising. I will give a break down when im done. but for my 28g nano cube I think I have a configuration that should sustain the system for somewhere between 4-6 hours before complete power failure. This obviously will not be as efficient for larger systems with higher power consumption needs but my hope is to help other with small tanks that can go quickly due to heat loss.

 

[dv3]

vortech back-up for the vortech

...i need to figure something out for a heater

 

[Dracx]

vortech back-up for the vortech

...i need to figure something out for a heater

Maybe something involving a hampster and an exercise wheel?

 

[othercents]

This should work.

http://www.apc.com/products/resourc...ex.cfm?base_sku=SYMF1600KG&total_watts=100000

1.6MW

 

[Off The Deep End]

Row...row...row....row

 

[othercents]

Actually I was looking at UPSes and your way better off with a generator. For example a 200w heater will drain the APC Smart-UPS 2200VA UPS in about 2 hours and it costs about $1,000. However a 3500W portable generator costs about $500 and will run for 8 hours on half load (1800W) which is probably enough to power everything. If you wanted to get more sophisticated then you would get an standby generator which will kick on automatically when the power goes out. These start about $2000 which is equivalent to two for the APC 2200VAs.

However keep in mind that you will probably never be able to keep up with the freezing temperatures outside if your power goes out. Which even with the generator you would need to keep the room temperatures high enough that the tank heaters can keep up. The UPS works good to keep pumps and flow going, but heating costs way more to keep going.

 

[Boogie]

Row...row...row....row

i can't help but laugh everytime I see that stupid commerical....

 

[dv3]

umm ...i think ill just:

1) drink alot of beer
2) pee in bottles
3) put bottles in tank

 

[Off The Deep End]

umm ...i think ill just:

1) drink alot of beer
2) pee in bottles
3) put bottles in tank

roflmao!!!!!!!!!!

 

[dirtefish]

umm ...i think ill just:

1) drink alot of beer
2) pee in bottles
3) put bottles in tank

great for keeping a tank warm, but what to do if your chiller dies during a heat wave?

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[dv3]

go buy leds

 

[Off The Deep End]

great for keeping a tank warm, but what to do if your chiller dies during a heat wave?

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk

freeze the bottles first duh

 

[Walter White]

Yep pretty sure everyone here completely missed the point but whatever.

 

[Wicked Color]

I didn't miss it Kris, I just don't have a small tank, but was still waiting to see what you came up with none the less.

 

[Boogie]

x2. Curious as to the findings.

 

[dv3]

x2. Curious as to the findings.

+1 ....what morons

 

[Cake_Boss]

Didn't Juan do something like this for his trip?

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[miwoodar]

FWIW, a $250 DIY battery backup will run a pair of MJ streams for ~30 hours. I'm not interested in running a heater or investing in a generator. The tank would be wrapped in a blanket if it looks like the outage will be more than a couple of hours. Fortunately, tanks fair better with temperature drops than temperature spikes.

Don, what happens when you run out of beer? I would offer mine but I'll be out too.

 

[scchase]

Might also look at a Deep Cycle battery and power inverter i was able to run 4 Korellia Magnums for 6 hours on a battery that hadnt been charged since before my last camping trip

 

[Walter White]

My goal is to come up with something compact, affordable (~$100), and auto switching. Something that is always connected. I dont know about everyone else but I often come home to find all my clocks blinking and computers off. This happens even on days when you wouldnt think there would be any reason for power outage and I have no idea how long it was out for. Obviously a generator is ideal but seriously how many people are going to drop the kind of coin required for an auto switching generator that's always connected to a small tank. Also what if no one is home to know the power is out or you cant go home to hook up a generator, use blankets, bottles of beer urine, etc?

My larger tank will eventually get a whole house generator that runs directly off natural gas and auto switches after a predetermined time of power loss, but until then I personally want something that keeps the tank running in an emergency mode that's always conected and dosnt look like a stack of car batteries sitting on the floor.

The Ecotech backups are ideal "if" you have a vortech pump but dosnt help stay connected to an internet based controller or heater.