Watts, Volts and Amps

[Brian5000]

I'm trying to get inexpensive ideas for my aquarium in case of power outages.

Generators are fairly expensive.

I've seen people on this forum talk about car batteries and a converter.

What about battery backups for computers?

My main question is that I don't really know how much power I need to provide for my pumps to run. Plus, I don't really remember the relationships between watts, volts and amps, and no two things ever seems to list the same measure of electricity.

At the very least, I'd like to run my return pump (Magdrive 9.5) and my heaters (about 350W total). What would I need?
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[jcallari164]

UPS systems are designed in VA (Volt times Amps)...

The problem with UPS systems is that they are not designed for constant use in the absence of power. They are designed to allow for a graceful shutdown of computer systems in the absence of power.

Even if you grossly oversize the UPS for the VA demand necessary, you won't get that much usage time.

Generators and transfer switches are the only serious setup for a home that experiences frequent power loss... but, as you know, that's not a cheap alternative.

Remember, UPS systems have batteries. Batteries are rated in AH or mAH (Amp Hours or milliaAmp hours)... so, the amperage draw over a period of time equals the battery's rating. You'd have to check the specs of a specific UPS to see what the AH rating is for the batteries that they use.

 

[Brian5000]

So computer backups don't have enough juice in them for long term running. That's good to know. What kind of energy demands do I have to meet then?
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[Anonymous]

another term you should add to your query is hours. Since it's not so much the amount of power you need, but the length of time that you need it.

I would suggest something a bit more simple, battery powered air pumps that you plug in and turn on in the event of a power outage, properly done they can supply the necessary aeration to your tank so your fish don't go dying on you.

 

[jcallari164]

So computer backups don't have enough juice in them for long term running. That's good to know. What kind of energy demands do I have to meet then?

Honestly, outside of a real solution like a backup generator and a transfer switch, there's no real way of providing long term emergency power in the absence of utility power.

UPS systems to complete the task would require a number of additional batteries connected in parallel to the ones already in the UPS... that would provide more AH (amp hours), and thereby increasing the amount of time you'd have on battery power.

A simple gas generator with a simple transfer switch is not a bad idea. Especially if you are in an area where power loss is routine... (hurricane areas, etc.) It would not only provide power for your aquarium, but it would allow for you to keep your refrigerator and other essential equipment running.

Do a little research online (google) to see what I'm talking about.

I'm a union electrician, and I've done a LOT of UPS, backup generator and automatic transfer switch work in datacenter applications. UPS for a home is out of the question. The number of batteries necessary, the cost and the hazards make the solution prohibitive. Gas, diesel and natural gas generators with manual or automatic transfer switches are the most viable solutions for the home. Gas generator/manual transfer switch combinations are the cheapest. Diesel and natural gas generators with automatic transfer switches are the most expensive.

 

[jcallari164]

another term you should add to your query is hours. Since it's not so much the amount of power you need, but the length of time that you need it.

I would suggest something a bit more simple, battery powered air pumps that you plug in and turn on in the event of a power outage, properly done they can supply the necessary aeration to your tank so your fish don't go dying on you.

This is the best solution if your anticipated power outage is only a few hours at a time.

This is not a good solution if your anticipated power outage is 24 hours or more. If you are in an area prone to sustained power outages, battery operated air pumps will do only so much to help. If you require a chiller to keep temps down, or if you have corals that require serious water movement, an outage of more than 24 hours would threaten to nuke your tank.

 

[Anonymous]

350W is a lot for back up power unless it is only for short term, like a few hours. You may consider just keep a recirculation powerhead inside the tank instead of the return pump and heater if it is any more than a few hours.

 

[raddogz]

Sorry to crash your thread, I may have access to a UPS for a server (heavy son of gun too), which I would like to use as a temporary battery backup for power-outage. Would this work even if it is for a few hours?

 

[IslandCrow]

I use a 650VA UPS for 1 powerhead and an auto-doser. I agree with what's already been stated. They don't last that long if the power goes out. I'd say that this particular UPS can power a Maxijet 1200 for around 3 hours. I guess that's not horrible, but I certainly expected more. I actually have it more for my auto-doser, though, since it has to be manually reset if it loses power. We have pretty frequent but short duration (usually just a few seconds) power outages where I live.

I'm probably going to get an inverter that I can hook up to a car battery (or a couple batteries in series) that will automatically switch on if power is lost. I haven't done much research yet, but these guys don't seem to be much cheaper than a small, manual generator (I have one of those as well). I just like the fact that I can get one that turns on automatically for a lot less than a gas generator that would do the same.

By the way, I use one of the battery air pumps when I'm on vacation. It's always good to have a backup to the backup.