Battery back-up

kwp · Apr 15, 2019

I am seeking info on budget friendly battery back up in case of a power outage. I am seeking recommendations on what equipment to use, etc. I do have a limited budget, but also dont want to lose any of my marine fish, some I have had for several years. I would like info on a system that will automatically come on line in the event of a power failure. Also, is there equipment available that will notify you of a power outage? thanks

LobsterOfJustice · Apr 15, 2019

I use APC Back-UPS, you can get them from amazon for under $100. How much equipment (wattage) do you want to run and for how long?

Hallowhead · Apr 15, 2019

I would use a UPS for a computer. With using DC pumps you can stretch a mid range UPS pretty long. I have a backup house generator which kicks on in 10 seconds (Thanks to the parents).... but it's a must if you're reefing.

MurphTech · Apr 15, 2019

I thought I would throw in my two cents with my IT background for you about your alerts question.

They do have have nice UPS units that can be hardwired into a network that can support sending out email alerts or app notifications. However, they cost more than standard UPS units and they are usually larger capacity units with the network card embedded for you. Additionally, you would also need to consider how you would keep your Internet Connection and LAN powered during power failures. In most cases this would probably mean a second UPS for your network, however home/consumer grade network equipment don't usually draw that much power. So, your second unit can be a smaller/lower capacity one to keep your Modem/Router/Switch online for the UPS alerts you'd like to receive. This is the information on the latest generation that APC has now which probably makes this very simple to setup. Link / Unit Example

Without the embedded network card you would need some kind of USB connection to a dedicated computer to handle sending out alerts with the program from the manufacturer, but you still need to keep both the computer and network powered to receive them.

If you just want to know about power incidents occurring without a real time alert, any UPS with a small LCD will keep track of "Events" which mean either a spike/drop in voltage or no power at all at the outlet. Having a means to access this data would give you the full details of these events.