Battery backup solution for EFlux wave pumps?

[ReefWithCare]

Hi there - is there a ready to use battery backup solution that works with the eflux wave pumps? BRS said it’s not compatible with the ice cap and I really need to get something in the event there is a power outage.

I tried looking up a DIY solution but honestly all the equipment I would need to buy just to attempt it defeats the purpose and the electrical part seems needlessly complicated vs simple DIY I have done like drilling a hole in an aquarium or gluing PVC [emoji29]

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

There's not a ready-made version that I know of.

Out of curiosity, you mention that DIY solutions need too much equipment. What do you mean by that? Additionally, how are they needlessly complicated?

 

[ReefWithCare]

There's not a ready-made version that I know of.

Out of curiosity, you mention that DIY solutions need too much equipment. What do you mean by that? Additionally, how are they needlessly complicated?

You need an electrical meter, wire strippers and cutters, special drill bit, soldering iron. Al stuff I don’t have. By the time I buy all this I end up paying more then a ready made solution (if one existed)

 

[pecan2phat]

You can get a power inverter and a deep cell marine battery. When the power inverter loses AC current, it will draw from the connected battery cell.

 

[ReefWithCare]

You can get a power inverter and a deep cell marine battery. When the power inverter loses AC current, it will draw from the connected battery cell.

Do I have to do a bunch of wiring like all the YT show? How do I get the backup to turn on automatically when the power fails?

 

[pecan2phat]

The only thing you have to wire up is the negative and positive cables from the power inverter to the deep cell marine battery. Inverter kicks in the battery once the AC wall outlet has no juice.

 

[pecan2phat]

Your powerhead plugs into the power inverter which in turn is plugged into your AC wall outlet. During normal operating periods, your powerhead is just receiving electricity as if it's plugged into any wall outlet. When the house/apt losses electricity, the power inverter senses this since it's plugged into a wall outlet and then switches to the connected battery power to supply juice to the items that are plugged into the power inverter.
The more backup power you need, the more expensive the setup cost. I use to have a setup that powered two return pumps to two separate systems totaling 150~160 watts. My setup went 9 hours during storm Sandy and probably had 10~15% juice left but this setup also cost me around $600.

 

[ReefWithCare]

Your powerhead plugs into the power inverter which in turn is plugged into your AC wall outlet. During normal operating periods, your powerhead is just receiving electricity as if it's plugged into any wall outlet. When the house/apt losses electricity, the power inverter senses this since it's plugged into a wall outlet and then switches to the connected battery power to supply juice to the items that are plugged into the power inverter.
The more backup power you need, the more expensive the setup cost. I use to have a setup that powered two return pumps to two separate systems totaling 150~160 watts. My setup went 9 hours during storm Sandy and probably had 10~15% juice left but this setup also cost me around $600.

Okay I think that makes sense. I’m looking st a Deka 12-V 650 amp Marine battery from Lowe’s. What power inverter would I need? I see HD has a 300W power inverter for about $23 with 2 outlets. I can power my two eflux wavemakers off that.

I also heard you need a float charger for the battery as well.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

The only thing you have to wire up is the negative and positive cables from the power inverter to the deep cell marine battery. Inverter kicks in the battery once the AC wall outlet has no juice.

This is not true in all cases. This will only happen if the inverter is an inverter/charger. These devices are available, but it's rare to find them in home improvement stores or at Walmart and they cost much more than standard inverters. You'll need to find them on Ebay or Amazon.

With standard inverters, they will not fail over automatically. You will need an automated failover switch to transfer the load from AC to inverter on power failure.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

You need an electrical meter, wire strippers and cutters, special drill bit, soldering iron. Al stuff I don’t have. By the time I buy all this I end up paying more then a ready made solution (if one existed)

This is not necessarily true. An Ecotech battery backup for example costs $165. These backups are basically a 35Ah battery with a float charger and some cables. A 35Ah battery costs around $65, a smart charger costs around $20 and the miscellaneous wires you need will cost around $10. You'd need to spend more than $70 on additional tools and parts before the off the shelf version was cheaper. If you want to make the solution ascetically appealing, then this might tip the scales in favor of a ready-made solution. But, the parts in these things are just way cheaper than companies charge for them. You can build a barebones replacement for most off-the-shelf power solutions for much cheaper than retail.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Okay I think that makes sense. I’m looking st a Deka 12-V 650 amp Marine battery from Lowe’s. What power inverter would I need? I see HD has a 300W power inverter for about $23 with 2 outlets. I can power my two eflux wavemakers off that.

I also heard you need a float charger for the battery as well.

The 650 amp rating on the battery is starting current only. This does not relate in any way to how long the battery will power equipment. Also be aware that this battery is not sealed, so it will produce hydrogen gas during charging and discharging, which can be a fire/explosion hazard. The battery will also experience faster wear if discharged below 50% because it is a standard flooded lead acid.

You will need a charger if you choose the 300W inverter from Home Depot. You will want to get one that maintains the battery as well. Look for one that says it uses multiple charge stages and states that it can be left connected to the battery. A 300W inverter from Home Depot will not fail over to battery power on power failure though, so you will need to manually switch your tank's pumps over to the inverter if your power fails. This can be problematic if the power fails when you're not home. You will also need to switch the pumps back to AC power once the power comes back on, or the pumps will continue to drain the battery until it's dead.

 

[ReefWithCare]

The 650 amp rating on the battery is starting current only. This does not relate in any way to how long the battery will power equipment. Also be aware that this battery is not sealed, so it will produce hydrogen gas during charging and discharging, which can be a fire/explosion hazard. The battery will also experience faster wear if discharged below 50% because it is a standard flooded lead acid.

You will need a charger if you choose the 300W inverter from Home Depot. You will want to get one that maintains the battery as well. Look for one that says it uses multiple charge stages and states that it can be left connected to the battery. A 300W inverter from Home Depot will not fail over to battery power on power failure though, so you will need to manually switch your tank's pumps over to the inverter if your power fails. This can be problematic if the power fails when you're not home. You will also need to switch the pumps back to AC power once the power comes back on, or the pumps will continue to drain the battery until it's dead.

Ya it would be completely useless if it has to be switched manually. I see every auto switch over inverter sells for over $250.

Like I said - this is needlessly complicated [emoji29]

 

[pecan2phat]

Sorry, I should have been more specific. My setup was a inverter charger chipmunkofdoom2 referred to, hence the $600 price tag. This switches over automatically and also charges the battery.


This is a cheaper one I found online:
https://invertersrus.com/product/samlex-sam1500c12/

Then there is the $200 Diehard Marine battery that I used also.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Ya it would be completely useless if it has to be switched manually. I see every auto switch over inverter sells for over $250.

Like I said - this is needlessly complicated [emoji29]

It all depends what you want to do. Unfortunately, I think that reefers just don't really care about battery backups and emergency planning, so there's no demand and, as a consequence, no supply. If there was sufficient demand, there would be more commercial options for battery backup and more options available than Ecotech's battery backup and Tunze's DC transfer switch.

I think the battery backup conundrum can really be thought of as a modified triangle of design with three components. First is the price, second is how well it does what you want, and third is how much of your effort it's going to take. You can basically have two of these sides of the triangle, but the third is going to suffer.

For example, if you want to put in almost no work or time, the solution is going to be really expensive if you want high effectiveness A good example of this is to call a local electrician and tell them what you want. They'll likely ask you how long you want the system to run and what you want it to power, but other than that, you won't have to do a thing. They'll probably charge you over $100/hr in labor costs and add a substantial markup to what amount to cheap commodity electrical parts, but it'll be very simple for you. Low work, high effectiveness, but very high cost.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is something like a computer UPS. Plug it into the wall, plug your equipment into it and you're good to go. They're relatively cheap and they take almost no effort. The downside is that they don't work very well for aquarium backups. Low work, low cost, but also low effectiveness.

A middle of the road solution might be an inverter/charger with a battery. You can find inverter chargers around $190. Add a $65 battery like the one from above and you have a $250 system that will do what you want. Medium cost, medium effectiveness, relatively low effort.

You can DIY from scratch and make a low cost solution that's really effective, but you're going to spend a lot of time doing it. Low cost, high effectiveness, but requires a lot of work.

 

[ReefWithCare]

It all depends what you want to do. Unfortunately, I think that reefers just don't really care about battery backups and emergency planning, so there's no demand and, as a consequence, no supply. If there was sufficient demand, there would be more commercial options for battery backup and more options available than Ecotech's battery backup and Tunze's DC transfer switch.

I think the battery backup conundrum can really be thought of as a modified triangle of design with three components. First is the price, second is how well it does what you want, and third is how much of your effort it's going to take. You can basically have two of these sides of the triangle, but the third is going to suffer.

For example, if you want to put in almost no work or time, the solution is going to be really expensive if you want high effectiveness A good example of this is to call a local electrician and tell them what you want. They'll likely ask you how long you want the system to run and what you want it to power, but other than that, you won't have to do a thing. They'll probably charge you over $100/hr in labor costs and add a substantial markup to what amount to cheap commodity electrical parts, but it'll be very simple for you. Low work, high effectiveness, but very high cost.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is something like a computer UPS. Plug it into the wall, plug your equipment into it and you're good to go. They're relatively cheap and they take almost no effort. The downside is that they don't work very well for aquarium backups. Low work, low cost, but also low effectiveness.

A middle of the road solution might be an inverter/charger with a battery. You can find inverter chargers around $190. Add a $65 battery like the one from above and you have a $250 system that will do what you want. Medium cost, medium effectiveness, relatively low effort.

You can DIY from scratch and make a low cost solution that's really effective, but you're going to spend a lot of time doing it. Low cost, high effectiveness, but requires a lot of work.

Ya but everything pointed out here shows if you want an auto switchover (which is absolutely critical IMO) - you are either going to pay up the butt (even if you DIY the whole thing) or some complex electrical work.

It is amazing there is not a ready made solution out there - we will easily shell out $1000+ for an Apex but no battery backup [emoji848].

Makes no sense

Anyway - the sub $200 inverter should work. I just need a sealed battery and I should be good right?

I’ll probably get a cover for battery for cleaner storage.

The most expensive thing is the inverter. If there was a way to get an inverter with a switcher for cheaper it’s way more universal to the branded backups. I think they just make them specific so you have to get their stuff. An inverters makes the backup universal.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Ya but everything pointed out here shows if you want an auto switchover (which is absolutely critical IMO) - you are either going to pay up the butt (even if you DIY the whole thing) or some complex electrical work.

It is amazing there is not a ready made solution out there - we will easily shell out $1000+ for an Apex but no battery backup [emoji848].

Makes no sense

Anyway - the sub $200 inverter should work. I just need a sealed battery and I should be good right?

I’ll probably get a cover for battery for cleaner storage.

The most expensive thing is the inverter. If there was a way to get an inverter with a switcher for cheaper it’s way more universal to the branded backups. I think they just make them specific so you have to get their stuff. An inverters makes the backup universal.

I couldn't agree more, with all of the above. Especially with the Apex point.

Yeah so with the inverter/charger, you just add a battery and you're good to go. If the batteries are going to be in a well-ventilated area, they don't have to be sealed. I generally prefer sealed batteries though. Most SLAs are AGM (absorbent glass mat), which have a higher discharge depth without wearing prematurely. They're also not that much more expensive than flooded lead acids. A 35Ah battery like this one would run a 10W of pumps for 30 hours assuming 10% inefficiency and a 75% depth of discharge. A 100Ah battery like this one costs around $170, but it'll run 10W of pumps for 87 hours using the same assumptions.

The inverter is a big part of the cost. I did a DIY transfer switch for my system. If you figure $30 for the switch, $20 for the battery charger and $40 for the inverter, you're saving about $100 going DIY as opposed to buying an inverter charger. They're not hard to make, but it definitely takes some time and some planning to build.

 

[ReefWithCare]

I couldn't agree more, with all of the above. Especially with the Apex point.

Yeah so with the inverter/charger, you just add a battery and you're good to go. If the batteries are going to be in a well-ventilated area, they don't have to be sealed. I generally prefer sealed batteries though. Most SLAs are AGM (absorbent glass mat), which have a higher discharge depth without wearing prematurely. They're also not that much more expensive than flooded lead acids. A 35Ah battery like this one would run a 10W of pumps for 30 hours assuming 10% inefficiency and a 75% depth of discharge. A 100Ah battery like this one costs around $170, but it'll run 10W of pumps for 87 hours using the same assumptions.

The inverter is a big part of the cost. I did a DIY transfer switch for my system. If you figure $30 for the switch, $20 for the battery charger and $40 for the inverter, you're saving about $100 going DIY as opposed to buying an inverter charger. They're not hard to make, but it definitely takes some time and some planning to build.

Electrical is always the thing hat scares me. Everything else DIY I have been fine with because it’s easy to fix mistakes. If you screw up with electrical you can wipe your tank , burn your home down, or injure/kill your self so it’s just one of those things. I would really need detailed instructions on how to do it - but I will probably spend just as much buying the equipment needed like soldering irons etc vs just spending an extra $100 for the inverter they will have the switch in it [emoji29]

The battery box will sit outside of the cabinet (I'm out of space). I'll probably get another cabinet for the empty area later on as I have about 24" of space from the wall to add another.

30 hrs is plenty. I would honestly be happy with 8 hrs lol.

 

[ReefWithCare]

It all depends what you want to do. Unfortunately, I think that reefers just don't really care about battery backups and emergency planning, so there's no demand and, as a consequence, no supply. If there was sufficient demand, there would be more commercial options for battery backup and more options available than Ecotech's battery backup and Tunze's DC transfer switch.

I think the battery backup conundrum can really be thought of as a modified triangle of design with three components. First is the price, second is how well it does what you want, and third is how much of your effort it's going to take. You can basically have two of these sides of the triangle, but the third is going to suffer.

For example, if you want to put in almost no work or time, the solution is going to be really expensive if you want high effectiveness A good example of this is to call a local electrician and tell them what you want. They'll likely ask you how long you want the system to run and what you want it to power, but other than that, you won't have to do a thing. They'll probably charge you over $100/hr in labor costs and add a substantial markup to what amount to cheap commodity electrical parts, but it'll be very simple for you. Low work, high effectiveness, but very high cost.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is something like a computer UPS. Plug it into the wall, plug your equipment into it and you're good to go. They're relatively cheap and they take almost no effort. The downside is that they don't work very well for aquarium backups. Low work, low cost, but also low effectiveness.

A middle of the road solution might be an inverter/charger with a battery. You can find inverter chargers around $190. Add a $65 battery like the one from above and you have a $250 system that will do what you want. Medium cost, medium effectiveness, relatively low effort.

You can DIY from scratch and make a low cost solution that's really effective, but you're going to spend a lot of time doing it. Low cost, high effectiveness, but requires a lot of work.

Does this $190 inverter come with charger or do I need need a trickle charger for the battery to keep it charged when not in use?

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Does this $190 inverter come with charger or do I need need a trickle charger for the battery to keep it charged when not in use?

Nope, no charger needed. The inverter/charger will keep the battery topped up when not in use as well as recharging it after an outage.

 

[ReefWithCare]

Nope, no charger needed. The inverter/charger will keep the battery topped up when not in use as well as recharging it after an outage.

Would something like this work?