UPS For my Aquarium

[misterted]

Where I live we get power outages and it's becoming a nuisance.
I tried using a high end Computer UPS on my tank and they don't work.
I have an Azoo air pump with battery backup but I want to keep at least one of the water pumps in my sump running during a blackout.
Can anyone tell me how to do this or where to go to get one?
I'm assuming they are not like thousands of dollars, or are they?

[DJRansome]

My electrician recommends a 12Volt pump $125 run off a car battery $75 and keep the car battery charged in between uses with a trickle charger $50.

That or a generator. A UPS would not be a great fit for this application as you discovered.

[emartin]

Hey Ted,
Yeah that outtage yesterday was VERY annoying... We didn;t get our power back in Long Branch for another hour and half after WLB's power was restored. A total of 5 hours for me with no flash lights, lighter, or candle was not fun...


Anyway speaking of generators, when I was at Reef to Reptiles today they told me about a store in Brick that sells dirt cheap gas generators for $90 that power up to 800watts which is enough to keep a large tank running and then some, or keep your refrigerator and an emergency air pump running, etc.

This is the generator (look at the reviews! out of 55 reviews it has a 4.5/5 star rating! Looks like a lot of people recommend replacing the sparkplug though):
http://www.harborfreight.com/engines-generators/gas-engine-generators/800-rated-watts-900-max-watts-portable-generator-66619.html

I'm actually going to get one soon! For that price it is definitely worth it, even if it breaks after a few years.

The next model up is $300 and that one is rated 2,200watts:
http://www.harborfreight.com/engines-generators/gas-engine-generators/55-hp-2200-rated-watts-2400-max-watts-portable-generator-95189.html

Keep in mind though, that brand has NO replacement parts. If it breaks it breaks. If you know how to fix them, then great. But just keep that in mind. They're made cheap and despite that name are actually some Chinese brand.

But, for $90 if it only lasts like 4 uses does it matter? That's a good price for the convenience of having it provide power when you really need it.

Otherwise, the BEST brand out there that everybody tells me is Honda for gas generators. Problem is the price. Their generators range from $930 for a 1,000watt rated portable generator (that supposedly is extremely fuel efficient at 8.3hours of use on 0.6gal of gas) to $3,032 for a 6,500watt rated generator that runs up to 10 hours on a tank of gas.

Personally, I like the idea of the Chicago brand one for $90. I was thinking of buying a cheap backup air pump (either the ecoplus 1 or 3 http://kensfish.com/eccopluscommercialairpumps.html) and making a portable air manifold for it to run air to provide surface agitation (NOT filtration by sponge filter) to my tanks and this cheap generator to power that and say the refrigerator/freezer and a few lights if there's enough wattage left.

For comparison, here's Honda's website for all their gas generators all classes. http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/products/models.aspx?page=models&section=P2GG&category=all They're typically considered the best portable gas generator brand and quietest and most fuel-efficient. The prices on the website are manufacturer's retail price, local hardware dealers should have them cheaper as well as being able to find them used. I decided when I am ready to purchase one I'll call around first at local used motor equipment dealers and see if I can get a good deal on a used Honda Generator first.

EDIT:
Just checked my refrigerator, that runs at 6.5amps at 115volts. According to a formula I found online W=A*V, that means that the refrigerator/freezer runs at 747.5watts at maximum load. That gives me 52.5watts left to use under the safer rated 800watts in that cheaper generator which is more than enough to run a EcoPlus 3 air pump which runs on 35watts and produces 65LPM of air at 3.9psi per outlet. So that generator would work perfectly for my needs, I'd just have to keep a 5gal gas tank near by and maybe put the pump on a timer (with a check valve) and refrigerator as well just in case to keep the load at a minimum (I'd rather not push it to the limit (which is technically 900watts, but 800watts is the safe/guaranteed rating) by running the refrigerator and pump at the same time).

Also, some of the positive reviews mentioned extended warranties (I assume provided by Harbor Freight, though I saw no information about extended warranties on their website (may just be an at-store thing or something)) which is worth looking into. If it's only like an extra $50 for a few years worth of coverage against product failure why not? Only adds to the value versus buying a $1,000 honda generator. I'm not sure I'd use it often enough to warrant spending $1,000 upfront...

[DJRansome]

I do have a generator and during extended outages use it to run the well, fridge, tanks, and stove. But none of them continuously. Like we will pump up the water tanks and run the fish tanks and fridge while that is happening. Or run the tanks while cooking dinner.

Anyone try Craigs list?

[the_watcher]

I too have a generator fro Harbor Freight... It requires a mixture of oil and gas... $90.00 ... Nice if you are at home and the power goes out... Just run an extension cord from outside to the item that you want to run... but that did not help me ... when I was at work. So I purchased a UPS ... kicks in when the power goes out and works my low wattage air pumps for hours. I tested it on 6 vibrator pumps , I turned it off after letting it run overnight.... so it worked for at least 9 hours... All I needed for the fish to survive was air.. now in the winter that is another story when needed for heaters.... (for those with cash, a bigger generator that automatically kicks in when the power goes out)...

[zcfish]

$90 generator sounds good. Question for the generator people. Will the generator run longer if the load is less. For example if you use only 100 watts does it run for days?

[Longstocking]

I'm actually kinda worried about it due ot the two storms brewing up...

But it's warm so I have nothing to worry about. I have two seperate 12 volt systems on two different cars. They work great ... I used them this past winter during those two horrible storms. The don't heat my tanks... but at least I have air.

Really they are cheap.... everyone should have one. IMO there are all kinds of emergencies that you might need one... on the road or at home.

[misterted]

I too have a generator fro Harbor Freight... It requires a mixture of oil and gas... $90.00 ... Nice if you are at home ant the power goes out... Just run an extension cord from outside to the item that you want to run... but that did no help me ... when I was at work. So I purchased a UPS ... kicks in when the power goes out and works my low wattage air pumps for hours. I tested it on 6 vibrator pumps , I turned it off after letting it run overnight.... so it worked for at least 9 hours... All I needed for the fish to survive was air.. now in the winter that is another story when needed for heaters.... (for those with cash, a bigger generator that automatically kicks in when the power goes out)...

Which UPS did you buy?

[emartin]

You can get an auto transfer switch to automatically start up the generator (an electric start one, not sure one that starts up by a pull handle would work) when the power goes out. It would automatically start up the generator and provide power through w/e outlets are connected to it.

That way your whole house could still have energy for example.

Also with the harbor freight generators, I found a couple reviews there that suggest you do not use sensitive electronics (like computers) as the voltage output tends to fluctuate and probably isn't too safe for computers. But for appliances, aquarium equipment, etc it should be 100% safe.

For $90, it's worth it to get a couple of them! One for the fish tanks, one for the refrigerator and lights!

[the_watcher]

Which UPS did you buy?

I got it from www.newegg.com .
It cost about 150.00 + shipping.
When I go home I will check exactly which one I got...
You might find it cheaper at different sites.
My son always purchases his computer junk from them.

There is a place to get coupons for nice discounts from Harbor Freight if you decide to get a generator from them.
They have a lot of great items ..... I purchased a cheap drill press with drill from them when I was drilling a lot of tanks ($49.00) ....

http://www.coupongreat.com/detail/harborfreight.com.html

---

[emartin]

Which UPS did you buy?

Ted I personally wouldn't look into UPS. Once they lose their charge they are worthless. Whereas a gas generator can keep running as long as you have gasoline.

But if you only one to say auto-power up air pumps to keep oxygen in the tanks (you travel a lot right?) then I would look into a professional UPS designed for servers. They last longer, hold charges better, and have insanely good resale value.

I recommend www.newegg.com for UPS shopping. One I have is a CyberPower 900watt consumer grade (not server/professional grade, though that brand makes those too) that I have had for the past couple years that works great. It can power a fluorescent light, a computer monitor and external hard drives and a pc running at full load 550watts for about a half hour before the warning chimes sound (it beeps when theres just a few minutes left). I never ran it dry before so I have no idea how long it actually lasts for. But I am sure this one which is rated at 900watts can power air pumps for a couple hours for sure. This is the model I have for my computer: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842102054&Tpk=cyberpower%20900watt again that model is just a consumer grade one but I recommend that one as a good starter but only for air pumps, I wouldn't try running heaters or water pumps on it as it would drain the charge pretty fast.

[emartin]

I got it from www.newegg.com .
It cost about 150.00 + shipping.
When I go home I will check exactly which one I got...
You might find it cheaper at different sites.
My son always purchases his computer junk from them.

Because your son is smart :D That company is the BEST of the best, like the amazon.com for computer parts and accessories.

[emartin]

I'm going tomorrow to the Harbor Freight store in Brick Township tomorrow to buy the 800watt generator will let you all know what I think of the quality and how well it works tomorrow.

Most people recommended replacing the spark plugs immediately (which I will also do), getting the extended warranty (will do so too if it isn't too much extra money), and to start it up before the warranty runs out and run it until empty to make sure it runs properly as some people mentioned a couple generators being DOA, but lauded HarborFreight not giving them any problems returning/exchanging them. Some people mentioned going back to get more...

One of my tests will be to see if my refrigerator which supposedly runs at 747.5watts max load will work on it, besides testing to see if it is powerful enough to keep the 1800gph pump on the 265g running (not that I will use it for that purpose, I just want to see if it can do it).

[misterted]

The reason I started this thread is because I have bought 750W and 900W UPS's in the past from Best Buy to run one Mag 12 for as long as possible during blackouts. And I do travel alot and need something that switches on automatically when power goes out.
Both those UPS's simply die after being plugged in for a few weeks even if there has been no blackout. I don't have the time to send them back and forth to the manufacturer to repair or whatever. So I was asking about a UPS that someone on the forum has had experience with and should work for me. The Harbor Freight Generator is interesting and may solve some other issues for us during blackouts but it's not for my aquarium.

[the_watcher]

I don't think that you should be running anything that consumes a lot of electricity using a UPS. IMO you should be concerned with supplying air via a low wattage vibrator pump....
Your 800 watt UPS should handle that for some hours+....
This will keep your fish alive ...

[emartin]

The 800watt generator works great! It ran LOUD the first couple minutes, but after it stabilized and starting running more it is about as loud as an air blower I suppose. (or a weed wacker motor that is idling).

It uses 50:1 two cycle oil + unleaded gas mix, which is great for me since that is the same mix my weed wacker (Red Max brand) uses so it was perfect.

It's actually pretty well built. Not cheap plastic parts like one of the reviewers said. It certainly is no tank like a Honda generator, but for the price of $90 it is WELL worth it.

I tested it running a hedge clipper (about 400watts), a small CRT tv (53 watts), my garage piston air pump (80watts electricity 88lpm air output), my air blower (1/16 horsepower I think, it outputs 38cfm or 1,076.04 lpm), a radio, a fan and lightbulb. Not all at once (I don't want to push it just yet), but it powered them perfectly fine.

The generator has a built in circuit breaker and starts easily.

Total cost for me:
$89.99 800watt generator
$11.99 1-year replacement plan (starts after the 90day manufacturer's warranty (which is HarborFreight's brand))

Not including tax, $101.98.

After I finish the 'breaking in' period for the generator (25hours of use and suggested limit of 75% rated max load, so up to 600watts for now, & I used up about 1-2 hours so far) I am going try the refrigerator which SHOULD work since that runs at 115volts and 6.5amps which equals 747.5watts max load. If that works, I just may buy another one of these... One to run the refrigerator and maybe the tv or a light, and the other to power the air pumps (which leaves PLENTY of wattage left over to run fish tank heaters in the winter).

The manual also says not to use it on sensitive electronics like computers and 'smart' (lcd/plasma/dlp) TVs that have circuit boards/chipsets which makes sense but says you can if you get a surge protector and inverter and then it would be safe to use.

So I definitely recommend this generator as a dirt cheap one for basic use...it works great so far.



Also Ted, they make generators that connect to propane tanks and natural gas lines and you can have an electrician install an auto-transfer switch that would automatically electrically start a generator and provide power to your fish room uninterrupted.


I did some research on them, and a lot of the other brands cheaper than Honda are viewed as great brands as well. These include Yamaha, Generac, Coleman (Powermate), Briggs & Stratton (one of the highest rated ones by Consumer Reports Mag), etc.

So do some shopping around.

Based on this website:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home-garden/safety-security/generators/ratings/index.htm

And this one:
http://www.generatorfacts.com/

I think my next purchase (if I want to get a full sized one) will be a Briggs & Stratton brand based on the high ratings by Consumer Reports and the price (a 5,500watt one for example costs only $1,125 full retail or here for $770 http://www.everygenerator.com/Briggs-and-Stratton-30241-BAS1005.html)

MOST generators on the market do NOT have built in inverters, so you really shouldn't to be 100% safe use sensitive electronics on any of them (even the Honda ones unless you get a model with an inverter). That is unless you buy an inverter and use all electronics through a surge protector.

Overall for the purpose of powering fish tank heaters, air pumps, lights and fans I recommend the HarborFreight 800watt generator. Just get the extra year warranty in case it breaks down on you, but a couple people reported using it for 2 years 6-8 hours a week until it broke on them.

Oh and if you got to get it at Harbor Freight, be sure to bookmark the generator's page on your phones browser or print it out since they do match their online price (at the store today it was for sale $120, but I pulled it up on my phone and only paid $90).

[misterted]

I don't think you are understanding my point.
I travel overseas a lot. If a blackout occurs when I am not home then something needs to kick in and keep at least one water pump running for as long as possible. If I'm not home then I cannot plug in a generator or attach this or set up that.
I need something automatic.
That's why I started this thread.

[emartin]

I understand that. The problem is, your only two options are these:

Invest in a gasoline, diesel, propane, natural gas, or kerosene generator installed by an electrician with an auto-transfer switch connected to the same outlets your water pump and maybe some household appliances are connected to. (these non-portable generators will automatically turn on (are always on standby mode) when needed)

Or, settle for a UPS that will ONLY power an air pump for long hours. Maybe make a manifold and have it provide air for all of your tanks.

For automatic power backup, those are really your only two options.

Or, you can have an electrician install an electric INPUT outlet on the outside of your house that you can plug in a portable generator to that someone at home or a neighbor if you made arrangements can start up. But that's not an automatic power backup solution like you are looking for.


Datacenters for example do not have UPS power backup for their servers despite "server grade" and professional grade UPS being on the market. Server's have automatic generators likely powered by natural gas that kick in to keep their servers running indefinitely (as long as the gas line isn't interrupted). The server UPS products you see for sale only keep the server running long enough for it to be properly shut down by the operator to prevent damage to it and software on it.

So a UPS will really only be useful for air pumps and maybe fish tank heaters, but that's it.

[misterted]

Ok, can someone recommend a Ups that will serve this purpose.

[emartin]

For which? For air pumps?

The two top rated brands on newegg.com are CyberPower and Tripp-Lite. I'd look at getting one of those brands. Another famous brand is APC.

I have a 900watt CyberPower UPS that I have had for nearly 4 years now allowing to to turn off my PC safely and run lamp lights with no problems at all that I light. I think it could run a small air pump with no problems at all for quite a while but I have never tried it.


ONE THING I am thinking of is if I can use a generator to recharge a UPS while it is running. UPS's have Sine Wave output, meaning if it is safe to plug into a generator in order to recharge it after a couple hours of running an air pump to keep it going then that may be an option for you, to get a UPS and then a cheap generator to keep alongside if it turns out to be major long-lasting power outtage.

If you want, after I hear back from CyberPower about using a 800watt generator to recharge it I will let you know.

[DJRansome]

Snow birds have generators that turn on automatically. My electrician installs them to keep sump pumps pumping during power outages to prevent basement flooding.

I wonder if you could get a generator on Craig's List? We got ours when clients upgraded and gave us the old one.

[emartin]

On craigslist I personally would only bother looking for used ones by brands like Honda, Yamaha, etc...the expensive brands. Otherwise I'd just get a new one since the cheaper brands are very affordable (particularly Generac, Briggs & Stratton, Powermate, etc).