Battery Back ups

[Lance A. Lot]

What if any Battery Back Up system is anyone using around St. Louis? I have pretty consistent power but I have always been interested in an automatic system like a battery back up instead of just having a small generator.

 

[Mikeltee]

Just get a standard UPS for your wavemakers. That is really all your need to backup. If you are prone to power outages than maybe one for your heater too but that will kill a UPS faster than anything. I'd go with a generator in that instance. MP40s detect a power outage and can go into a slower mode.

 

[vandy]

Yeah what Mikel said. I use an APC computer UPS for mine. Currently trying to figure out how to signal to my MP40s to run in low power mode but they def will run for a couple hours as is with just the UPC

 

[Lance A. Lot]

Just get a standard UPS for your wavemakers. That is really all your need to backup. If you are prone to power outages than maybe one for your heater too but that will kill a UPS faster than anything. I'd go with a generator in that instance. MP40s detect a power outage and can go into a slower mode.

Do you find that you have a longer use time out of the battery powering your powerheads instead of your return pump? I'm wondering why you would choose powerhead over return pump if consumption is the same. I would rather have the return pump run so my sump isn't stagnating if power consumption is the same.

 

[Mikeltee]

Do you find that you have a longer use time out of the battery powering your powerheads instead of your return pump? I'm wondering why you would choose powerhead over return pump if consumption is the same. I would rather have the return pump run so my sump isn't stagnating if power consumption is the same.

Because powerheads turn 10x more water than my sump. I suppose if your heater is in your sump your options are limited. My heater is in my overflow. I have been lucky to never lose power for more than 30 seconds in the last 20 years, but when I do, my MP40s disconnect from my Apex and I need to reset them which is a pain in the butt. I do have a 2k watt generator on deck in case the worse happens. I have the Vortech backup battery for the 2x MP40s, a UPS for a 50 watt pump for my closed loop display UV that is rigged inline, and the generator in case I lose power for an extended period.

 

[Jamie814]

Do you find that you have a longer use time out of the battery powering your powerheads instead of your return pump?

This would be completely dependent on the wattage draw of the pumps. IMO it's better to put the UPS on the return pump to keep the full system circulating instead of just the tank water. If you use filter socks or other flow through media this will continue to filter the water during an outage as well.

 

[michealprater]

I’d you are comparing a single power head to a return, in most cases a powerhead is far less wattage and moves more water. At least that’s what the wattage meter on my apex says.

 

[mjcoussens]

I've been using this for the last 18 months.

I just had to splice in a 12volt plug between the 24v power supply and my Hydros Wave engine. When the Hydros detects a loss of power, it switches to low power mode and will run all of my gyres at 50% power for longer than I've felt comfortable to time.

Cheers,

Matt