Battery backup help please

JasonK84

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I'm looking into some kind of battery backup system that will keep my return pump and power head running for 8+ hours. Where I live we have very few outages and they rarely last more than an hour and most being less. Very rare to experience an outage more than a couple hours. Still, I want this backup to keep my pumps running as a safeguard. I've got a 120 gallon aquarium that I will be running as fish only. Not as sensitive as a reef but still want the added security of the backup. I've been reading tons of threads on here and some people say they last 7 hours or so and others are saying 1 to 2 hours. No one says what they're powering in terms of wattage or amps so I'm having trouble figuring out what length of time I'll get.
I will be running an e-flux 6011 DC return pump (16 to 80 Watts) and an e-flux 6005 DC circulation pump (2 to 10 watts). If we round up to 100 watts as the maximum then that would equate to around .85 amps/hour correct? If I get a UPS with 9AH then I should get 10+ hours out of it right? Am I considering everything in my assessment?

Any help would be great!!
 

CC13

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I'm looking into some kind of battery backup system that will keep my return pump and power head running for 8+ hours. Where I live we have very few outages and they rarely last more than an hour and most being less. Very rare to experience an outage more than a couple hours. Still, I want this backup to keep my pumps running as a safeguard. I've got a 120 gallon aquarium that I will be running as fish only. Not as sensitive as a reef but still want the added security of the backup. I've been reading tons of threads on here and some people say they last 7 hours or so and others are saying 1 to 2 hours. No one says what they're powering in terms of wattage or amps so I'm having trouble figuring out what length of time I'll get.
I will be running an e-flux 6011 DC return pump (16 to 80 Watts) and an e-flux 6005 DC circulation pump (2 to 10 watts). If we round up to 100 watts as the maximum then that would equate to around .85 amps/hour correct? If I get a UPS with 9AH then I should get 10+ hours out of it right? Am I considering everything in my assessment?

Any help would be great!!

Do you have the option or budget to use or run a propane or gas generator? That is obviously the best most ideal solution but it depends on what your budget and requirements are.
 
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JasonK84

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Do you have the option or budget to use or run a propane or gas generator? That is obviously the best most ideal solution but it depends on what your budget and requirements are.
I do but that only works if someone is home to start it up. I've got options if I'm home of running an extension cord from the 110v plug of my truck to power it. I'm looking for something that will keep it running until I can get home. I have considered buying a generator as well but would still want the battery backup keeping it going until I got home to start the generator. I'm away from home 10 hours a day on average so want something to cover that amount of time.
 

CC13

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I do but that only works if someone is home to start it up. I've got options if I'm home of running an extension cord from the 110v plug of my truck to power it. I'm looking for something that will keep it running until I can get home. I have considered buying a generator as well but would still want the battery backup keeping it going until I got home to get it going. I'm away from home 10 hours a day on average so want something to cover that amount of time.

Oh ya I see what your saying and good point. Only generators I know that auto transfer are the Generac ones and they are lots of money.

I am not entirely sure what battery requirements or sizing you would need to allow for your return pump and power heads, but as long as you have good movement in your tank itself and good surface agitation the fish would be more than fine until you got home if the return pump was not running at all.
 
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JasonK84

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@chipmunkofdoom2

I've seen many battery backup threads that you are involved in. Is my assessment of this correct?
Here is the unit I was looking at.
IMG_2048.PNG

IMG_2047.PNG
 

Flippers4pups

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@Flippers4pups how about you. Can you confirm that my run time would be correct for that amount of draw?

I'm sorry, I would to love to try to calculate that but Im caught up in something at home.

@Brew12 can you run the numbers?
 

Brew12

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I'm looking into some kind of battery backup system that will keep my return pump and power head running for 8+ hours. Where I live we have very few outages and they rarely last more than an hour and most being less. Very rare to experience an outage more than a couple hours. Still, I want this backup to keep my pumps running as a safeguard. I've got a 120 gallon aquarium that I will be running as fish only. Not as sensitive as a reef but still want the added security of the backup. I've been reading tons of threads on here and some people say they last 7 hours or so and others are saying 1 to 2 hours. No one says what they're powering in terms of wattage or amps so I'm having trouble figuring out what length of time I'll get.
I will be running an e-flux 6011 DC return pump (16 to 80 Watts) and an e-flux 6005 DC circulation pump (2 to 10 watts). If we round up to 100 watts as the maximum then that would equate to around .85 amps/hour correct? If I get a UPS with 9AH then I should get 10+ hours out of it right? Am I considering everything in my assessment?

Any help would be great!!
Let's look at it. Watts = Amps x Volts x power factor. A typical power factor is 0.8.

100watts/120V*0.8 = 1.04 Amps. This means a 9AH batter would get you just under 9 hours.

The UPS you are looking at has a rating of 900W. It should get you very close to 9 hours.
 
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JasonK84

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Let's look at it. Watts = Amps x Volts x power factor. A typical power factor is 0.8.

100watts/120V*0.8 = 1.04 Amps. This means a 9AH batter would get you just under 9 hours.

The UPS you are looking at has a rating of 900W. It should get you very close to 9 hours.
Thank you @Brew12 and @Flippers4pups. This is probably what I will get and then have a small generator that I'll crank up once I can get home. This should get me the peace of mind I need while I'm away. It was just a few days ago that my wife and I were eating breakfast at work and she gets the alert that power was interrupted in our area. I immediately got anxious but had nothing I could do. I got home expecting skimmers to have spilled over on the 30 and ATO system alarm blaring on the 120 but was surprised and relieved when I got home and all was good. My power never went out!! I won't get lucky every time and it will be disaster one day that could have been avoided.

Thanks again for verifying what I was thinking. Math and I have never been great friends.
 

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