Generators - The one important piece we always miss

[jasonrusso]

I am using a Generac 22kw for the whole house. It is plumbed in directly to the natural gas. It has auto switching as well. 10 seconds after power out it starts up and loads 10 seconds later. Once a week it starts up and runs diagnostics, emails results and shuts down. In the last 2 years I have used it for 12 hours or more 3 times. Well worth the investment.

In the 3 years I have had mine, it has run for a total of 65 minutes which wasn't exercise time. One time was 50 minutes, lol. Still good insurance.

 

[Finatik]

For a few more bucks you can buy a Tripp Lite 1500 that has AVR, line conditioning, and serves as a battery backup.

Sorry for my ignorance, but what is an AVR, and what is line conditioning ? And what exactly will this product provide in an unexpected power outage ?
I've got a 120 gallon, and I live in an apartment, so I can't go the generator route. Is there something else I should look for to get me thru an extended power outage in an emergency situation ?

 

[PJS]

Great thread!

Ten years ago I had been living on my own with a fish only 125. I had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and my heart was too weak for recovery so I was put on the transplant list. I had to move into my sister's house in order to get on the list, one of the requirements (having someone near at most all times). While in the hospital friends and family broke down my tank and moved it and a minimum amount of my possessions to my sister's house. When I was released from the hospital after the transplant, entering her house and seeing my tank in my bedroom was one of the most soothing and satisfying feelings I've ever experienced. After a couple of months being there we had a major ice storm and it left the house without power for 8 days. The day that the power went out I had no choice but to throw every blanket I had over the tank and go to a friend's (in another county) to stay until Power was restored. When power was back on and I returned I was dreading to remove the blankets, I just didn't want to see it. I had been through so much and knowing that my tank inhabitants were gone was a really depressing thing adding to the mix. Several days went by and as I was sitting in my chair I heard a 'clinking' noise on the tank glass, I knew immediately what it was. I jumped up, removed all the blankets and low and behold, there it was, a lone survivor, one hermit crab was alive. That moment gave me a rejuvenated feeling I won't ever forget. I named that hermit Phil, as my name is Phil. Him and I, despite all odds, fought so hard to live. With that experience I knew that I didn't ever want to go through it again but knew I'd have a generator in a future build. Fast forward 10 years...recently I began building a monster of a deck around a pool for a customer and part of my payment is a barely used Honda Generator (he installed a whole house Generac and no longer had the need). Being that I had been 'gambling' again having a reef with no back up for several years it was a very comforting feeling bringing that Honda home. Before that I had been silently nervous knowing once I had got past a $1000 dollars worth of inhabitants I was gambling. Well no more, I don't ever want to go through that experience again, either of them!
So if there is only 2 things that I'd like to convey to you all it would be:

1) have a backup power plan
2) sign your donor card

You never know the life you can save ;)

My PSA for the day

Reef on my friends,
Phil

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Sorry for my ignorance, but what is an AVR, and what is line conditioning ? And what exactly will this product provide in an unexpected power outage ?
I've got a 120 gallon, and I live in an apartment, so I can't go the generator route. Is there something else I should look for to get me thru an extended power outage in an emergency situation ?

AVR = Automatic Voltage Regulation

Basically, good generators with AVR or standard generators coupled with good power conditioning equipment will produce cleaner power with fewer undervoltage/overvoltage and brownout conditions. Sensitive electronic equipment can be damaged in these conditions.

The graph below illustrates some of the concepts:

In a perfect world, this is what the waveform should look like:

Many computer UPS systems produce a cleaner sine wave from standard utility power, reducing the likelihood of damage to computer systems. AVR and power conditioning are similar concepts.

 

[Brew12]

Sorry for my ignorance, but what is an AVR, and what is line conditioning ? And what exactly will this product provide in an unexpected power outage ?
I've got a 120 gallon, and I live in an apartment, so I can't go the generator route. Is there something else I should look for to get me thru an extended power outage in an emergency situation ?

AVR is Auto Voltage Regulation. It prevents equipment damage which can be caused by too high or too low of a voltage. Line conditioning can be any number of things but it is typically using electrical filters to reduce harmonics and smooth wave shape. These can damage power supplies and in extreme cases cause equipment to overheat.

Your options are pretty limited. Air pumps powered by battery would be good to keep on hand. Computer UPS's can come in handy, also.

 

[jwshiver]

Living in Florida loosing power is a fact of life. Between summertime afternoon thunderstorms and hurricanes , it's not if but when. The last hurricane that came through last year I was without power for three days. I was one of the lucky ones. I have a Generac Xt8000. After my last experience I would recommend buying the most powerful generator you can afford. Trust me, after a few days without electricity you will wish for more power. Be aware they are obnoxiously loud. I made peace with my neighbors by offering for them to use the spare outlets on the generator to charge their electronic devices anytime they wanted.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Living in Florida loosing power is a fact of life. Between summertime afternoon thunderstorms and hurricanes , it's not if but when. The last hurricane that came through last year I was without power for three days. I was one of the lucky ones. I have a Generac Xt8000. After my last experience I would recommend buying the most powerful generator you can afford. Trust me, after a few days without electricity you will wish for more power. Be aware they are obnoxiously loud. I made peace with my neighbors by offering for them to use the spare outlets on the generator to charge their electronic devices anytime they wanted.

You can also make sound barriers with plywood to muffle the noise or direct it towards an area without neighbors (if you're lucky enough to have that!).

 

[FishGuyBri]

God I wish I could have a generator here in Florida. Haven't been through a summer yet, so I'm worried.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Consider a portable inverter generator for the tank. Won't help with other things, but could keep the tank alive.

Take a look at this one :

https://www.amazon.com/Atima-4-Stro...&sr=8-34&keywords=portable+inverter+generator


:)

 

[Finatik]

Consider a portable inverter generator for the tank. Won't help with other things, but could keep the tank alive.

Take a look at this one :

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I2IDB3O/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i9gZybHB5HKM6


:)

Sorry for my ingorance, but what exactly do inverters do, and how do they work ?

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Inverters convert 12V DC power (like from a battery) into 120 V AC power that most household devices use. Depending on specific inverter, there are electronics that can provide AC power in pure sine wave form or an approximated waveform like a square wave, for instance.

For sensitive electronics, the pure sine waveform is better. Also, some inverters have electronic filters that also eliminate harmonic noise that come from the inversion process.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Sorry, @Brew12. Don't mean to always be stealing your thunder :)

 

[Brew12]

Sorry, @Brew12. Don't mean to always be stealing your thunder :)

No worries at all, you are doing a great service helping these people! I'm loving it!

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

No worries at all, you are doing a great service helping these people! I'm loving it!

Not bad for a ChemE, huh? ;)

 

[Brew12]

Not bad for a ChemE, huh? ;)

Not bad even if you were an EE! :p

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Not bad even if you were an EE! :p

Nope, not sure I could handle imaginary numbers! :)

 

[Brew12]

Nope, not sure I could handle imaginary numbers! :)

You would just have to stop calling the imaginary numbers i and start calling them j! ;)

 

[Finatik]

Inverters convert 12V DC power (like from a battery) into 120 V AC power that most household devices use. Depending on specific inverter, there are electronics that can provide AC power in pure sine wave form or an approximated waveform like a square wave, for instance.

For sensitive electronics, the pure sine waveform is better. Also, some inverters have electronic filters that also eliminate harmonic noise that come from the inversion process.

So how does an inverter get powered up, do you keep it plugged into a wall outlet until you need it, then plug the stuff you want powered into into it ? And would I be able to run two MP40s and two heaters on it for 24 - 72 hours in the event of an unexpected power outage ?

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

So how does an inverter get powered up, do you keep it plugged into a wall outlet until you need it, then plug the stuff you want powered into into it ? And would I be able to run two MP40s and two heaters on it for 24 - 72 hours in the event of an unexpected power outage ?

Portable gasoline inverter generators have a motor and generator to power them. Other standalone inverters are powered by deep cycle 12V batteries. You could easily power two MP40s for that period of time, but heaters require a lot more power. You could do it if you had enough batteries, but a generator makes more sense at some point.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

I noticed on Amazon that they have portable, 400Wh battery-operated power packs, but they cost as much as a generator. May be an option for those living in apartments.