DIY for when the power goes off questions

psariandras

psariandras

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May 18, 2007
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what is the most pratical method of insuring agaisnt loss in case of a power outage? The power has gone out for a few days at a time before b/c of snow and I am worried if this happens and I have a nice setup everything will die.

Is it possible to set up some sort of DIY device that turn devices over to battery power in case of a power failure?

Also, if you really had enough resources to support it, would it be possible to set up a generator that is wired to the aquarium system and would maintain the aquarium when the power is out and turn off when the power comes back on? Can you make a DIY device that would turn the generator on and turn it on in case you were not home when the power went out?

Perhaps such measures are unecessary - but I am curious if such measures could be constructed.
 
A generator would be perfect if it's in your budget!!
 
power

You need a spare car battery and a dc to ac converter, also try to buy a battery that will fit in your vehicle so you can charge it when it goes dead.
I live in a very rural area and have done this with success several times, it would also be wise to run only one hob or canister along with your heater. you can also purchase a bilge pump aerator made for keeping bait that connects directly to a battery. you can buy all this stuff a walmart or a chain auto parts store. Hope i helped, If you need names and suggestions on equipment just pm me and i will happy to help you more.
 
If you can afford it, there are fully automated generators that are made to be connected to the main circuit panel in your home, turn on when it detects your electricity has gone out, and are sizeable enough to run an entire average house. Of course, you could easily by a much smaller generator if you wanted one just to power your aquarium set-up.

As stated above, a power inverter (DC to AC) and an appropriately sized, fully charged car or even deep cycle marine battery can power the essentials on your tank for a good amount of time during a power outage. If you wanted it to last multiple days, you'd want to decide what the bare minimums are to keep your tank going for that long, and / or have multiple batteries ready to go if the outage lasts that long. I've made those kind of arrangements in case of a lengthy power outage (which isn't all that uncommon here in SC).
 
Generator

We have an automated natural gas one. Kinda pricey (our was about 12k) but it does the other essentials in the home. You could buy a small portable generator, inexpensive only three to four hundred dollars. I think you could also got to Tractor Supply or Harbor Frieght if you have one of those locally. They also have other uses too, so it's not like it would only be for the fishes.
 
Mgamer20o0 said:
blanket can keep it warm for the short time. there are battery back ups like on comps but i am sure it wouldnt last too long. like others have said your best bet would be a generator. next would a car battery or one of the jump starter battery with a inverter.
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I would think a UPS could keep an aquarium running for a fir bit of time, considering you can buy units that will keep computers running anywhere from 2 mins, just to save stuff and shut it down, all the way up to a few hours.

most computers now are power hungrey monsters too.... an aquarium shouldnt be an issue..... 'cept maybe the heater.


my brother in law has a UPS that keeps his computer running for about 3 - 4 hours, and hes got a powerful PC.
 
If you go with a UPS you need a true sine wave output. The modified sine wave UPS's are a square wave and will cause problems with motors.
 
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