azocean709
Member
i was thinking of hooking up some sort of system run off a racecar battery. <900 CA> and stay charged forever> in case of a power outage. would like to hear some ideas everyone might have. :joy:
weird emergency battery idea for power outage.
- Thread starter azocean709
- Start date
farmboy
Active Member
You can get a DC to AC "Inverter" that will convert 12 volts DC to 120 volts AC. Just figure the minimum you can get by with as far as power, and size your inverter to match.
Without doing any math--With a 400 watt inverter(Like $40), you should be able to run a couple of pumps and maybe a small heater.
Without doing any math--With a 400 watt inverter(Like $40), you should be able to run a couple of pumps and maybe a small heater.
jasenhicks
Member
I know for a fact someone did this with a car battery (optima), a battery charger, a power inverter and a custom built ABT switch. Ill try and find the deal on the net. OR you could just use an APS power center that you would use for your computer. Just put the bare essentials on the battery back up part and keep the rest on the surge protector part.
mitzel
Active Member
You should check out the clasifides of your local paper and find a cheap generator . That would power you vital tank components . and unlike a battery set up it won't run dead as long as you have gasoline . and it will also run the microwave too so you can heat up some lunch while the powers out and then watch you fish while you eat
ryanarbor
New Member
i run an apc computer backup
i havnt actually used it in an emergency but in a test run,it ran my skimmer and 200w heater for about 5hrs before the water level in the skimmer started dropping
got the thing freee from a friend because the power cord was missing
not as solid as a generator, but works in a pinch
i havnt actually used it in an emergency but in a test run,it ran my skimmer and 200w heater for about 5hrs before the water level in the skimmer started dropping
got the thing freee from a friend because the power cord was missing
not as solid as a generator, but works in a pinch
azocean709
Member
Originally Posted by caomt
id just go with yankin the u tube and cutting all power on rainy days myself...aha save you some money on some soaked floors
If your U Tube is set right with the overflow you never have to take the U tube out. I have never taken the U tube out and have never lost a syphon in 2 years except one time i took it out to clean the algea out of it.
id just go with yankin the u tube and cutting all power on rainy days myself...aha save you some money on some soaked floors
If your U Tube is set right with the overflow you never have to take the U tube out. I have never taken the U tube out and have never lost a syphon in 2 years except one time i took it out to clean the algea out of it.
azocean709
Member
yeah..I looked into all that AC DC. i was just curious...I love to fiddle with my tank. love to build things. Just wanted to make one for Shyts and grins...LOL Im gonna try it and see what happens. Thanks for the info !!
scsinet
Active Member
You can't look at CA (Cranking Amps). The other guys replying here are right, you have to use an AC/DC power inverter. They pull a substantial amount of power to run.
Assuming an inverter is 100% efficent for the sake of argument, since you are going from 12 to 120 volts, everything you attach on the AC side will draw 10 times as many amps on the 12 volt side.
So, if you connect 5 amps worth of aquarium equipment, you're talking 50 amps from the battery. All car batteries are not rated for a continuous moderate drain like that, they are rated just as you stated, in cold craking amps. A better battery to use would be a deep cycle marine battery, the type used for running trolling motors and such in boats. Those batteries are designed specifically for what you are trying to do. When it comes down to it, I doubt a race car battery would work any better than a car battery. They just won't perform well in this application.
Incidentally, you can about forget about running a chiller off such a setup.
I personally am of the school of thought that building an emergency power system like this is like trying to build your own chiller. In the end, you'll spend almost as much and have something that doesn't work nearly as well as a commercially bought solution. You've also go to figure ongoing costs, like maintaining the battery. I'd take Mitzel's solution and look online and in the paper for used generators. They have limitless run time, can run other critical stuff at the same time, such as your fridge and furnace, and are far more reliable. If you are good with small engines, you can get a dead one for 40-50 dollars and repair it. That's what I did.
If you are set on doing things yourself though, I have a solution you might like. Use your car. Get yourself the AC/DC inverter and a long extension cord. When the power goes out, pop your hood, connect the clamps to your car battery, and run the cord inside from the inverter. Then you can just keep your car running. The car will keep the battery charged and the inverter running indefinitely, and most cars can idle for at least 6-10 hours on a full tank of gas, of not well more.
Assuming an inverter is 100% efficent for the sake of argument, since you are going from 12 to 120 volts, everything you attach on the AC side will draw 10 times as many amps on the 12 volt side.
So, if you connect 5 amps worth of aquarium equipment, you're talking 50 amps from the battery. All car batteries are not rated for a continuous moderate drain like that, they are rated just as you stated, in cold craking amps. A better battery to use would be a deep cycle marine battery, the type used for running trolling motors and such in boats. Those batteries are designed specifically for what you are trying to do. When it comes down to it, I doubt a race car battery would work any better than a car battery. They just won't perform well in this application.
Incidentally, you can about forget about running a chiller off such a setup.
I personally am of the school of thought that building an emergency power system like this is like trying to build your own chiller. In the end, you'll spend almost as much and have something that doesn't work nearly as well as a commercially bought solution. You've also go to figure ongoing costs, like maintaining the battery. I'd take Mitzel's solution and look online and in the paper for used generators. They have limitless run time, can run other critical stuff at the same time, such as your fridge and furnace, and are far more reliable. If you are good with small engines, you can get a dead one for 40-50 dollars and repair it. That's what I did.
If you are set on doing things yourself though, I have a solution you might like. Use your car. Get yourself the AC/DC inverter and a long extension cord. When the power goes out, pop your hood, connect the clamps to your car battery, and run the cord inside from the inverter. Then you can just keep your car running. The car will keep the battery charged and the inverter running indefinitely, and most cars can idle for at least 6-10 hours on a full tank of gas, of not well more.