UPS for reef tank

[roostertech]

I'm thinking about getting this UPS

http://www.apc.com/shop/us/en/products/APC-Power-Saving-Back-UPS-Pro-1500/P-BR1500G

And perhaps also the extended battery

http://www.apc.com/shop/us/en/products/APC-Back-UPS-Pro-External-Battery-Pack-for-1500VA-Back-UPS-Pro-models-/P-BR24BPG

That would theoretically run my return pump + power heads (total less than 200w) through couple of hours of outage?

I also have solar panels. Anyone know how it would behave if the grid is offline and the load being pulled is more than what the panel produce?

[shifty51008]

for that price I would just pick up a small portable generator and a few extension cords

http://www.harborfreight.com/engines-generators/gas-engine-generators.html

[Olliesshop]

I'm thinking about getting this UPS

http://www.apc.com/shop/us/en/products/APC-Power-Saving-Back-UPS-Pro-1500/P-BR1500G

And perhaps also the extended battery

http://www.apc.com/shop/us/en/products/APC-Back-UPS-Pro-External-Battery-Pack-for-1500VA-Back-UPS-Pro-models-/P-BR24BPG

That would theoretically run my return pump + power heads (total less than 200w) through couple of hours of outage?

I also have solar panels. Anyone know how it would behave if the grid is offline and the load being pulled is more than what the panel produce?

Have you made a decision on a UPS yet? My situation is probably similar to yours, where I want power to come on automatically if the power goes out.

FYI, I currently have a generator that works great to power most of the house, but I have to manually start it and hitch up to my box to provide power. So that won't work for me if I'm not at home.

Also, I'd like to have my small Reef Tank run a day or more on battery power, so I've also been looking at how to integrate an external battery.

Thanks!

[CHSUB]

i use an inverter with a deep cycle battery, runs main pump for ~22 hours.
this is the inverter i use:

http://www.theinverterstore.com/1200-watt-pure-sine-inverter-with-10-ft-cord.html

[Olliesshop]

Do you also have it setup to come on automatically when the power goes out and you're out of the house?

Thanks :)

[CHSUB]

Do you also have it setup to come on automatically when the power goes out and you're out of the house?

Thanks :)

if the question is for me, the answer is yes; automatically to battery and back. the change from normal power to battery is so fast a light bulb doesn't blink. battery was ~$125 and a "smart" charger was ~$40, iirc!

[Olliesshop]

if the question is for me, the answer is yes; automatically to battery and back. the change from normal power to battery is so fast a light bulb doesn't blink. battery was ~$125 and a "smart" charger was ~$40, iirc!

That's great news ... what device actually switches from normal power to battery? Is it the smart charger? I've been doing a ton of searching and haven't been able to find something.

Thank you for the help!

[Olliesshop]

I went back re-read the Inverter specs and saw that it has a "Built in transfer switch". That's so simple compared to getting a UPS with an external battery, and as you said, a whole lot cheaper.

Thanks for taking the time to respond. It really helped!

:)

[CHSUB]

the invertor in the link has an auto transfer switch built in. the one i use....

here is the link that got me started; my invertor, however, is an improvement.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2440002&highlight=battery

[Olliesshop]

Thanks for the link and the help!