Hydro left a voicemail that our power will be out for a few hours either this Saturday or Sunday. This made us think of a back up power supply for the nano tank we are planning. We have a generator for long power outages.
Would a unit meant for computers/electronics from Best Buy be okay? (UPS I think their called). Reading up on nano backups they mention APS.
If not where would you recommend purchasing one?
Thanks.
Karrie
Not sure how longs those last. I know the model I have from 3-4 years ago is meant to run a desktop for about 30 minutes I think. It really depends on what you have running. I would think if you turn off the lights and only run the powerheads and heater you should be fine with it.
Check out the Noma backup units at Canadian Tire (and likely elsewhere), the 400W one is rated for 40AH, which should run a 40A load for one hour.
20A for 2 hours, 10A for 4 hours, etc. You won't get all that, but running a couple powerheads and a heater should allow it to last for some time.
Yeah get one with a bit of juice in it...the computer back ups don't have to deal with that many watts...you need to cover your heater wattage and a fair bit more at least to be on the safe side.
I'm glad I asked the question : ) We'll look out for deals at CT.
Thanks!!!!!
Avoid UPS devices designed for computers; I don't know what the deal is with them but they SUCK. Even for use on computers...the batteries they use die very quickly (only a couple years life max).
CT has started carrying a lot of backup power products. While they are still pricey in general, they have a lot of affordable options for a short term backup. There are also lots of plans on the net for building something more capable, but you have to be fairly confident in what you're doing.