What's your backup power plan?

[aka_BigRed]

Ok, this installment in my "What's your..." series I find out what sort of backup power systems people have. For some reason I've been in a contingency planning mood the last couple months so I finally broke down and picked up a generator this weekend. What is everyone else doing?

[plandy]

If you don't have a generator you're running on borrowed time. Meaning you're completely at mercy of the lowly utility company.

[lpsluver]

This question is such a "no-brainer". The cost of a 4.5 to 5 kW generator pales in comparison to what the majority of us have invested in our livestock/tanks. I have a 4.5kW which was enough to run a 180, a 110, a 60, a 55 inch Plasma, 2 fridges and a 30,000 BTU window air conditioner. I now only have a 90 and a RSM, so I have some spare power.

In Florida a generator is a must.

[Ismellikefish]

I think it depends on where you live and what weather conditions can take place in your area.

Florida, yeah...maybe 2, so you can back up your 1st generator
Have bad snow storms that cut power every winter? yeah

Now where I live, I have only had power out a couple of times and it is only a few minutes at a time. So anything other than a UPS in my case is a waste of money

[plandy]

Originally posted by Ismellikefish


Now where I live, I have only had power out a couple of times and it is only a few minutes at a time. So anything other than a UPS in my case is a waste of money

Until...the so called "impossible" hits you and your power utility is gone for a day or two. It only has to happen once

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Vortech BB....I thought a small UPS could only run like one p.h. and only for a very short time?

I need a generator, but have luckily made it three years now without one.

[pledosophy]

Battery operated airpumps for me.

Me weather is mild and I would only really worry baout providing 02 in the case of a power outage.

IME the rest would be fine for a day or two with no flow and no light.

JME

[MTB]

I use a UPS to run powerheads. I have a generator I use for work if neccesary.

[Ismellikefish]

Originally posted by plandy
Until...the so called "impossible" hits you and your power utility is gone for a day or two. It only has to happen once

yeah yeah and the guy living in antartica one day will need a AC unit.

I wouldn't buy a chiller for my tank just "in case" my AC unit in my house could go out.

My point is, for some Yes, you would be crazy not too.

For others.....not so much

[Travis L. Stevens]

Battery Operated Air pumps and hand-swirling-the-water in a pinch. Swirl 15 minutes, Rest 30 minutes (or until stress)

[Travis L. Stevens]

Oh, and you can't forget an AC/DC converter to plug in to the cigarette lighter for the car, some extension cords, and some extra gasoline. Viola, portable power generater/music player

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Originally posted by pledosophy

IME the rest would be fine for a day or two with no flow and no light.
JME

For your tank, but anyone keeping say acros would beg to differ.
It definitely depends on your inhabitants.

[pledosophy]

Originally posted by Travis L. Stevens
Oh, and you can't forget an AC/DC converter to plug in to the cigarette lighter for the car, some extension cords, and some extra gasoline. Viola, portable power generater/music player

They have the car battery plug in AC adapter's to so you don't have to run the car or the cords from the car to the house. Worst case I guess I would use this, but I really only bought ht ebattery converter for photography lights when shooitng on location. Then you could use your car battery from your car to charge the car battery for your tank.

[plandy]

Originally posted by Ismellikefish
yeah yeah and the guy living in antartica one day will need a AC unit.

No...but that guy is going to need a couple of heaters to keep them thawed out

[sabbath]

OK, Who is the guy with the redundant line from the power co.

[Sports Girl]

Battery-operated power drill w/paint stick bit or spade bit (new) would work for the swirling in an emergency (say, if, your muscles were atrophying) .

[purebullet417]

ah crap picked the wrong one i dont have a extra line just prayer

[mdrumm]

scuba regulator would also work

[SDguy]

Battery operated air pumps and a very flexible job so I could stay home for two days swirling my water if necessary :-)

[Safir]

I chose "prayer" but really it's somewher ein between prayer and generator

my backup plan has two levels -

emergency - if ther eis a power outage and i am away I have a battery powered air pump - i've run it for a full day in the past on a set of used batteries, so it should last pretty well if plan b doesn't come into effect..

plan b is a 900 watt peak poer inverter in my diesel truck. it will run my pumps, cable modem, wireless router, and a few lights - i run the engine for 15 minutes every 4-6 hours to keep the batteries charged.

pretty much as good as a generator, since a generator wouldn't do me any good if i was away anyway, and my apartment complex probably couldn't stan for it runnign non stop like that

[romanr]

1st line of defense: UPS capable of keeping 2 SEIO 800's going for 5 hours.

2nd line of defense: 2 air pumps set to automatically start pumping when the UPS dies. These will run for 5 days on 2 D batteries.

3rd line of defense: 1 deep cycle/marine battery w/ inverter capable of running powehead, fan, minimal lighting for about 8 hours.

4th line of defense: 1 generator, capable of running, powerheads, portable AC unit for 8 hours on 5 gal of gas.

[ChrisB]

I wonder if an oxygen tank just barely cracked open and hooked up to an airstone would work? If only oxygen was needed for like a day?

[Pmolan]

My first is to start my truck and run an extension cord to the inverter.. Power has never gone out for more than 5 hrs here though.

[EBOLII]

2 deep cycle/marine battery w/ inverter and solar recharge

[sjm817]

Since I moved here in '99, I think I've had less than 1 hr of total power loss. I use a 750W UPS to back up one of the Tunze 6100s.