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Aquarium Pump automatic transfer switch(like UPS) to backup to USB air pump.

Aquarium Pump automatic transfer switch(like UPS) to backup to USB air pump.


  #1  
Old 11-21-19, 01:26 AM
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Aquarium Pump automatic transfer switch(like UPS) to backup to USB air pump.

Quick background information, when most fish are in an Aquarium without an airpump, they will die soon when the water runs out of dissolved oxygen.

I am looking for some kind of device that would monitor the power and if detected a loss of power to then activate an switch/circuit connected to the Airpump.

Think of a standard UPS but for an Aquarium Airpump.

The problem is I have a lot of Aquariums, very unreliable power and a vacation home in which I am away for long periods of time. ( Unable to plug in a battery powered pump)
The standard USP design for computers can work for only shorts periods of time. Even though the airpumps don't use a ton of power, the inverter of the UPS seem to kill the battery faster then the air pumps connected to it. The APC UPS will make a loud buzzing sound and deplete the battery even if no devices are connected to it. As a result, the UPS will last a matter of a few hours if you are lucky ( not days)

There is a product that is an battery connected Airpump connected to a extremely low quality and loud DC motor that contains the ability to power an airpump during a power outage. The device can monitor the power and the pump on when it detects loss of power however the air pump is extremely weak and can hardly produce any bubbles.

I have found a new USB DC airpump on ebay which is powerful, produces a lot of bubbles, runs on DC power and only requires 1 watt of power. I have connected this to a small Lipo battery pack(solar generator). and was able to run for over 49 hours straight.

This seem to be the best of all worlds except I need to figure out how to make it turn on during a poweroutage or even power by AC when power is on and switch over to a LIPO battery back when the power is off.

Any idea on how such a thing could be accomplished. Does there exist basically a mini automatic transfer switch for a UPS that you can buy separately?

Also, are you allowed to share links in this forum? I can send links to all the equipment I'm talking about if anyone is interested or wants to learn more about the devices I'm talking about.

Thanks.

 
  #2  
Old 11-21-19, 03:23 AM
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I have a standard computer UPS. I removed the small internal 7ah battery and extended the wires. I have it connected to a 100ah gell cell battery like is used in solar installations. The setup has the same output as the stock UPS but it can power those devices for much, much longer. The only drawback is the low charging power of the UPS. If the power goes out for a long time it can take a day or two for the UPS to recharge the big battery.

I use LiPo batteries a lot but they are still much more expensive and overkill for a power backup scenario which doesn't require the benefits of LiPo. If you really "gotta" have lithium I would use lithium iron (LiFePO). LiFePO doesn't have quite the storage capacity of LiPo but they are much safer (don't have the nasty habit of bursting into flames).

The ultimate backup would be a automatic backup generator. That could power your entire system; filtration, lights, air pumps...
 
  #3  
Old 11-21-19, 12:56 PM
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100AH battery. Is that a full size bus or commercial truck battery? It said online that a standard car battery is 45Ah.

This 100AH battery has go to cost hundreds of dollars right? How long does this 100AH power your equipment for?

In my situation, I found that the inverter was a bigger draw than the aquarium air pumps they were attached to.

Thanks.
 
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Old 11-21-19, 03:03 PM
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Yes, 100ah is a big battery. It looks to be a bit over $200 now if purchased on Amazon. The big difference vs a car battery is that it's not a starting battery but one designed for a long, slow draw. I use it for powering my entertainment system (TV, receiver, sat receiver, sub...) so I can't comment on how long it would power your system. To know that you'll have to calculate the draw of your equipment and have some idea as to the efficiency of your UPS or inverter. As you know a cheap inverter can waste a lot of energy.
 
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Old 11-22-19, 09:06 AM
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You can post links. Let's see what we're working with.
 
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Old 03-05-20, 11:53 PM
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I purchased a lawnmower 12 volt lead acid " car battery" from sears and used some alligator clips to connect them to my APC UPS.

The UPS seem to be able to keep the battery charged however if I cut the main power, the battery only seem to last less then 1 hour then the UPS shuts off. I only have it running a small air pump that uses like 1 or 2 watts.

If I reset the UPS, it will run for another hour then shut off.

Does anyone know if these APC UPS have circuitry that will artificial shut off the system in 1 hour regardless of how large a battery its connected to?

Any clues on why this UPS refuses to run for over 1 hour?

Thanks.
 
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Old 03-05-20, 11:56 PM
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What exact brand of UPS do you have?

My UPS does not want to run for more than an hour even when there is power left in the upgraded car battery connected to it.

Thanks.
 
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Old 03-06-20, 08:20 AM
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Check the specs on your UPS. It is possible that it has a time limit. All of mine run until the battery is drained. When it hits the units cutoff voltage it turns off.
 
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Old 03-07-20, 07:47 PM
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Can you tell me the brand of UPS you have? APC, Cyberex , Tripp lite etc..?
 
 

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