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Thread: New Back up battery for air pump

  1. #1
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    ROB COPELAND

    Default New Back up battery for air pump

    Purchased APC Network Battery Back up today, Model BGE90M. This unit is dirt cheap at a little over $23.00 on Amazon. It is a small 75 watt unit with three standard outlets (none grounded), and two USB ports. Based on the fact it has 4.5 hour run time for modems and routers and the fact that most air pumps are between 3 and 6 watts, it should power the air pump for at least 4 hours.

    I will test it, once the battery is fully charged, but for the price, I couldn't pass this up. I will post more after I test it.

    Seems like a cheap battery back up to keep 6 Discus alive if the power goes out. It will keep a large sponge filter and bubble wand running.

    Thanks, Rob

  2. #2
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: New Back up battery for air pump

    Sounds good to me. Looking forward to hearing more after your test run.
    Mama Bear

  3. #3
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    Default Re: New Back up battery for air pump

    Doing a small test tonight. It has been running on battery for more than two hours. I say small test because I am off to bed soon. Will see if I get to three hours.

  4. #4
    Platinum Member fljones3's Avatar
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    Default Re: New Back up battery for air pump

    Quote Originally Posted by Robcope View Post
    Doing a small test tonight. It has been running on battery for more than two hours. I say small test because I am off to bed soon. Will see if I get to three hours.
    Does it beep when power is off?

    Frank

  5. #5
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    Default Re: New Back up battery for air pump

    No beep

  6. #6
    Registered Member Swedgin's Avatar
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    Default Re: New Back up battery for air pump

    It’s a good thing to have, Rob, 100% agree.
    I’ve also been looking into larger UPS units to keep everything running (filters, air and heaters, not uv or lights etc), but over here they cost an arm and a leg. But being reminded by you now, it is nagging on my conscience again thinking I’m trying to save money at the wrong end. Definitely will look into it again today, even if it’s just the smaller ones for the air pump.

    Tobi
    Regards,
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    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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  7. #7
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    Default Re: New Back up battery for air pump

    So far the back up has been running a fluval air pump for 8 hours and 9 minutes on battery power. Please remember I am only running a 4 watt air pump. I was sold at 5 hours. I am going to let it run until it beeps, telling me the battery only has two minutes of life left or I take my old *** to bed. I am in west Texas, so a heater isn't a big deal. Keep in mind most filters are between 6 and 14 watts, so decent life should still be achievable. So, I will be buying three more for the rest of our fish tanks. Running a sponge filter should be all that is required to keep them alive until power is restored.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: New Back up battery for air pump

    It is time to get some sleep. Unfortunately, I have to plug the UPS back in. I think this thing is great. It have been powering my 4 watt fluval air pump for 10 hours and 8 minutes. I am sold. As stated above; I will buy three more for our other tanks. Just checked Amazon and they still have it for just a bit over $23.00. Well worth it.

  9. #9
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: New Back up battery for air pump

    It is great, indeed!
    Mama Bear

  10. #10
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: New Back up battery for air pump

    Rob,
    Sounds like you have a good backup for the airpumps you are running. You might find this thread interesting..

    http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...ecommendations

    . Also look at the links for our Inverter discussion in it.


    UPC backups can be very useful.for low draw equipment like small air pumps but generally the battery capacity in them is not very large. The one you got looks great and has great reviews just be careful if you try it with sensitive equipment like some LCD monitors. One of the QA guys there said it produced square waves (modified sine waves.). not pure sine. Thats fine for airpumps but I would not use it on pc or LCD. Just a heads up.



    Tobi if you are looking for something like a UPC backup thats high capacity you should research inverters used with 12 volt deep cycle batteries..Ie Diy battery backups/generators. They are basically the same thing as UPC systems but you design the battery size and inverter needed. I can walk you thru it if you want. Drop me a pm on it.

    Al
    Last edited by brewmaster15; 08-30-2018 at 05:23 PM.
    AquaticSuppliers.com Freeze Dried BlackWorms and other foods your Discus will Love!!!


    >>>>>I am a science guy.. show me the science minus the BS

    Al Sabetta
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    Aquaticsuppliers.com


    I take Pics.. click here for my Flickr images

  11. #11
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    Default Re: New Back up battery for air pump

    I just care about the fish tanks. My computer has a battery. I can live without technology for awhile, but the fish can't live without at least the air pump running. As far as the deep cycle battery and inverter idea, way more than $23.00. It took a month to find something this simple, and I think these are perfect for aquarium use. The longest outage we have had in the last 22 years has been two hours.

  12. #12
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: New Back up battery for air pump

    It was for information sake. Glad you found what you need for your tanks. You must have a very good power company there. You are lucky! Out here in the Northeast we can get hit with storms that knock out our power for days to weeks. Quite a few members here have been through that nightmare. Generators and Deep cycle batteries with inverters here are more along the lines of what we are forced to rely own to keep our fish alive.

    al
    AquaticSuppliers.com Freeze Dried BlackWorms and other foods your Discus will Love!!!


    >>>>>I am a science guy.. show me the science minus the BS

    Al Sabetta
    Simplydiscus LLC Owner
    Aquaticsuppliers.com


    I take Pics.. click here for my Flickr images

  13. #13
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    Default Re: New Back up battery for air pump

    We are very lucky, as we live on the southern end of tornado ally. May upgrade to something better later. After the new year we will probably get a generator for camping. If we're home and power will be out for a while, we will have that.

  14. #14
    Registered Member Swedgin's Avatar
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    Default Re: New Back up battery for air pump

    Quote Originally Posted by brewmaster15 View Post
    Rob,
    Sounds like you have a good backup for the airpumps you are running. You might find this thread interesting..

    http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...ecommendations

    . Also look at the links for our Inverter discussion in it.


    UPC backups can be very useful.for low draw equipment like small air pumps but generally the battery capacity in them is not very large. The one you got looks great and has great reviews just be careful if you try it with sensitive equipment like some LCD monitors. One of the QA guys there said it produced square waves (modified sine waves.). not pure sine. Thats fine for airpumps but I would not use it on pc or LCD. Just a heads up.



    Tobi if you are looking for something like a UPC backup thats high capacity you should research inverters used with 12 volt deep cycle batteries..Ie Diy battery backups/generators. They are basically the same thing as UPC systems but you design the battery size and inverter needed. I can walk you thru it if you want. Drop me a pm on it.

    Al
    Thanks Al. Even with your guidance, chances are I will burn the house down in no time

    Might get back to you on that though, but luckily we are connected to the company/compound gen set, so we are usually never without power over 10 mins at a time.
    Regards,
    Tobi

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

    Wild Blues/Browns/Reds
    Wild Heckels
    Wild Greens

  15. #15
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    Default Re: New Back up battery for air pump

    the best is Pure sine wave inverter and gel battery its so many hours

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