Battery UPS for basement sump pump

[f60fnd]

I have a sump pump in my basement(new townhouse). I'm tryign to figure out the power rating of a UPS to get for it. Would a APC 450VA be sufficient to power it for at least 1-2 days if power is out ? My sump pump only runs when the water level triggers the floating - so not very often. I just wanna know if the UPS will run for 1-2 days in standby mode ?

 

[mechBgon]

For that, I'd get some deep-cycle automotive/marine-style batteries, a trickle charger and an inverter.

edit: incidentally, the VA rating doesn't give you any gauge of runtime. At work we've got some APC SmartUPS 750XL's. They're 750VA. I can stack on auxiliary batteries and increase the runtime by a factor of 20, but they're still 750VA. Battery size = runtime, basically.

 

[CreativeTom]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
For that, I'd get some deep-cycle automotive/marine-style batteries, a trickle charger and an inverter.

I Second that

 

[f60fnd]

I see. So 450VA should be powerful enough to run the sump pump but how do I know the battery size for the UPS ? I am planning to get one from Bestbuy or Office Depot or Staples...etc but the boxes don't state the size of the battery. How do I know what size battery will run for how long ? Ideally the UPS should be on standby for 1-2 day since that's usually how long power outages last.

...deep-cycle automotive/marine-style batteries, a trickle charger and an inverter

Not sure what that means. Is the above available in a APC UPS that I would buy for computer use ? What's a trickle charger and an inverter ? I thought UPS charges itself automatically ?

thanks

 

[GuitarDaddy]

I,m pretty sure a computer UPS isn.t powerful enough to do the job. You would need something like what Mechbgon is suggesting.

1. 2-3 12v deep cycle marine batteries (boat batteries)
2. Power inverter (to convert the current from DC to AC)
3. 2 amp (trickle) battery charger to keep the batteries charged

Probably about $300 worth of stuff

 

[CrispyFried]

Check the pump and post how many amps or watts it draws, we will be able to better advise you.

 

[furballi]

Use deep-cycle lead-acid batteries if you want to power pumps. Connect the batteries in parallel for longer use. A quality automatic battery charger will keep the batteries fully charged.

Computers have been around for decades. It's only recently that folks started jumping on the UPS bandwagon due to advertising and lack of knowledge. The US powergrid is VERY stable. For most PC users, a quality AC/modem surge protector is all that is required. For maximum protection, pull the surger protector plug for the wall during bad weather.

 

[dnoyeb]

UPS bad idea. Power requirements of motor is very different from computer. Motor highly inductive. Short circuit even at startup. Plus very intermittent operation. plus whats another 20m for a sump pump?

I recommend you install a water power backup pump or get what everyone keeps telling you. deep cycle marine style backup system.

 

[imported_Kensai]

Originally posted by: furballi
Use deep-cycle lead-acid batteries if you want to power pumps. Connect the batteries in parallel for longer use. A quality automatic battery charger will keep the batteries fully charged.

Computers have been around for decades. It's only recently that folks started jumping on the UPS bandwagon due to advertising and lack of knowledge. The US powergrid is VERY stable. For most PC users, a quality AC/modem surge protector is all that is required. For maximum protection, pull the surger protector plug for the wall during bad weather.

That's the US power grid. How about our power grid in the middle of nowhere? (Home, northern Canada)

 

[Cruise51]

If the pump will be working frequently, just buy a cheap petrol generator. Otherwise a marine UPS setup would be sufficient.

 

[TrojanMan78]

I am a mechanical engineer and this is probably one of the better options in my opinion.

http://www.zoeller.com/zcopump/Products/backupsystems/bsmtsentry.htm

It will cover both power failures AND pump failures.

 

[ultimatebob]

The "US" power grid isn't at ALL stable where I live. Since I'm out in the woods, the power tends to go out whenever there is a major storm and it takes at least six hours for the power company to fix it.