Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Reckon I'll just get a cheap manual start generator to run the aqua pumps (air and water). Battery backup will keep the fish alive until I can start the generator. Bugger the fridge and freezer - who needs fridge/freezer food when you have fish and veggies in the aqua setup .

I charged up the deep cycle battery overnite and have left it connected to the charger - as was always the intention. Only problem is the charger is switching itself off, but then switching on again about 10 seconds later. THis is bound to bugger the charger and probably the battery. I don't know if it is the charger or the battery that is no good. I will talk to the supercheap tomorrow. At least I got both from there. The charger should be doing the job properly, it was $200 bloody dollars .

Cracked me right up - what a practical solution

Sounds like you need a trickle charger there VB (also known as a float charger). You chould be able to find one for $50 - $70 at an auto store. Basically they are designed to leave on the battery all the time without cooking the battery.

Nova

I have a float charger Nova - a really good one supposedly. Either it or the battery is not functionning as it should. Will take back to supercheap for them to test when I get a chance,

VB, I think you will find it's ok. Did you get the switch yesterday ?

I have a dual system backup for emergencies. I run an air pump (8 watts) that will aerate my 300 gallon tank. It is plugged into my UPS which is rated to give me 18 minutes backup for my 400 watt computer. I am using 50 time less power with my small pump and while I haven't run the pump till the battery gave up (power came back on) I did get 5 hours of back up. (300 minutes or 17 times the original rating time) For me 5 hours of automatic backup is comforting to know.

My second line of defence is for prolonged outages. I use a car battery or deep cycle battery and a 400 watt inverter. I used this system (before I bought the UPS) for 7 hours during a short ice storm and it worked great. I can also plug the inverter into the car and run the car and recharge the drained battery at the same time.

Not the most efficient means but then this is for an emergency.

There has been some recent posts about replacing the small battery in the UPS with a large deep cycle one. You get the automatic switch over of the UPS with the benefit of the larger battery. You may be able to find an UPS for free from someone who is throwing out their old one because the battery won't keep it's charge. Apparently the batteries in UPSs only last 2 - 3 years. I plan to convert my UPS over when the battery dies. The UPS has a trickle charger and shut off switch, automatically switches on and off and has a surge protector and inverterbuilt in. The only thing that usually goes on them is the battery. If I see the post about the conversion I will post the link here.

Sorry Muzz - must have missed this post. Got the switch on Tuesday and will be setting it up tonight (at least partially). Will post pics in due course.

Thanks.

Hooked up my backup power-out system tonight.

Have a 12volt approx 2400 litre per hour bilge pump hooked up to a 75 amp hour deep cycle battery, via one of Murray's fail-over switches. When the 240volt goes out, the pump kicks in. It just pumps water up some 25mm pressure pipe to make a waterfall back into the pond - and it is a fair waterfall at that. Pleny of oxygenation I reckon. The pump does not go through the grow-bed.

The pump draws 2.5 amps - so should run for quite some time in the event of a power outage. In the pics below, I do not have the charger hooked up to the battery, but normally it will be.

That looks good VB, I am sorry, I should have sent you a used bilge pump to hook up, would have saved you a bit of dosh.
I think the aeration will be great, plenty of air with that waterfall.

Muzza

that looks great VB, the grow beds will last for days without drying out, the main thing is to keep the fish alive until power is restored and that will certainly do it.

So the whole backup system consists of:
Murray's fail-over switch
Float charger
deep cycle battery (12v)
dc pump (12v)

doesn't take up much room either

Murray - bought the sump pump a while back. Had been using it to make my water changes. It is a Johnson only cost me $20 new from a Whitworths. As you have experienced, this type of pump would not be suitable to run continuously, but in this type of situation it is perfect and cheap.

A backup system something like this is essential I reckon - cost a little bit, but great for piece of mind. I will also use the battery to run an electric motor for my canoe when I eventually buy the motor (all funds are going into aqua at the moment).

I bought one of these over the internet and picked it up at the post office today:

http://www.ageofaquariums.com.au/prod1485.htm

I was really surprised by its size; 27cm long x 12 cm wide x 7cm deep, and it would weigh would weigh around 2kg. This pump had previously been referred to by another member (think it was Monya) the concern was that it may have to run 24/7 on AC in order for DC to kick in when power fails. Fortunately, it turns out you can adjust it to sit idle and then DC will activate automatically with a power outage. Alternatively you can let it run 24/7 on AC and it will still switch to DC when required. The only additional info in the booklet is that if not used for around three months then turn on AC for approx twenty hours to recharge DC. I will post pictures and report on its performance when the system is up and running (about two weeks).

so this one has it's own rechargable batteries Andy?

Yes, that was one of my concerns. Thanks for clearing it up! They would have got heaps more biz if they had a better description!

Photos would be great.

Steve

The battery is built in and recharges when AC power is turned on.