Reply With QuoteThis is timely as hurricane season is just around the corner. I'm about 100 miles inland but we still can be affected.
Carmie
In this show i get into equipment, supplies, and various methods you can use to prepare your self and your tank for a power outage. make sure you check it out, and if you have further questions or want more information, simply reply here, and we can discuss other items
Get the show notes here
Here is the link to subscribe to the feed
Or click here to download the individual episode
And Please consider taking the listner survey
Show people you appreciate there advice, click theicon under there name and give them Reputation points
This is timely as hurricane season is just around the corner. I'm about 100 miles inland but we still can be affected.
Carmie
perfect...
i think i could have added more info, but wasn't sure how deep and technical people wanted to go. so i highlighted many things, and we can always go back and do more..
Show people you appreciate there advice, click the
Rob, do they have any solar power backup options that you are aware of?
i am sure somethign could be setup with solor panels and batteries, however i haev not seen it done.Originally Posted by ZeroKoolNYC
if you could get and store the energy there is no reason why it wouldnt work.
Show people you appreciate there advice, click the
Yes! I'm going to electricute myself in the process. :smile: Maybe I can rig something up and post the plans in the forum.
that would be awesome..
Show people you appreciate there advice, click the
i would be prepared for a bit of expense, i had a house way out in the boonies when i was living in queensland that was hooked up with solor power only. it cost close to $13,000 to run everything without the need for cutbacks on power during cloudy days. of course u dont need to run a house, just a tank, (besides i think photo cells have dropped in price alitte). just ask an electrician how much power ur drawing from your tank, factor in any add-on figures in the future, and add at least another 10% on top of everything for a tank completely relieant on solor!
something else to note, and it might be different in america, but the equiptment voltage might need addressing also! & u need space for inline battery cells to boot!
The bright side is its going to pay itself off eventually and your next biggest expense the phone bill will take its place up the ladder. lol
if someone has more up to date info, tag, ur in!
and then i read the post more carefuly, and its for back up systems only,lol could be majorly cheap, im interested to see what u come up with, good luck buddy!
Vquilibrium Productions
Rig something up to electrocute yourself?Hmm, I think that saltwater is a pretty good conductor.
Yeah CarmieJo and I are in the same neighborhood, at least as far as huricanes go, cept I'm right on the coast.
So Friday afternoon I had a power outage. Some idiot drove his car into a pole and blew up a transformer. Needless to say the power was out for about 6 hours. Luckily I was home when it happened and was able to take care of things. I have a battery powered air pump that I hooked up to an air lift to get flow going in the tank. It worked fine. No losses.
Now after that experience I have to say that those D-cell powered air pumps last a LONG time. I didn't have to change batteries at all during that time. GO DURACELL!
Actually there's a thread somewhere on here that I posted a link to a site that had plans for a wind powered generator and also a solar one. It was on the ideas for podcasts board.
When I powered up the computer after the outage this podcast downloaded. How's that for timing? LOL
Found the thread: http://www.talkingreef.com/forums/showthread.php?t=213
CarmieJo, do you think a toaster that's plugged in and me sitting in the tank would do the electrocution bit? LOLRig something up to electrocute yourself?
That Marine Gods work in mysterious ways! :-)
The only thing that will make you mad, is when you spend (if you chose too) almost a $1000 and the power NEVER goes out!
I bought a generator and a switching panel last year after a 36 hour outage. I can run my tank, 'fridge, well, furnace and TV at the same time if needed. Since then, however, not a blip, flicker or anything.
My power used to go out all the time, and now....nothing! Darn you Murphy!
lmao.. no kidding.. since the big power outage a few years back, i have never had a blip either.. but the generator is still sitting in the garage...lol
Show people you appreciate there advice, click the
LOL! It'll be easier if you leave the toaster on the counter and stick a fork in it!CarmieJo, do you think a toaster that's plugged in and me sitting in the tank would do the electrocution bit? LOL
Insulation...
Good show Rob, got me thinking anyway,
One idea is that instead of using those large solid sheets of foam to insulate your tank try bubble wrap instead. Its much easier to store, harder to damage and easier to wrap around !
Rob
Great idea...
i hadnt thought of that. but im sure that could work well also
Show people you appreciate there advice, click the
You know what else may be easier than foam sheets but have more R value than bubblewrap would be a water heater blanket.
Carmie
Only disasters happen fast!
Carmie's 54 Corner Tank
Carmie's Cube
Show people you value their advice! Click the STAR icon at the bottom of the post to add to their reputation.
except that they run on electricity, and you wont have any during a power outage...
and want to concerve what every you are generating...
Show people you appreciate there advice, click the
No, I meant an extra one just for your aquarium. Although in an emergency the water heater may have to take one for the team!
Carmie
Only disasters happen fast!
Carmie's 54 Corner Tank
Carmie's Cube
Show people you value their advice! Click the STAR icon at the bottom of the post to add to their reputation.
I just had this crazy thought concerning the solar energy battery backups. Since were putting out so much light anyway why not install some small solar panels to soak up some of the spectrum coming from our huge and powerful lighting fixtures. I mean if mother nature can use it why can't we. This in turn would hopefully make the tank self-sufficient in the event of a power outage. Damn the mind is a wonderful thing. I have to go replace the light bulb that burnt out in my head just now.
it is an idea..
but there are two problem...
first sloar panels are not effecient enough to convert all the energy they recieve
the second, and bigger issue is the first law of thermal dynamics.
which states that the increase in the energy of a closed system is equal to the amount of energy added to the system by heating, minus the amount lost in the form of work done by the system on its surroundings.
and where this comes in is the "lost by work"
your lights generate light from electricity. the work to do that takes energy, and then the solar panels would have to "work" to convert light to to energy.
so here is an example of what i mean (these numbers are pretend and not exact but will get you to the point)
150 watts goes into the lights
25 watts lost in the generation of that light
the solar panel will not receive ALL the light.
so lets say it get 50% of the light energy
62.5 watts is received by the solar panel
25 watts lost in the conversion of that light to energy
leaves you will 32.5 W of energy to now feed your lights and everything else
needless to say thats not enough
we can use solar panels with the sun because it generates more energy, and with the loss we still have enough left over to be productive
(physics is another one of my "hobbies..
Show people you appreciate there advice, click the
someones had time to think about it over a beer or two though!
Thermo Dynamics hey! u never cease to amaze me with your memory buffer!
Why not attach a battery backup to store energy this way you have an extended battery backup system that would charge and when its time to go into effect last longer then just the battery backup alone! ;-)it is an idea..
but there are two problem...
first sloar panels are not effecient enough to convert all the energy they recieve
the second, and bigger issue is the first law of thermal dynamics.
which states that the increase in the energy of a closed system is equal to the amount of energy added to the system by heating, minus the amount lost in the form of work done by the system on its surroundings.
and where this comes in is the "lost by work"
your lights generate light from electricity. the work to do that takes energy, and then the solar panels would have to "work" to convert light to to energy.
so here is an example of what i mean (these numbers are pretend and not exact but will get you to the point)
150 watts goes into the lights
25 watts lost in the generation of that light
the solar panel will not receive ALL the light.
so lets say it get 50% of the light energy
62.5 watts is received by the solar panel
25 watts lost in the conversion of that light to energy
leaves you will 32.5 W of energy to now feed your lights and everything else
needless to say thats not enough
we can use solar panels with the sun because it generates more energy, and with the loss we still have enough left over to be productive
(physics is another one of my "hobbies..
you "could" use it as a backup, but you wouldn't want to power your lights with it.
the lights use ALOT of electricity, and you not gain anything by powering lights to charge the battery VIA a solar panel. the battery would die quicker that with out this method
you would get more having a battery that changed view electrical outlet when not in use but would kick in when the power went out. (a UPS) or having two UPS/batteries instead of one and the solar battery.
you could have one that was powered by the Sun, but on a cloudy day (likely if its a storm) you would not get a charge
Show people you appreciate there advice, click the
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks