How Long Will A UPS Hold Power When Unplugged?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gary Brown
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Gary Brown

Hi,

We have frequent power interruptions. I would like to take advantage of
the occasionaly good deals on UPSs to use them as temporary power
sources for lighting and maybe a small TV.

We don't have a good place to leave them constantly plugged in. Will a
strategy of periodic charging work?

Thanks,
Gary
 
Gary Brown said:
Hi,

We have frequent power interruptions. I would like to take advantage of
the occasionaly good deals on UPSs to use them as temporary power
sources for lighting and maybe a small TV.

We don't have a good place to leave them constantly plugged in. Will a
strategy of periodic charging work?

Thanks,
Gary
Click to expand...

"good deals on UPSs" suggests to me you are talking
about the small units that plug into the wall and provide
a couple of protected outlets for your computer/equip.
They have built-in sealed batteries, of a defined size and
capacity. They just plug in at the same place your
equipment would have.

What would make more sense for emergency power
to run some "lighting and a small TV" would be a couple
of Deep Discharge batteries a trickle charger and an
inverter.

You can mount everything on a small hand cart and
add a power strip. Then you would have the trickle
charger plugged in, with it in your garage or somewhere
else out of the way, until you needed the power.

I would add a 12V DC outlet/cigarette lighter fixture
as well, for those things that you can use 12v for. (that
will also give you more running time off the batteries)

Built right it need not be much larger than a large
upright vacuum cleaner.

Luck;
Ken
 
Hi,

We have frequent power interruptions. I would like to take advantage of
the occasionaly good deals on UPSs to use them as temporary power
sources for lighting and maybe a small TV.

We don't have a good place to leave them constantly plugged in. Will a
strategy of periodic charging work?

Thanks,
Gary
Click to expand...


Yes but not very well since you'd have to keep dragging them
back to the outlet to charge them and any UPS large enough
to run lights and a TV for very long is going to be fairly
large and significant weight, cost.

I suggest instead that you consider 12V lighting system, 12V
capable TV if possible, then a larger 12V deep cycle battery
and charger. Doing without the UPS, no conversion to ~ 110V
will improve efficiency as well providing you use same
lighting technology. IE - not contrasting 110V fluorescent
with 12V incandescent bulbs since the former are more
efficient than the latter.

The other thing not mentioned is if the UPS can't be left
plugged in, how is it you are powering the TV and lights
with no plug? UPS plugs into outlet, TV and lights plug
into it.
 
Hi,

We have frequent power interruptions. I would like to take advantage of
the occasionaly good deals on UPSs to use them as temporary power
sources for lighting and maybe a small TV.

We don't have a good place to leave them constantly plugged in. Will a
strategy of periodic charging work?

Thanks,
Gary
Click to expand...

UPSes are generally lead acid batteries, they can hold a considerable
charge for weeks, or even months, left unplugged.

How MUCH charge, and exactly how long that charge will hold has a
considerable amount of variance.

The time a ups will continue to supply power for depends on the power
drain.


I don't recommend them for non-computer stuff, for the simple reason
that the high pitched squeal they make when suppling battery power is
REALLY annoying. Designed that way on purpose as a "Hey moron!, save
your work and shut your computer down NOW!" kind of thing.
 
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