Backup Power - Aquaponic Gardening2024-03-28T15:42:32Zhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/forum/topics/backup-power?x=1&id=4778851%3ATopic%3A86796&feed=yes&xn_auth=noWell David, 30,000 gph is big…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-03-18:4778851:Comment:4507772013-03-18T02:27:02.650ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>Well David, 30,000 gph is big enough (not some little backyard system)</p>
<p>And being that no one lives on site, all the more reason to have a good fail over backup for fish life support!</p>
<p><a style="cursor: pointer;"><img src="http://www.bkserv.net/images/Smile.gif"/></a></p>
<p>Good job and good luck once up and running.</p>
<p>Well David, 30,000 gph is big enough (not some little backyard system)</p>
<p>And being that no one lives on site, all the more reason to have a good fail over backup for fish life support!</p>
<p><a style="cursor: pointer;"><img src="http://www.bkserv.net/images/Smile.gif"/></a></p>
<p>Good job and good luck once up and running.</p> LOL... nobody actually lives…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-03-18:4778851:Comment:4509412013-03-18T02:21:35.989ZDavid - WIhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/DavidWI
<p>LOL... nobody actually lives there, it's not THAT big, and there's not even any water in there right now. But when it's up and running we'll be pumping about 30,000 gph... about 30hp worth of motors for all the pumps, compressors, coolers; so the big generator won't even run the grow lights (just life support for the fish).</p>
<p>LOL... nobody actually lives there, it's not THAT big, and there's not even any water in there right now. But when it's up and running we'll be pumping about 30,000 gph... about 30hp worth of motors for all the pumps, compressors, coolers; so the big generator won't even run the grow lights (just life support for the fish).</p> Could be home, I don't know t…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-03-17:4778851:Comment:4510162013-03-17T23:27:51.150ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>Could be home, I don't know too many with operations that big that don't keep some one living on site <a style="cursor: pointer;"><img src="http://www.bkserv.net/images/Grin.gif"/></a></p>
<p>Could be home, I don't know too many with operations that big that don't keep some one living on site <a style="cursor: pointer;"><img src="http://www.bkserv.net/images/Grin.gif"/></a></p> Ahh, we're not talking about…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-03-17:4778851:Comment:4509042013-03-17T17:18:30.911ZJim Fiskhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JimFisk
<p>Ahh, we're not talking about your home then obviously<a style="cursor: pointer;"><img src="http://www.bkserv.net/images/Grin.gif"/></a></p>
<p>Ahh, we're not talking about your home then obviously<a style="cursor: pointer;"><img src="http://www.bkserv.net/images/Grin.gif"/></a></p> It's 240v, All of our pumps,…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-03-17:4778851:Comment:4505982013-03-17T16:05:34.573ZDavid - WIhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/DavidWI
<p>It's 240v, All of our pumps, compressors, coolers, etc are 3-phase.</p>
<p>It's 240v, All of our pumps, compressors, coolers, etc are 3-phase.</p> Nice David!
A bit hard to tak…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-03-17:4778851:Comment:4506932013-03-17T15:36:45.285ZJim Fiskhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JimFisk
<p>Nice David!</p>
<p>A bit hard to take advantage of the 3 phase however. I assume 208v across poles? Or can you rewire it for 240v? I am still after a diesel gen. We use a 4500w gas gen for long outages but off grid is still the dream. Easy if $ is no object. But if the term "payback" means something it is still a long ways off. Solar panels are usually burned out long before payback is achieved. Something our President likes to ignore as he blows our tax dollars on his dream. One big…</p>
<p>Nice David!</p>
<p>A bit hard to take advantage of the 3 phase however. I assume 208v across poles? Or can you rewire it for 240v? I am still after a diesel gen. We use a 4500w gas gen for long outages but off grid is still the dream. Easy if $ is no object. But if the term "payback" means something it is still a long ways off. Solar panels are usually burned out long before payback is achieved. Something our President likes to ignore as he blows our tax dollars on his dream. One big advantage at our new place in the mountains is our artesian well which needs no pump. A big factor that was the icing on the cake when we found this place. Between that, wood heat, and gas cooking we are a lot closer to achieving off grid than ever before. Now to replace that energy hungry plasma tv with an led model and we'll be even closer:-)<br/> <br/> <cite>David - WI said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/backup-power?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A450587&xg_source=msg_com_forum#4778851Comment450587"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>We have a generator with an automatic transfer switch to switch all the critical items over to the generator if the power goes out, and back to line power when it comes back on. It runs on natural gas, so it should be able to run almost forever (unless the gas supply stops) without having to refuel it in the middle of the night in the dead of winter. </p>
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<p>Right after we installed it, not wired up to the building yet. </p>
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<p>50kw of 3-phase power. A 6-cylinder Hercules with a Kohler generator and DynaGen electronic controller.</p>
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</blockquote> We have a generator with an a…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-03-17:4778851:Comment:4505872013-03-17T14:52:27.011ZDavid - WIhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/DavidWI
<p>We have a generator with an automatic transfer switch to switch all the critical items over to the generator if the power goes out, and back to line power when it comes back on. It runs on natural gas, so it should be able to run almost forever (unless the gas supply stops) without having to refuel it in the middle of the night in the dead of winter. …</p>
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<p>We have a generator with an automatic transfer switch to switch all the critical items over to the generator if the power goes out, and back to line power when it comes back on. It runs on natural gas, so it should be able to run almost forever (unless the gas supply stops) without having to refuel it in the middle of the night in the dead of winter. </p>
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<p>Right after we installed it, not wired up to the building yet. </p>
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<p>50kw of 3-phase power. A 6-cylinder Hercules with a Kohler generator and DynaGen electronic controller.</p> Good stuff and a voice from e…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-03-17:4778851:Comment:4505862013-03-17T14:12:26.349ZJim Fiskhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JimFisk
<p>Good stuff and a voice from experience. There is no substitute<a style="cursor: pointer;"><img src="http://www.bkserv.net/images/Grin.gif"></img></a></p>
<p>I keep my electrics in my cooler fish room but I have noticed about a 50F change in even the air compressor temp between a hot and a cold day already, so yeah. OOPS, out of power on computer. Later.<br></br> <br></br> <cite>TCLynx said:…</cite></p>
<p>Good stuff and a voice from experience. There is no substitute<a style="cursor: pointer;"><img src="http://www.bkserv.net/images/Grin.gif"/></a></p>
<p>I keep my electrics in my cooler fish room but I have noticed about a 50F change in even the air compressor temp between a hot and a cold day already, so yeah. OOPS, out of power on computer. Later.<br/> <br/> <cite>TCLynx said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/backup-power?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A450582&xg_source=msg_com_forum#4778851Comment450582"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>I learned it does pay to spend a bit extra on an inverter that is rated to survive your environment. My first good inverter turned out not to be up to the task of running in a hot Florida Garage and after dealing with warranty replacement twice I searched online to find one that could stand the heat a little better (and my garage was cooler than any greenhouse would have been.)</p>
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<p>I did find that I preferred to run off of mains power and only actually use the battery power when the power failed (did some wiring and used a relay for this.) That way I could just leave the battery on a float charger most of the time and I would only need to switch to full re-charge if the power was out for long enough to drain the batter a bit. The battery charger I originally had died after I was running full time from the inverter for a while. Seems that battery charger wasn't rated for 100% duty cycle in the hot garage either.</p>
<p>Your battery charger needs to be strong enough to keep the battery charged up while the battery is supplying the power for your uses, that is not always easy to find. And if there is a power out for a time and the battery charge gets low then when the power comes back on the job for the charger is even harder. A charger that can sense and switch between charging methods might be good but they tend to cost more and both of the ones I've had that could do that also required that I go out and press a button when the power comes back on to get them started.</p>
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</blockquote> I went from 60 catfish to two…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-03-17:4778851:Comment:4507282013-03-17T13:39:24.765ZGeorgehttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/Geoge
<p>I went from 60 catfish to two once. A year later I killed the two. Lessons can be painful for me but worse for the fish. Bluegill were mostly unaffected the first time but I killed 95 in the second incident.<br></br> <br></br> <cite>Jim Fisk said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/backup-power?id=4778851%3ATopic%3A86796&page=2#4778851Comment450643"><div class="xg_user_generated"><p><span style="font-size: 13px;">As to Catfish I thought the same…</span></p>
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<p>I went from 60 catfish to two once. A year later I killed the two. Lessons can be painful for me but worse for the fish. Bluegill were mostly unaffected the first time but I killed 95 in the second incident.<br/> <br/> <cite>Jim Fisk said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/backup-power?id=4778851%3ATopic%3A86796&page=2#4778851Comment450643"><div class="xg_user_generated"><p><span style="font-size: 13px;">As to Catfish I thought the same thing "sturdy". Now that I went from 40 down to 1 while my Trout have done fine I guess I was wrong. </span></p>
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</blockquote> I learned it does pay to spen…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-03-17:4778851:Comment:4505822013-03-17T12:00:39.470ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>I learned it does pay to spend a bit extra on an inverter that is rated to survive your environment. My first good inverter turned out not to be up to the task of running in a hot Florida Garage and after dealing with warranty replacement twice I searched online to find one that could stand the heat a little better (and my garage was cooler than any greenhouse would have been.)</p>
<p></p>
<p>I did find that I preferred to run off of mains power and only actually use the battery power when…</p>
<p>I learned it does pay to spend a bit extra on an inverter that is rated to survive your environment. My first good inverter turned out not to be up to the task of running in a hot Florida Garage and after dealing with warranty replacement twice I searched online to find one that could stand the heat a little better (and my garage was cooler than any greenhouse would have been.)</p>
<p></p>
<p>I did find that I preferred to run off of mains power and only actually use the battery power when the power failed (did some wiring and used a relay for this.) That way I could just leave the battery on a float charger most of the time and I would only need to switch to full re-charge if the power was out for long enough to drain the batter a bit. The battery charger I originally had died after I was running full time from the inverter for a while. Seems that battery charger wasn't rated for 100% duty cycle in the hot garage either.</p>
<p>Your battery charger needs to be strong enough to keep the battery charged up while the battery is supplying the power for your uses, that is not always easy to find. And if there is a power out for a time and the battery charge gets low then when the power comes back on the job for the charger is even harder. A charger that can sense and switch between charging methods might be good but they tend to cost more and both of the ones I've had that could do that also required that I go out and press a button when the power comes back on to get them started.</p>