Residential UPS

[George Stolz]

I'm looking for a small (500W - 1000W) UPS to direct-wire into a residential branch circuit. Any ideas?

 

[zbang]

Why do you want to hardwire something so small? Anyway, look at the smaller Lieberts.

 

[robbietan]

APC is popular for small applications.

and I am also curious, why hardwire?

 

[George Stolz]

I was curious to see what was out there. For $30 apiece, I could throw a couple frog eyes in for lighting in an outage, but if the outage is during a period of time when the sun is up, and then the sun sets, I have wasted potentially all of the battery during daylight hours. I thought it would be more elegant if I could use the regular lighting circuit, feed it through a UPS, and save energy for when it is actually needed.

I'm not really thinking about code at this point, just thinking about the design first.

 

[ron]

These small UPS's are commodity items and you should consider installing it as a receptacle/plug arrangement, because you will have to replace the unit in a few years.

Is a branch circuit using NM cable acceptable to be plugged in? I'm not sure. If it is ok, then at the panelboard, out of the circuit breaker to a dedicated receptacle. Plug UPS into dedicated receptacle. Plug remainder of the branch circuit into the UPS.

 

[ron]

I should have added that I don't think you are permitted to turn off emergency lights with a switch. If the power goes out, they come on irregardless of the switch position (although I do not have a code reference to back that up).

Maybe these are non-required emergency lights?

 

[zbang]

This is to provide emergency or power-fail lighting? Would a lighting inverter be a better choice than a general purpose UPS? (I haven't looked at the costs of the latter.)

 

[gadfly56]

I should have added that I don't think you are permitted to turn off emergency lights with a switch. If the power goes out, they come on irregardless of the switch position (although I do not have a code reference to back that up).

Maybe these are non-required emergency lights?

Reading the OP, that's my vote. If you have a dedicated lighting circuit that snakes through several rooms, this might be just the ticket.

 

[gadfly56]

APC SmartUPS 2200

APC SmartUPS 2200

This is a little larger than what you're looking for, but they make a kit to replace the input cord and receptacles, see here.

 

[gadfly56]

100V, 120V, Whatever it Takes

100V, 120V, Whatever it Takes

Okay, my link above was for a 100V output unit, but if you poke around the site you'll find 120V output units as well which also use the kit.

 

[George Stolz]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I'm thinking at this point that it would be cheapest and easiest to simply throw a small toggle into a $30 frogeye and call it a day. Quick and simple.

 

[Little Bill]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I'm thinking at this point that it would be cheapest and easiest to simply throw a small toggle into a $30 frogeye and call it a day. Quick and simple.

I assume you mean inside the light, as putting a toggle in the cord would not prevent the light from coming on. The light would just think the power was off.

 

[George Stolz]

That would be the most obvious interpretation of "into the light" to accomplish the objective, right?

 

[gar]

111111-0945 EST

What happened at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month?

George what is the objective (your goal) for this UPS? Is the sole purpose to supply supply just enough light that you can see to walk around or something else? A 757 (rated at 28 V) pilot lamp run at 12 V draws 0.038 A and provides enough light in a small area to see for moving around. One bulb on a 12 V 10 AH battery would run for 260 hours. Thus, 10 for 26 hours. Use high brightness LEDs with an appropriate switching mode driver and the battery life would be much longer.

In our dressing room I have two 757s from a 12 V transformer as our always on night light. At this voltage bulb life is extremely long, probably in excess of several hundred thousand hours on AC. DC powered the life is somewhat shorter.

Or carry around an LED MAGLITE. I usually have two in my pocket. One standard just as a spare battery holder, and one 2 AAA cell LED unit for what ever use. Often times I use it to find small parts I drop on the floor. The bright spot is very useful in making the eye concentrate on a particular area as well as providing additional light.

.

 

[iwire]

This is to provide emergency or power-fail lighting? Would a lighting inverter be a better choice than a general purpose UPS? (I haven't looked at the costs of the latter.)

I just looked into emergency lighting inverters, well over $1500 per KW.

 

[zbang]

I just looked into emergency lighting inverters, well over $1500 per KW.

Kills that idea, especially for this case