Confused about backup power

[Dannie]

All of the threads on back up power options has left me confused.
What will I need to run a St Croix hastings if the power goes out?
A generator is not an option.
I would like it to be an instant switch to back up power.
Thanks for any input.
This is my first post but, I have been reading these threads for over a year and have learned a lot from all of you.

 

[Xena]

A permanently/properly installed/wired generator by a licensed electrician
can provide you with your "instant switch" to backup power
but you say a generator is not an option. Other than that if
you sift through the forum you will find people using power inverter/battery
combos, computer UPS backups, etc.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[peirhead]

Xena is right... without a generator you are only buying some extra runtime once the power goes off.. Assuming you get an inverter or UPS that meets the minimum requirements to run your stove (basically 2x the wattage of your stove) you may get a few minutes to hours of runtime once the power goes off....more batteries or bigger UPs just buys you more time....If you are truly wanting to have continued heat during a power outage you have 2 options...get the generator, or a regular woodstove...(or a Prius... but that is another story!!)

You will have seen some reference to True Sine Wave this is the waveform supplied by your backup power device..whether generator, UPS or inverter......this is mostly realted to motors. not so much electronics. Motors are very sensitive to the waveform of the power supplied by the backup power source. you may be able to run a computer on a certain UPS but not a pellet stove, because of blower motors etc. Most stoves will work fine with True Sine Wave gear. The other type sometimes known as Modified Sine Wave MAY work, but it varies from stove to stove.....buyer beware!!....Of course the True Sine Wave units cost more than comparable Modified Sine Wave devices.

 

[Dannie]

What I am loooking for is a way to prevent the house from filling up with smoke and the smoke alarms sounding at 2a.m. if the power goes out.
I do not need to run on backup power for days.

 

[imacman]

What I am loooking for is a way to prevent the house from filling up with smoke and the smoke alarms sounding at 2a.m. if the power goes out.
I do not need to run on backup power for days.

Just curious....if the power goes out "for days", how do you heat your home?

 

[Dannie]

I have never had the power go out for days yet.
I have had the smoke alarms sounding at 2 a.m. several times last year.
To answer the question--
I have a fireplace and a oil furnace besides my pellet stove.
I do prefer my pellet stove as my heat source

 

[dac122]

Sounds like a UPS might work for you. Just get one big enough for your maximum expected power outage. Is there some reason why you can't go that route?

 

[imacman]

I have a fireplace and a oil furnace besides my pellet stove.
I do prefer my pellet stove as my heat source

Fireplace is a terrible way to TRY to heat anything (more heat goes up the chimney than in the room), and the oil furnace needs electricity to run.

As for "the electricity never goes out for days", I hope it doesn't decide to when it's 10 degrees out.

 

[Dannie]

Can you tell me where to get a UPS?
I will also need a inverter and marine battery correct?
Which one has an AC plug??
I guess I do not understand how it all hooks up together.

I have called 6 St Croix dealers. Not one of them can tell me anything about how to hook up back up power

 

[Dannie]

macman
Thanks for the advice

 

[mnkywrnch]

All of the threads on back up power options has left me confused.
What will I need to run a St Croix hastings if the power goes out?
A generator is not an option.
I would like it to be an instant switch to back up power.
Thanks for any input.
This is my first post but, I have been reading these threads for over a year and have learned a lot from all of you.

Dannie not trying to be a wise a@@ or anything but what type of set up is your vent, on my prescott I have a 3ft rise and never have any smoke come in with power outages, maybe and some vertical rise would be a better solution.

 

[dac122]

Can you tell me where to get a UPS?
I will also need a inverter and marine battery correct?
Which one has an AC plug??
I guess I do not understand how it all hooks up together.

I have called 6 St Croix dealers. Not one of them can tell me anything about how to hook up back up power

Google for Uninterpretable Power Supply (UPS). It is a battery, inverter, switching electronics and sometimes some smarts to provide backup power when power is lost. They are typically used for computers that need clean power and/or need a graceful shutdown.

They come in many shapes, sizes and features ranging from small simple lead acid batteries that switch over quickly when power is lost, to large multi-bank batteries that you continuously draw from maintaining clean power.

But they all work the same in that you plug the UPS in the wall and plug your protected device into it, and the batteries always stay topped off for that impending emergency. And should the power go out, or sag, your protected device should see no interruption (hence its name) in power.

 

[Dannie]

mnkywrnch
The vent is off the stove and up about 6 inches then out of the house. (if you look at my stove from the front you can not see any pipe)
I have had a the dealer come down and look at the pipe. They told me adding pipe on hte outside sill not help the problem.

 

[Boondockdogs]

I'm new to this forum and new to corn/pellet stoves.
I recently purchased a United States Stove corn/pellet stove model 6100. I'm jumping on this thread since I'm also confused about back-up power.
After a 4 day power outage late last fall from a freezing rain/ice storm, I'm also in the process of installing a standby generator (15 KW Briggs with auto transfer switch).
However, as I understand it, these stoves shutdown due to power surges/outages, however short they may be.
If I'm wrong about this, it shouldn't be a problem, but since the stove will be used to heat an outbuilding (my wifes dog kennel, Cane Corso's, website www.Boondockdogs.com if your interested), I don't want to have to run out in the middle of a nasty night to restart my stove.
Generator should pick up in 30 seconds or less, so wouldn't need to power stove long. Any longer would mean generator didn't work .
In that case I have a 3000 Watt portable (due to the afore mentioned storm), but would have to get up and go out to hook it up anyway, so relighting stove wouldn't be problem then.
Electrical specs on stove are as follows:
110-120 volts, 8 Amps, 960 Watts (max.)
Don't want to spend a fortune, but want back-up power supply that would run stove until generator kicked in without damaging the motors or electronic controls.
Anyone have any experience/recommendations on for this set-up ???

 

[MainePellethead]

I have about an 8' rise outside of my house and it helps me tremendously. I get virtually no smoke in my house at all.

mnkywrnch
The vent is off the stove and up about 6 inches then out of the house. (if you look at my stove from the front you can not see any pipe)
I have had a the dealer come down and look at the pipe. They told me adding pipe on hte outside sill not help the problem.

 

[imacman]

.....Don't want to spend a fortune, but want back-up power supply that would run stove until generator kicked in without damaging the motors or electronic controls. Anyone have any experience/recommendations on for this set-up ???

I just added this to my stove for the same reason you mentioned....the delay between the power going out, and the auto start generator (I have a 12Kw Generac).

I bought this:
www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-SmartPro-...3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1257036916&sr=8-3

 

[vgrund]

And as Macman knows, I use the same UPS for the same reason.

 

[imacman]

And as Macman knows, I use the same UPS for the same reason.

Yep, thanks to Vgrund for turning me onto that unit. Got mine used off eBay for $75.....works great!