cheap (but safe) 1 kWh power station?

[stoveliker]

I'm looking into a small, low cost, but plug and play (rather than a car battery+inverter etc) power station - for when the power goes down and I have my stove on.
That way I can run the fan (that helps heat the upper floors with the basement stove).

It consumes 24 W, so a 1 kWh power station (assuming 850 Wh or so available in practice) gives me 36 hrs of run time.
I do have a gas generator that I'll run for my fridge, but it's a rather big hassle to also run a (very long) cord from that to my fan. Hence the power station.

Two questions:

- I want it to be reasonably cheap as it'll be doing nothing most of the time. But I do not want it to be some low-quality piece that might explode. Should be UL listed (and I don't know how many UL listed labels are out there on non-UL listed products..., especially on Amazon?) Any suggestions?

-How long would it take to charge a 1 kWh station (let's assume a normal 15 A 120 V circuit)?
If the power station would be able to ingest the full power of such a circuit, that would that be 35 minutes - but I presume that's not the case. So any ideas?

Much appreciated

 

[Whitenuckler]

I'm looking into a small, low cost, but plug and play (rather than a car battery+inverter etc) power station - for when the power goes down and I have my stove on.
That way I can run the fan (that helps heat the upper floors with the basement stove).

It consumes 24 W, so a 1 kWh power station (assuming 850 Wh or so available in practice) gives me 36 hrs of run time.
I do have a gas generator that I'll run for my fridge, but it's a rather big hassle to also run a (very long) cord from that to my fan. Hence the power station.

Two questions:

- I want it to be reasonably cheap as it'll be doing nothing most of the time. But I do not want it to be some low-quality piece that might explode. Should be UL listed (and I don't know how many UL listed labels are out there on non-UL listed products..., especially on Amazon?) Any suggestions?

-How long would it take to charge a 1 kWh station (let's assume a normal 15 A 120 V circuit)?
If the power station would be able to ingest the full power of such a circuit, that would that be 35 minutes - but I presume that's not the case. So any ideas?

Much appreciated

998 Wh Li-ion Power Station - 201260 - Champion Power Equipment

Champion's 998 Wh portable power station with wireless charging pad and foldable handle is lithium-ion battery-powered meaning no gas, no emissions, no noise, and you can use it inside. Add solar panels (sold separately) to convert it into a clean solar generator or charge it with standard...

www.championpowerequipment.com

Champion is a good company. I have not gone that route myself, but they have a variety of ratings and full approvals.
I was looking at one of their generators. This one is sine wave output.

 

[stoveliker]

ty!

 

[EbS-P]

Eco flow delta2. Refurb for $400. New for 5-600. I got a refurbished alternator charger off Ecoflow official eBay store and it was like new.

I like mine. Charges in under 90 minutes.

EcoFlow DELTA 3 1024Wh 1800W Portable Power Station LiFePO4 Battery Refurbished | eBay

Flexible Expansion up to 5kWh. The DELTA 3 Extra Battery is 1/3 smaller and lighter than the DELTA 2 Extra Battery. What's in the Box. Enjoy a 10-year lifespan for daily use. Power 13 Appliances Simultaneously.

ebay.us

 

[stoveliker]

ty!

 

[EbS-P]

ty!

if you camp the alternator charger is really slick. I charge mine at 600w while driving.

 

[stoveliker]

if you camp the alternator charger is really slick. I charge mine at 600w while driving.

That's nice but when I camp I don't use power. Just phones when we drive, directly on the car outlets.

 

[EbS-P]

That's nice but when I camp I don't use power. Just phones when we drive, directly on the car outlets.

Oh a battery pack and electric kettle are camping game changers! That’s all we used it for.

 

[begreen]

Cheaper yet might be a decent UPS. A 1500va Cyberpower is about $149 at Costco,

 

[stoveliker]

Hm, what, formally, is the difference between a UPS and a power station as mentioned above?

 

[begreen]

I was wondering the same thing. The UPS uses an AGM battery, so that's one difference. A lithium ion battery can be discharged completely without harm. The AGM battery is not going to want to drop below a set voltage (11v?) so I imagine there is protection factored in that turns off the UPS at that threshold. If so, the power station may have a longer run time.

 

[bogieb]

So, your assumption of 36 hours of runtime, at 24w use, is incorrect. The station will use about that much (or more, depending on age of technology and size off inverter), just in upkeeping its BMS and internal fan. I would not count on more than about 18-20 hours with a 1,024 wh battery. If you want 36 hours, I would go with a 2,048 station - but as a starter unit, 1,048 is really a pretty good way to go.

I have a couple of Bluetti AC 180 (at 1,280 wh, my first stations), but would not recommend those as their fans suck up an amazing amount of power. When all is said and done, they don't last any longer than my 1,028 wh stations..

I really like Ecoflow power stations and have several with different capacities and capabilities.

IMO, the best 1,048 EF station to get is the Delta 3 Plus (D3+). I have 4 of them and they run/backup various things, They do cost more than the Delta 2 that @EbS-P mentions, but I appreciate the better app and additional solar charging port (which may or may not be important to you). That being said, the Delta 2 is a tried and true station, so depending on your wants/needs, it would probably be fine (just the run time may not be what you were hoping for).

The Delta 3 1500wh is cheaper than the D3+ and has 1,536 wh capacity.

If you want to step up to the 2,048 power stations (for longer run time), I think the Delta 2 Max (D2M) is a tried and true station.

if you camp the alternator charger is really slick. I charge mine at 600w while driving.

I have the 800w alternator charger and really like it. I don't use it much since I don't do much driving (yet), but it is very nice to have.

 

[stoveliker]

Okay, that makes sense, thanks

 

[woodgeek]

I researched this a bit... just look for LFP. LFP is not going to burst into flames, and it will last longer (shelf life) than others (probably 2X).

I would just buy the cheapest LFP over a 'name brand' anything else.

Looks like the Ecoflow 1 kW LFP is $399 on Amazon.

 

[EbS-P]

Expanding capacity is cheap. One can use a second 100 amp hour cheap LFP and wire with appropriate fuse to a DC input of the station. Eco flow has a second battery option for almost the price of a second station.

UPS battery capacity is generally less than a power station. All the good battery power stations have a UPS function. I haven’t used solar panels to charge mine yet.

 

[Whitenuckler]

I was wondering the same thing. The UPS uses an AGM battery, so that's one difference. A lithium ion battery can be discharged completely without harm. The AGM battery is not going to want to drop below a set voltage (11v?) so I imagine there is protection factored in that turns off the UPS at that threshold. If so, the power station may have a longer run time.

A UPS - (I had a 1000kva Cyberpower that failed) is meant to supply the load all the time, and then switch to a SMALL internal lead acid battery to supply the load until it quits. These power stations are meant to be pulled out and used during power outages, and will have a better quality battery and be more expensive. The UPS is not really portable, but would be a good idea to have one on a pellet stove so the combustion fan does not stop. Also good to buffer the AC to the pellet stove. It won't run it for long, but will give you time to shut it off.

 

[stoveliker]

Thanks. I did see UPSs that would provide sufficient duration power, but they're more expensive indeed.
It's not for a pellet stove, but for an inline fan in a duct just moving (cold) air.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Thanks. I did see UPSs that would provide sufficient duration power, but they're more expensive indeed.
It's not for a pellet stove, but for an inline fan in a duct just moving (cold) air.

Yes, I don't think you need to keep the fan running automatically, just re-plug it to your battery station. Another company I have looked at in the past is :

https://www.jackery.com/products/jackery-explorer-1000-v2?variant=41738382245975