Just ordered one of these

[fliberdygibits]

I have seen other discussions about homemade back up systems. So with that in mind, I thought I would share this.

www.heartlandamerica.com has AC inverters that convert DC (12v) to 120v AC. They have a 175W RMS (400W Peak) unit for 29.99 all the way up to their 3000W RMS (6000w Peak) for 399.99.

Add a deep cycle marine battery and a cheap charger and you have a makeshift emergency system for running pumps for quite a while. Add a few more parts (an Isolator, some relays, maybe a solar cell maybe) and some elbow grease and you got a nice system.

I just ordered their 400W RMS (800W Peak) unit for 49.99 and will let people know how it is when I get it.

[cyberchef]

Be careful with the marine/auto/deep cycle batteries. They are not meant for indoor use. You'll possibly need to address both ventilation issues and the possibility of them exploding or rupturing from overcharging. You may also find that you will need multiple batteries in order to get any kind of decent run time before the batteries go dead. A battery is capable of boiling/rupturing/exploding even with as little as a 1 amp charger continually charging it, solar charger are also capable of the same. Just something to keep in mind.

[fliberdygibits]

I have run something similar before. I plan on keeping the battery outside and just running an extension inside when I need it. All I really want is to run a power head or two. As for the deep cycle, not sure what kind of battery I will use, deep cycle just popped to mind.

[Doug1]

Dep cycle is the only way to go. They are made to stand the constant charge/Discharge cycle. If the unit comes with a charger it should be self regulating, if not you will need to get a charger, make sure is designed to taper off the charge and trickle when needed
Best bet is to cycle the batteries weekly
We use gel batteries in power wheelchairs due to lack of maint and venting issues. If you dont excersise them they can fail over time, HTH