David Coulson on 11 Jun 2008 15:34:19 -0700


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Re: [PLUG] How to figure out my UPS needs


Tim Allen wrote:
> If you're looking for a day or more, you're going to want to look at either
> a natural gas or diesel failover system. These start their pricing in the
> $20,000 range.
>   
A small generator for a home is fairly economical and a good idea. You 
don't need some 10kW monster on a concrete slab with a transfer switch - 
Just haul it out of your garage, plug a couple of extension cables into 
it, and move your UPS devices over to it. Figure out how many gallons/hr 
you need to maintain it, and keep enough on hand. Check with your city 
about fuel storage though.
> It is kind of ridiculous that there is really no solution between 15 minutes
> and 15 hours, isn't it? I mean, you could buy a gas generator, but that
> would require you to go outside, fire it up like a lawnmower, and keep gas
> on hand.
The 15 minute limit is considered enough time to shut stuff off. If you 
need power beyond that, they figure you'll empty your wallet for the 
privilege. Once you get beyond a couple of hours or so, you are only 
limited by how much fuel you can pour into the generator. Companies like 
Cummins and CAT don't make any extra $$ if you want to run for a week, 
versus six hours on generator. They still sell you the same thing.

David
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