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Page last updated 03/29/07
 

Whole House UPS Systems
bulletWhat is a Whole House UPS System?
bulletHow does the House UPS operate?
bulletWhat are the advantages?
bulletCatalog Listing

 

 

What is a Whole House UPS System?

Many people inquire about Whole House UPS Systems for automatically providing AC power from a battery bank.  This would be similar to the UPS systems designed for desk-top computers but on a much larger scale.  While this is technically possible, the cost of a UPS system sized to power all household circuits with large motor and heating loads would be very expensive.  BUT at NoOutage.com we have found a way to satisfy this need for a house UPS system at an economical price.  For details read further below.

Our House UPS systems fill a market niche between portable generators and automatic standby generators.  Most power outages last less than a couple hours and these systems easily provide backup AC power for that length of time.  These systems are silent and fully automatic and transfer extremely fast when line power is lost.  No more guessing how long an outage will last and whether it is worth the trouble to drag out that portable generator.  For most outages which are short this system eliminates that trouble!

 

How does the House UPS operate?

The NoOutage.com House UPS System consists of an inverter, charger, transfer relay, batteries, sometimes a transformer, multi-circuit transfer switch and cables.  This system will provide AC power to a few household circuits pre-selected by the user.  At any time the user can re-select the circuits that are provided power.  This circuit selection capability is useful to conserve battery power during an outage or to pre-select circuits that need to be maintained before an outage.  For long outages when the batteries are nearly discharged the user can plug the UPS supply cable into a portable generator to continue providing backup power for the household circuits while recharging the UPS battery bank.

bulletworks with multi-circuit generator transfer switches already in use at thousands of homes
bulletautomatically provides AC power to SELECTED house circuits in a fraction of a second during a power outage or brownout
bulletsilent operation, little system maintenance required
bulletno need to run a portable generator except for long power outages
bulletrun-time easily expandable by adding more batteries
bulletcosts less, easier to install and works faster than an automatic standby generator

 

What are the advantages?

Review our evaluation below and see if you do not agree that this system has definite advantages in many applications compared with a portable generator or a automatic standby generator.

Backup
System >		 Portable Generator with Manual Transfer Switch NoOutage.com
House UPS System		 Automatic Standby Generator & Automatic Transfer Switch
Criteria
Ease of use for providing backup power DIFFICULT:
Must move generator from storage to outdoors, add fuel & oil, start, connect cables (sometimes in bad weather and/or at night)		 EASY:
Fully automatic, transfers to battery power		 EASY:
Fully automatic, starts & transfers without user intervention
Time delay to provide backup power SLOW:
15-45 minutes		 FAST:
most are less than 6 milliseconds, fast enough for computers and digital appliances to continue operating, can eliminate need for other UPS systems for your computers		 MEDIUM:
20-40 seconds
Shutdown Ease DIFFICULT:
User must disconnect cables, run until carburetor empty, after cool down return to storage		 EASY:
Fully automatic, transfers back to line power and recharges batteries without user intervention		 EASY:
Fully automatic, transfers back to line power and shuts down without user intervention
Installation Ease MEDIUM:
Install manual transfer switch		 MEDIUM:
Install manual transfer switch, circuit breaker and receptacle		 DIFFICULT:
Apply electrical permit, run fuel & electric lines, pour concrete pad, wire genset & switch
Installation Cost LOW:
$1K to $3K		 LOW/MEDIUM:
$2K to $3K		 HIGH:
$5K to $10K or more depending on size
Maintenance Required HIGH:
Manually exercise for best reliability, oil & filter changes, 		LOW:
Water batteries periodically (not required for gel cells)		 HIGH:
Filter changes, fluid changes,
Backup Power Run Time MEDIUM:
Refuel after 3-8 hours, frequent oil changes for long power outages		 SHORT/MEDIUM:
Varies depending on size of battery bank and average electrical load, typically less than 10 hours		 LONG:
Can operate for days or even weeks if fuel
Output Power Ratings MEDIUM:
Portable generators up to 12kW are common, some larger ratings also available		 LOW:
Economical ratings up to about 4kW		 HIGH:
Any kW size available
Criteria Portable Generator with Manual Transfer Switch NoOutage.com
House UPS System		 Automatic Standby Generator & Automatic Transfer Switch
Backup
System >

 

 

 

 

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