ups in the attic

[rborge]

Hello,

New to the forum, thanks for taking my question

I want to put a UPS unit in my attic to supply power to heat tape that keeps a water line from freezing. I suspect that the heat tape draws a minimum amount of power and just want to keep it going in the event of a power outage. The attic is insulated and the unit would be near the furnace, however, it would still get quite cold. I have done a web search for "outdoor" UPS units with little luck. I'm suspicious of a standard, office-type of UPS unit operating in such a cold environment. Are there any other products (eg deep cycle, marine battery etc) that would be more appropriate? Thanks again.

Rick

 

[Infinity306]

Seems like you could just get a Deep cycle battery and a dc to ac convertor/invertor to supply the power... if you needed to convert..


I would think that would work..\


Or you could get a custom UPS made from these people for extreme temperatures... they have made 1 for -30 degrees to 176 degrees celsius operating range

http://www.powerstream.com/CustUPS.htm

but they are oem only and require minimum purchases.. but since they are OEM it probaly means somebody else is reselling them


also tsipower has outdoor ups's

http://www.tsipower.com/Outdoor-UPS-Uninterruptible-Power-System-120V-230V-AC.htm

-30 to 50 degrees celsius range which should be plenty for your application

 

[58sniper]

A lot of the bigger UPS manufacturers aren't going to recommend connecting anything that generates heat or anything that has motors in it. This includes heaters, laser printers, etc. While, in theory, it may work, you'd lose any warranty. YMMV

Pat Richard, MCSE(2) MCSA:Messaging, CNA(2)

 

[josepablomir]

I have never seen this, but if you want to backup you heat tape with an UPS you should consider the total power of the tape (usually 3 or 6 watts per feet) and compare it with the UPS power in watts, not in VA.

Second, you could install the UPS inside your house and simply run a line from the UPS to the heat tape cord.

Third, you should use a GFCI outlet between the UPS and the heat tape.


___________________________________
Joe (973) 620-1529
Electro-mechanic Engineering
josepablomir@gmail.com
jpm@ieee.org

 

[rborge]

Thanks for the responses. Your info is exactly what I was looking for and has been a huge help.

Rick