Standby AC home power
Hurricane Isabel cause me to be without electric for 20 hours. Now I know that others were without power for days and weeks. But a person of my technical skill should have means of getting appliance running. I have flashlight in several places and was able to reach to the top on the bed stand when the lights went out. I keep the battery powered in my work shop, moving it from machine top to bench as I work.
But the refrigerator and heat are my most concern. Had the power lost been in the winter, the heat would not work. My previous house was a gravity feed with a circulator added, however, The gas safety valve could be engage manually to get heat.
I don't want to use a gas generator for a few reasons. I researched 12 volts Dc to 110 volts inverter. Price was one concern, I bought a Coleman 2200 watts, 10 amps for 136 dollars, I have a deep cycle 205 reserve amp battery for my boat that I bought from Wal-Mart for 65 dollars.
The thumbnails above link to pictures on the refrigerator plugged into the inverter. It cycle at the normal setting for 4 1/2 hours. The alternator tester that can be seen in two of the pictures has a series of indicator light, three for alternator voltage 14.0.13.5 and 13 volts. For a fully charge battery is has 12.5, 12.0 and 5.0 volts. When I plugged the refrigerator in the 12.5 light stayed on for two cycles. the voltage dropped to 12.0 in the next two hours, but when the refrigerator cycle off the 12.0 light would glow. The refrigerator was still running and only the 5.0 light was lit. I turn the inverter off at that point.
My plans are to recharge the battery from one of my cars when there is no power. This news group, sci.chem.electrochem.battery answered my question about using a fully charge battery to recharge another battery. The answer that I got there is that it shorten the receiving battery life. However, some form of current limiting will prevent damage. One form of current limiting is cable size. I plan to test this with small cable wires. My question was about the cordless Lawn mower in the thumbnail above. I can only cut 3/4 of my lawn on one charge. presently I plug it into its own charger for about two hours while I do the edging, lunch and leaf blowing. Then it is ready for the rest.
The edge and the blower were tested with the inverter and both perform well.
Most standby electric sources seem to not be ready when they are needed. I am making use of my system. December 14, 2003 I tested the corded snow blower with the inverter and battery in a plastic crate bolted to the snow blower. I clean all of my driveway and walkways, thumbnail is above. I made a trailer in my machine shop that can hook to the snow blower or be pulled where it can be used. One thumbnail is of the bottom of the trailer. the pillow blocks were machine on the mill of the machine shown. Another thumbnail is of the unit being use to power a 500 watt charcoal electric starter.