Help with 12 volt power inverter

[Strobro]

The power grid is stable but I want to cook even in a black out.
Anyone else gone portable or fixed up some backup power?
What did you use?

 

[Gonefishin]

You can do a 300w PSW inverter if you have or get batteries to run it. You could do a UPS but you need to figure out how much power you need, or you could get a small generator.

I have a small RV with an inverter and solar which will run it, and I have a 2000kw inverter generator.

If you have none of the above, a UPS may be the cheapest option.

Going for an inverter is about $100, you may need 2 batteries for a long cook, if so add another $200.

HD has a small 600 watt inverter generator for just $179, no idea if it'd start the 2nd time you need it, but it's cheap. A high quality one like a Honda 1000i is $850. I imagine there are many between the 2 extremes.

 

[Strobro]

If you have none of the above, a UPS may be the cheapest option.

Sorry, what's a UPS?

 

[Gonefishin]

Uninterruptible Power Supply. It's what you put on a computer so the system won't loose power if city power drops.

An UPS would be like this https://www.amazon.com/APC-Back-UPS-Battery-Protector-BR1000G/dp/B0038ZTZ3W

 

[Strobro]

Uninterruptible Power Supply. It's what you put on a computer so the system won't loose power if city power drops.

So, batteries plus inverter?

 

[Fhughes]

I know people who camp in the desert and they use solar panels to charge the batteries attached to the inverters

 

[Fhughes]

Something like this depending on the solar controller your inverter might be where the light is or directly on the battery

 

[Gonefishin]

So, batteries plus inverter?

Plus a way to keep the batteries charged, and cables from the batteries to the inverter.

 

[Gonefishin]

After looking at all this it might cost a bit more, but a compressor might be the simplest solution.

 

[Mastertech59]

Sorry, what's a UPS?

I installed this UPS in the cart I made for my Bull.

 

[Strobro]

I installed this UPS in the cart I made for my Bull.

Nice. How long will that run the thing?

 

[Mastertech59]

Nice. How long will that run the thing?

I've never checked the run time but it should keep the grill running for a couple of hours or so and that's long enough to get my other power sources up and running if we loose power for several days like we did last week for the storm Isaias up here in New England.

 

[Bullporky]

Thank you to everyone who has shared!

I couldn't find any information on my stampede that outlines the electrical needs, but Googling seems to indicate that the startup for some pellet grills is around 300 watts (and on high) but drops to roughly 50 watts there after. It makes perfect sense that the APC UPS that @Mastertech59 would expect "a few hours" of run time. Depending on temp, I could see 4 to 5 hours of runtime!

I'm curious if @Mastertech59 leaves the UPS in the cart year round in New England and if the cold weather there impacts the battery.

I might have to explore a Jump Starter with invertor capabilities that I keep in the truck and see what it can do...

 

[Strobro]

I might have to explore a Jump Starter with invertor capabilities that I keep in the truck and see what it can do...

Good idea, there's another option ... but probably need an inverter with pure sine wave.

 

[Bullporky]

If there's someone on the boards who knows electrical, I'd love to understand the battery requirements to get a 10hr run time out of a battery setup (assuming my assumptions on the wattage is correct.)

 

[Mastertech59]

Thank you to everyone who has shared!

I couldn't find any information on my stampede that outlines the electrical needs, but Googling seems to indicate that the startup for some pellet grills is around 300 watts (and on high) but drops to roughly 50 watts there after. It makes perfect sense that the APC UPS that @Mastertech59 would expect "a few hours" of run time. Depending on temp, I could see 4 to 5 hours of runtime!

I'm curious if @Mastertech59 leaves the UPS in the cart year round in New England and if the cold weather there impacts the battery.

I might have to explore a Jump Starter with invertor capabilities that I keep in the truck and see what it can do...

I don't leave the UPS in the cart in the cold weather.

 

[Gonefishin]

How much do you want to understand? I could just tell you you need roughly a 100Ah 12vdc Deep Cycle battery if you are going with an inverter.

If there's someone on the boards who knows electrical, I'd love to understand the battery requirements to get a 10hr run time out of a battery setup (assuming my assumptions on the wattage is correct.)

 

[Geargambler]

I could measure the power draw of my 590 at startup and while running, if that would be helpful.

 

[Bullporky]

@padlin00 - I'm a sucker for technical details, lol. I'd actually dig understanding the math behind it and how to calculate the specs. I've got a very loose understanding of the calculation, but would like to understand that if the draw during startup is 350w and it's 30m long, then it requires XampHours. Then if we estimate the "normal low runtime" is 50w for Y hours, then the battery needs Z total amp hours. Toss on an invertor and I'm looking at something like a 400w invertor and a battery rated at something. And in the end, it means I might need a marine / car / UPS of whatever. Like I said, I enjoy technical details, but never got into electrical calculations. Info like this would be awesome if I wanted to take my stampede somewhere that doesn't have power, or wanted a battery backup, so I could cook something that might be 8-16 hours in total length.

@Geargambler - if you know how too, that's awesome! This is beyond me...

 

[Mastertech59]

On my Bull when it was started it was around 210 watts and dropped pretty quickly down to around 130 watts the video is after the igniter turned off, I figuring the Stampede can't be much different.
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