Adding UPS to light circuit

My house lighting is all LED total wattage with all on is less than 100 wat ts. What I want to do is to be able to connect my light circuits to the UPS during emergencies like this ice storm that is coming up. Not worried ab out heat or the fridge, I have gas heater backup and not enough in the frid ge to worry about. Are there approved ways of connecting in the UPS that do es not involve adding a transfer switch. I was thinking about doing this wi th outlets and plugs so I could unplug the light circuit and plug it into t he UPS.

Jimmie

Reply to
JIMMIE
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That is an interesting question. What kind of UPS are you talking about? The ones for computers only last for around an hour.

Reply to
Metspitzer

Jimmie, if you're using the UPS to insert 120V into that lighting circuit you MUST have a transfer switch or some sort of lockout otherwise there is no way you can insure that you're not backfeeding the grid. Then, too, if you're back feeding the grid with that UPS, you can expect it to run for about 1 millisecond before total discharge

If you study just how a manual transfer switch (Reliant, etc) works and interfaces with your circuit breaker panel, you can probably - if you're really handy and adventuresome - cobble up a one or two circuit transfer switch. Just remember you want to break a connection before making a connection.

Reply to
Unquestionably Confused

Don't you think he could make a cord and plug disconnect for one circuit at a time?

Oliver Sungsnatch

Reply to
Metspitzer

00 watts. What I want to do is to be able to connect my light circuits to t he UPS during emergencies like this ice storm that is coming up. Not worr ied about heat or the fridge, I have gas heater backup and not enough in th e fridge to worry about. Are there approved ways of connecting in the UPS t hat does not involve adding a transfer switch. I was thinking about doing t his with outlets and plugs so I could unplug the light circuit and plug it into the UPS.

And have it comply with code? No.

He could use one of the panel lockout kits together with an inlet. That's the cheapest, simplest way to do it, IMO.

Reply to
trader4

Buy a proper hardwired UPS and the transfer is automatic.

Reply to
clare

The CONSUMER units for computers only last about an hout. With Extended Battery Packs they can last quite a bit longer, and the old Best Power had a system that had a gas or deisel powered DC generator that started when the batteries got low. They also made a unit for emergency lighting that used the regular lighting system for emergency lighting (roughly 1 light in 4 on the cabinet mounted UPS system)

Reply to
clare

BS - a UPS is, by definition, an Transfer Switch BUT, the lighting circuit MUST be connected through the UPS at all times. Runs on AC Line power when available, and SWWITCHES to battery when required.

Reply to
clare

all on is less than 100 watts. What I want to do is to be able to connect my light circuits to the UPS during emergencies like this ice storm that is coming up. Not worried about heat or the fridge, I have gas heater backup and not enough in the fridge to worry about. Are there approved ways of connecting in the UPS that does not involve adding a transfer switch. I was thinking about doing this with outlets and plugs so I could unplug the light circuit and plug it into the UPS.

I'm not there to see it, but I'd guess it is possible to run the circuit to a power socket, and run the lights to a plug. You could unplug the lights, and put them into he socket on the UPS.

Of course, you can always run electric cords, and use portable table or floor lamps.

I agree, don't like to be in the dark. I've got a couple fuel lamps (wick or propane mantle) for power cuts. Which power cuts are usually in winter when it's cold.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

with all on is less than 100 watts. What I want to do is to be able to connect my light circuits to the UPS during emergencies like this ice storm that is coming up. Not worried about heat or the fridge, I have gas heater backup and not enough in the fridge to worry about. Are there approved ways of connecting in the UPS that does not involve adding a transfer switch. I was thinking about doing this with outlets and plugs so I could unplug the light circuit and plug it into the UPS.

I like your concept. I would also like to keep my own lights on during power cuts. My best advice is to invest in a couple flashlights and wick lamps and some bottles of ultra pure. It will not be as convenient, but it will be dependable and provide a bit of heat.

I've heard of people stringing Christmas lights around the house, run off a UPS or battery and inverter. provides a bit of light for walking around.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

That's weird, my UPS system will power my laptop for about a year or so.

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Reply to
philo 

Finally someone who knows about Best Power.

I still have one. I worked for a company that sold the units and even visited the company to attend their training school.

Between the ferroresonant circuit and the hysteresis loop charging, those things could not be beat.

Reply to
philo 

Great idean! I think hospitals have dedicated outlets indicating 'normal' vs 'ups'. Our electronic lab used to have clearly labeled outlets side by side, like four instead of two, with the right half shown as a color difference indicating the supply was from a UPS. Purpose was for powering PC's and instrumentation performing life tests, to prevent a lifetest dataset being ruined by an outage.

When I worked in the Security Industry, the UPS backup was specced to last four hours minimum, industry standard at the time. You have NO idea how difficult it is to power 120W for four hours without wanting to go to an automobile battery, which wasn't allowed, but I did use a vehicle battery on our internal backup system to power the PBS phones for the company.

You could use two battery packs, a generator to charge one while using the other, and pretty much run for days. However, don't know how many UPS systems allow you 'hot insertion' of a battery pack.

Another option of simple lighting, is to get those security lights that turn on when power goes off. Great indicator of whether the power went off, or on, and they're self-contained.

Reply to
RobertMacy

If by circuit to a power socket you mean running a circuit from the UPS to a receptacle in the house, yes he can do that provided it complies with all the pertinent sections of the NEC. But I would suspect his first problem is that he's talking about a typical UPS for use with say a PC. It's not rated to be hardwired into anything.

You can't take existing light circuits in the house and put a cord on the end of them..

So far, that or a panel lockout kit or transfer switch togther with an inlet are the only code compliant methods I see. And as we all seem to agree, given the limited duration of a typical UPS, probably not worth the trouble.

Reply to
trader4

I don't think what he's stated is a great idea.

"I was thinking about doing this with outlets and plugs so I could unplug the light circuit and plug it into the UPS."

That sounds to me like he's not talking about plugging a couple floor lamps into the UPS. If that's what he was doing, he wouldn't be here. It sounds to me like he wants to take existing light circuits in the house and put a plug on them so he could plug that circuit into the UPS. And that sure isn't kosher.

I think hospitals have dedicated outlets indicating 'normal'

Yes, he could do that, provided it all complies with code. I suspect the first problem is that it sounds like he already has a garden variety UPS for use with a PC, etc and they have outlets, ie they aren't rated or designed to be hardwired.

Reply to
trader4

I wonder why the OP has not revisited his thread?

A UPS, by definition is an isolated supply. In other words, it is constantly charging it's battery and the load is always running from AC power which is created by inverting the DC. When the house current is disconnected, the load continues to operate without interruption (hence the "U" in UPS).

I seriously doubt the total power consumed by the OP's whole house LED lighting is less than 100 watts. There is a fair amount of power wasted and dissipated as heat in the typical power supplies used for LED lighting. However, he could have a very small house.

Regardless, if the OP were to simply isolate the circuits which power the LEDs and have nothing else on those circuits, he could easily connect those circuits to the UPS on a permanent basis. A good 1500 - 2000 W UPS would provide reasonable protection for the LED power supply components and a fairly decent run time during a blackout.

Obviously, the above requires a reasonable understanding of residential wiring, NEC and local codes in order to accomplish this in a safe manner.

Reply to
Lab Lover

00 watts. What I want to do is to be able to connect my light circuits to t he UPS during emergencies like this ice storm that is coming up. Not worr ied about heat or the fridge, I have gas heater backup and not enough in th e fridge to worry about. Are there approved ways of connecting in the UPS t hat does not involve adding a transfer switch. I was thinking about doing t his with outlets and plugs so I could unplug the light circuit and plug it into the UPS.

True, but it doesn't have to be used that way. He could have a typical UPS that you'd use for say a PC, leave it plugged in and only connect it manually to lights when the power goes out. If he does that by plugging in some floor lamps, that's cool. But it sounded like he wants to put plugs on the end of his existing light circuits in the house, which isn't kosher.

I doubt he intends to power every LED light when the power is out, just some of them.

There is a fair amount of power wasted and dissipated

AFAIK, all that is included in the rating of the LED light. If you get a 9W, which is about equal to a 100W incandescent, it just uses 9Watts, no?

However, he could

Yes, I agree. But from what he's written, I think the intention is to use a basic UPS that he already has and I doubt it's designed for being hardwired in.

Reply to
trader4

Other than golf cart or marine trolling batteries, what were effective for power storage?

Wonder if it's possible to use a generator and car battery charger (off the 120 VAC generator socket) to charge up the UPS batter while the UPS is still powering lights?

I think the theatre and business power failure lights can be good. Be nicer if you could wire the internal battery to a big golf cart battery.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Per RobertMacy:

Safety?

Reply to
(PeteCresswell)

My house lighting is all LED total wattage with all on is less than 100 watts. What I want to do is to be able to connect my light circuits to the UPS during emergencies like this ice storm that is coming up. Not worried about heat or the fridge, I have gas heater backup and not enough in the fridge to worry about. Are there approved ways of connecting in the UPS that does not involve adding a transfer switch. __________________________________________________________________________

Nope - no approved ways I know of. Lots of jury-rigged possibilities though. The only way to evade the NEC on this is to use low voltage power. Install 12VDC LED lights throughout the house on a dedicated circuit that's always powered by a large (costly) deep discharge battery on a constant charging circuit. If you use a car battery you'll severely shorten its life if you deeply discharge it more than a few times.

If these are 110VAC fixtures then there's very little hope of doing what you want to do and having it approved by an inspector. But it is an interesting idea and probably will be the way things are done 50 years from now.

SH

Reply to
Sherlock.Homes

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