# Pellet Stove, Battery backup - suggestions?



## Joe B One925 (Sep 23, 2014)

Hi All,

Now that we're getting closer to pellet stove season I was thinking of a battery backup up option in the event power goes out.

Does anyone have suggestions as to a good battery backup for pellet stoves? I currently don't have one, but thought it be worth grabbing before the weather heads south.


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## briansol (Sep 23, 2014)

These have been covered a lot here...
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/which-ups-battery-back-up.130408/


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## Joe B One925 (Sep 23, 2014)

Ahh...sorry for not taking a deeper look into the subject, these forums are so vast! At any rate, I guess I was more curious on what folks use for their pellet stoves.  I've contemplated the idea of buying a generator, but to only use once or twice or sometimes none at all is a tough one to swallow. I wasn't sure if there was a unit that could be indoors that would give juice for a number of hours like a generator does.


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## TimfromMA (Sep 23, 2014)

I use a battery backup. Here's a thread where it's discussed:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/homemade-battery-backup.125698/


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## Joe B One925 (Sep 23, 2014)

Nice setup...what kind of generator do you have? I'm a bit nervous hooking up continuous batteries like you have.


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## TimfromMA (Sep 23, 2014)

I have a Honeywell 6800 Watt


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## stmar (Sep 23, 2014)

I went a little overboard: 
Xantrex/Trace SW4024 24 volt 4000 Watt Inverter
12 X Solerex MSX-64 64 Watt PV Panels
Morningstart ProStar-30 Controller
4 X GPL-L16 Lifeline 400 amp hour AGM Battery Bank
Honda EU2000 Generator


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## RhodyPelletRook (Sep 23, 2014)

stmar said:


> I went a little overboard:
> Xantrex/Trace SW4024 24 volt 4000 Watt Inverter
> 12 X Solerex MSX-64 64 Watt PV Panels
> Morningstart ProStar-30 Controller
> ...



I have no idea what 80% of this means, but having been in the military and worked with engineers, I'll just reply with standard issue, "that sounds pretty badass"


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## stmar (Sep 23, 2014)

Sorry, couldn't resist, lol. We have an alternative energy system, tied to the grid and when the grid goes down we don't even know it. I call it my UPS on steroids.
P.S. When our grid goes down sometimes it is days so we need the extra power.


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## Jdmurphy (Sep 23, 2014)

I used a repurposed APC UPS. Swapped out the stock batteries for two Werker 55 amp hour AGMs. The setup is right below the stove in the basement, jumpered to the stove outlet. If the power goes out it's a fully auto switch over. The UPS keeps the batteries topped off, but I need to think through (purchase) a charger with enough amps that would replenish reasonably fast while on the generator. I really like the idea of silently being able to power the stove at night and run the generator during the day if needed.

I needed to add extra fans to the UPS because the inverter was never meant to run more than a few minutes while you shut down your PC.


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## Joe B One925 (Sep 23, 2014)

So it seems like if you want any prolonged power (3hrs +) then you think a generator is needed ????


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## BrotherBart (Sep 23, 2014)

A hundred bucks for a deep cycle battery, fifty for a charger and trickle charger and a 750 watt inverter should keep the stove running for a good long time. For around $220 or so.

But a generator will do things like the fridge, some lights, computers and TV stuff for a couple hundred more.


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## Jdmurphy (Sep 23, 2014)

No I don't. This setup, and I need to go back and check my calculations, should run for at least 15 hours. The stove doesn't draw much wattage while running. So I figure I can run the generator during the day to charge everything for the next period of time. In case of several days without grid power.


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## Jdmurphy (Sep 23, 2014)

and yes BrotherBart, run the entire house during the day on the generator while recharging the stove batteries to run silent at night.


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## BrotherBart (Sep 23, 2014)

Jdmurphy said:


> and yes BrotherBart, run the entire house during the day on the generator while recharging the stove batteries to run silent at night.



I know. My generators are for daylight and the eight hundred amp hour AGM battery banks and two 1,000 watt inverters are for the whole joint overnight. But didn't bring that up because he does not even want to know what that setup cost me.


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## Jdmurphy (Sep 23, 2014)

Agreed. I just didn't want to give the impression that I only use the generator to charge the batteries. Any recommendations for a charger? That's the last piece of the puzzle for me.


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## Joe B One925 (Sep 23, 2014)

Sounds like battery back up for > 3hrs is a bit pricey...i mean i can deal with other stuff not on, but no heat is where i draw the line lol...


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## BrotherBart (Sep 23, 2014)

My $99 Harbor Freight 900 watt 2 cycle generator can run a pellet stove forever on not much gas. Ya might want to look into that. And figure out which window to run the extension cord through.

Ain't gonna get cheaper than that.


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## Joe B One925 (Sep 23, 2014)

Good call on that harbor freight...looks decent...especially for the price!


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## yrock87 (Sep 24, 2014)

http://www.amazon.com/WEN-56352-Powered-Portable-Generator/dp/B003N9AT5G i just picked up this 3000 watt genny from amazon for $360.  it will run my boiler, fridge, half the lights in the house and there is enough left over to run the TV/cable box and your choice of microwave, coffee maker or toaster oven. also, it is one of the cheapest 220 models out there! not that i use it. the Harmonic distortion is around 10-15%. which is more than fine for most applications,  i havent plugged it into my pellet stove yet because the circuitry of the stove is more complex (and i assume sensitive) than my boiler and the boiler gives me DHW.  

I am trying to find a pure sine wave UPS to hook up for nights so that i can shut the generator down. the local selection is small and nothing with a battery will ship to here.  sigh :-(


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## stmar (Sep 24, 2014)

The main reason I went with a Honda EU2000 is because it is an "inverter generator", which means it produces high quality power suitable for high tech equipment such as the control boards in our stoves. Other reasons: quiet, fuel efficient and reliable was a key concern since I don't use it that much but want it ready to go when I do need it. I would rather spend $1000 and know it is going to work. My inverter produces "pure sine wave" power, also suitable for high tech stuff. 
JD - What kind of switch do you have on your setup? I have a dual power setup for my well and have a need for a switch and can't find what I want.


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## Harvey Schneider (Sep 24, 2014)

Joe B One925 said:


> So it seems like if you want any prolonged power (3hrs +) then you think a generator is needed ????


My MVAE can run for days directly from a 100Ahr, 12V, deep discharge battery.


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## Joe B One925 (Sep 24, 2014)

STMAR that Honda generator looks fantastic!  Now thats the size unit I'm looking for, too bad 1K is a tad out of my current price range. I like how long the fuel lasts for as well as the quiet running.


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## stmar (Sep 24, 2014)

I bit the bullet and talked myself into it, local store had them on sale for only $900, lol. I looked at the cheaper models but I wanted mine for emergencies and occasional use and wanted it to work when I needed it. Honda makes some good things but you pay for them. The size is fantastic, less than 50# so you can carry it around and put it where you need. You may check Craigs List, sometimes you see used ones for sale but most of the time they want a high price even for used.


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## lagger (Oct 13, 2014)

would it be practical as well as safe to purchase an inexpensive small generator, like the harbor freight one, and run a 12 v  1kw regulated power supply off of that into the inverter and run the stove off of that setup ?... seems to me this kind of setup with a 1kw 12v regulated supply, inverter and generator would be cheaper than some of the other options, a little more effort to set up initally compared to a dedicated battery back up perhaps.

harbor freight generator 99.00
harbor freight 750\1500w inverter 48.00
*I see 12v 1kw regulated (switching) power supplies on line for 100.00 and up*


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## TimfromMA (Oct 13, 2014)

lagger said:


> would it be practical as well as safe to purchase an inexpensive small generator, like the harbor freight one, and run a 12 v  1kw regulated power supply off of that into the inverter and run the stove off of that setup ?... seems to me this kind of setup with a 1kw 12v regulated supply, inverter and generator would be cheaper than some of the other options, a little more effort to set up initally compared to a dedicated battery back up perhaps.
> 
> harbor freight generator 99.00
> harbor freight 750\1500w inverter 48.00
> *I see 12v 1kw regulated (switching) power supplies on line for 100.00 and up*



A battery provide you with uninterruptible power which can keep your stove going until you have the opportunity to fire up the generator. For example, smoke will back up into my house if power is lost while there's a fire going, even if the outage is brief. If power goes out while we're away from the house. If I don't want to listen to a noisy generator at night while I sleep. etc etc


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## lagger (Oct 13, 2014)

TimfromMA said:


> A battery provide you with uninterruptible power which can keep your stove going until you have the opportunity to fire up the generator. For example, smoke will back up into my house if power is lost while there's a fire going, even if the outage is brief. If power goes out while we're away from the house. If I don't want to listen to a noisy generator at night while I sleep. etc etc


good point  in another post someone mentioned a cyberpower pure sine 1500 backup  looks like I would need something like that, and a small generator.. now worried that if the elec goes out while I'm not home, and the backup is exhausted after a short while, no one will be there to initiate the shut down before it smokes up the house... what to do ...


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## TimfromMA (Oct 13, 2014)

The easiest albeit quite expensive way to go would be to buy enough batteries so that the hopper will run out of pellets before the batteries die.


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## TimfromMA (Oct 13, 2014)

My biggest concern is keeping the batteries from over depleting which can ruin them. These batteries arent cheap.


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## DBCOOPER (Oct 13, 2014)

TimfromMA said:


> The easiest albeit quite expensive way to go would be to buy enough batteries so that the hopper will run out of pellets before the batteries die.



The easiest way is to interrupt the thermostat circuit with a time delay relay and use the UPS to shut down the stove so you don't get smoke backing up with a direct vent exhaust. Using a time delay relay keeps the stove from restarting during short, multi power hits.


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## TimfromMA (Oct 14, 2014)

DBCOOPER said:


> The easiest way is to interrupt the thermostat circuit with a time delay relay and use the UPS to shut down the stove so you don't get smoke backing up with a direct vent exhaust. Using a time delay relay keeps the stove from restarting during short, multi power hits.



I use a low voltage sensor on the batteries tied to a relay on the auger motor.


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## briansol (Oct 14, 2014)

I'm looking into tripping the 'proof of fire' switch.  It's a simple loop, so a simple relay inline to break the circuit will let the stove board shut the stove down (stops feeding) but continues to run the combustion fan indefinitely (on my stove).

I do want to get a better back up system.   the HF 900 watt gen set was a waste of money IMO.   If anyone wants mine, you can have it. free pick up.  didn't run chit.  loud as hell. smelled aweful. 


When i do go for a generator, i'm going to go for a pure sine inverter and a propane hook up.   I can stock and go through a ton of grill tanks and not worry about it going bad.  I'm still torn between the eu2000 honda and the 2400i yamaha.   both are about the same price and specs, the yammy giving a little more wattage.   Gives me an excuse to use the grill more too.   Plus, it can be used for cooking during power outages just the same.   i don't want to keep all that gas on hand.   After the snopocpolypse and Sandy, gas was rare in these parts for a week.   I can't use it in my car either, as my car only takes premium, so i don't want to fee the genny 93 octane or my high performance sports car old 87 + stabilizer crap :/


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