themiller
Well-known member
Hi All -
Figured I'd post this - not sure if anything is wrong, more just giving ideas to the community and certainly have my ears open to feedback. I've had this setup going for about 9 months and feel like it's the cat's meow as far as performance, maintenance, and low cost. I can't believe how many battery backup systems are out there that are undersized (cough cough basement watchdog) and/or only have the ability to run off one battery. I figured I could duplicate the abilities of a sumpro for much less, especially since I plan on being here for a long time and want to be able to maintain the system.
No longer do I lose sleep over the power going out when I'm not home. The ONLY thing plugged into the inverter output my 2nd sump pump. I have three pumps each on separate circuits and at seperate intake heights in directly connected pits. I recently switched two of mine from Zoeller to Liberty pumps - specifically the M53 to the Liberty 257 and could not be happier! I wanted quieter and less energy usage. The new pumps only draw 400w running and require much less startup current. They are also whisper quiet compared to the Zoeller 53's. My big boy is a M267 and it doesn't ever turn on. That's ok with me - I test it monthly and know it's there if I need it. It is also capable of running off this inverter if I were to move it and plug it in.
I'm using a dedicated 20A circuit to feed the charger, only one outlet in the box, and a direct run back to the breaker panel.
The batteries combined AH rating are less than the smart charger is rated for.
The wiring is 2 gauge for the 10" cables (from advance auto - got a good deal...) between the batteries and 1/0 for the 3ft cable on both ends. (1/0 from theinverterstore.com). I was running 4 gauge (not 4/0) 30" cables from advance auto but they introduced too much voltage drop to start more than one motor concurrently. I got the batteries each with a $50 off $125 from my buddies - so cheap there too!
That's all - comments and critiques welcome, just wanted to put this out there in case anyone had thought of doing something similar.
I do NOT have any washers between the connections to the inverter and the 1/0 cables.
Also - 2500W is way oversized. I know this now. I wanted to make sure I would have 0 issues starting any of my pumps. It also will be convenient if I need to power anything else in the house for short periods during a power outage. I DO have a generator, it's just nice to not have to worry about running it all the time / worry about running out of gas / waking up at 4AM in the storm to start/hook it up, etc...
Things I might be missing: GFCI, lowered inverter life due to being 100% always hooked to charger, grounding?
I check the battery levels every quarter, and that's about it. They are dusty now, figured I'll clean them in December - once a year.
Figured I'd post this - not sure if anything is wrong, more just giving ideas to the community and certainly have my ears open to feedback. I've had this setup going for about 9 months and feel like it's the cat's meow as far as performance, maintenance, and low cost. I can't believe how many battery backup systems are out there that are undersized (cough cough basement watchdog) and/or only have the ability to run off one battery. I figured I could duplicate the abilities of a sumpro for much less, especially since I plan on being here for a long time and want to be able to maintain the system.
No longer do I lose sleep over the power going out when I'm not home. The ONLY thing plugged into the inverter output my 2nd sump pump. I have three pumps each on separate circuits and at seperate intake heights in directly connected pits. I recently switched two of mine from Zoeller to Liberty pumps - specifically the M53 to the Liberty 257 and could not be happier! I wanted quieter and less energy usage. The new pumps only draw 400w running and require much less startup current. They are also whisper quiet compared to the Zoeller 53's. My big boy is a M267 and it doesn't ever turn on. That's ok with me - I test it monthly and know it's there if I need it. It is also capable of running off this inverter if I were to move it and plug it in.
I'm using a dedicated 20A circuit to feed the charger, only one outlet in the box, and a direct run back to the breaker panel.
The batteries combined AH rating are less than the smart charger is rated for.
The wiring is 2 gauge for the 10" cables (from advance auto - got a good deal...) between the batteries and 1/0 for the 3ft cable on both ends. (1/0 from theinverterstore.com). I was running 4 gauge (not 4/0) 30" cables from advance auto but they introduced too much voltage drop to start more than one motor concurrently. I got the batteries each with a $50 off $125 from my buddies - so cheap there too!
That's all - comments and critiques welcome, just wanted to put this out there in case anyone had thought of doing something similar.
I do NOT have any washers between the connections to the inverter and the 1/0 cables.
Also - 2500W is way oversized. I know this now. I wanted to make sure I would have 0 issues starting any of my pumps. It also will be convenient if I need to power anything else in the house for short periods during a power outage. I DO have a generator, it's just nice to not have to worry about running it all the time / worry about running out of gas / waking up at 4AM in the storm to start/hook it up, etc...
Things I might be missing: GFCI, lowered inverter life due to being 100% always hooked to charger, grounding?
I check the battery levels every quarter, and that's about it. They are dusty now, figured I'll clean them in December - once a year.
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It's not an expensive/sine wave inverter. I will pay more attention next month when I test. 
or just clear insulation ?
. I am manly, but not that manly. I will do the lamp timer, sitting right here in my office, just haven't had the "time" to do it. The grease on the terminals - ok thanks, totally slipped my mind. 