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Security system batteries during power outages
It occurred to me that this same system could keep your alarm going indefinitely with about three hours a day of charging even using a single Optima battery. More batteries would give extra reserve capacity if you needed it, but even a single battery should power the system for two to three days without recharging.
Of course if you miss a charging day, you have to make up the time later.
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Security system batteries during power outages
Kw, you got me on that one. I never even heard of a propane generator. Mine takes 5 gallons of gas every 5 hours. Of course I dont run it 24/7 when the power is out. My thought was that the generator would charge the batteries enough to last the night if you ran the genset each day. The batteries system with shed is probably around 15k. Thats just a wild hair gues but a Onan diesel generator is a few xtra pennys. This system was deseigned in Northern Mi for all of the summer homes on islands. My camp is 5 miles from electric. My neighbors tried to get everyone to go for electricty this year but even at 5k per landowner theye couldnt get more than a few to agree. I personally dont want to see that much development in deer copuntry so the battery system is a good reliable and easy option.
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Security system batteries during power outages
Dave, can you get propane delivered up there?
A lot of the really good automatic backup generators run or Propane or natural gas. These are packaged units with weather enclosures and are made for fixed installation.
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Security system batteries during power outages
AC5ZO, thanks much for the info on the Century battery charger. At only $70 it's a deal.
I thought about buying fewer batteries and running the generator a bit longer to keep the system running indefinitely. There has to be a sweet spot of battery capacity vs. propane usage.
When the battery voltage drops below a threshold the security panel shuts itself off, but I don't (yet) know what that threshold is.
Since several people seem to be interested I will describe my project in a bit more detail.
Our transfer switch is manual. I bought a small industrial computer with a color touchscreen and some digital i/o (used to be a medical instrument), some OPTO-22 relay hardware, and a linear actuator off of ebay and I'm currently writing the software to automate the transfer switch. Doing it myself will give me much more flexibility than buying a canned solution. Among the features I will implement are automatic generator exercising, exercising on demand, automatic switchover on loss of AC power, and the ability to monitor and control the generator through a touch tone telephone interface via the security panel. The computer will also call me on my cell phone if any fault occurs.
I will interface to the transfer switch by monitoring the status LEDs with digital inputs and by running some controllable relays in parallel with the existing switches. Hooking the linear actuator up to move the contactor switch lever is fairly straightforward, and I will use limit switches as safeties on this.
It wouldn't be much more work to monitor the battery voltage and automatically turn the generator on when the battery voltage approaches some lower bound. That would probably provide the optimal propane vs. battery solution.
I'll post pictures when I get it all done. I'll probably have the only home transfer switch in town that has a gui touchscreen interface, ethernet, and is web-enabled!
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Security system batteries during power outages
Also, many gas engines can be converted to propane. Our generator has a Kohler 25hp gas engine that was converted by the manufacturer (Gillete Generators) to run on propane or natural gas.
I would have went with a natural gas generator if it was available up here. Propane is great for backup generators. You don't have to worry about stale fuel, it is delivered by truck, you can have BIG tanks of fuel, and it burns clean. For stationary standby type generators it's great, but if your generator gets tossed in the back of the truck for a trip to the woods gasoline or is probably better.
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Security system batteries during power outages
Ac, you can get propane but its a bit of a pain. My property is the middle of 50k+ acres 31k of which are private. The road my property is on is a very nice road but 5 miles in from the public road where it is gated. My roads are gated as well. They will bring free tanks but to get them filled I would have to set out on the highway for god knows how long waiting for them to let them through the gate. Most camps are useing 50# cylinders and takeing them in to town for refills every couple of days. This is not a problem for most. I am at my property often but many only show up for deer season and usually then only for a week.
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Security system batteries during power outages
Oil stays alot cleaner in a propane powered generator as well. Makes it last alot longer.
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08-05-2003, 13:39 
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