Author - Inverters R Us

This is a continuation from the article, Save Aquariums in a Power Outage: Keep Fish and Reptile Pets Safe with a Power Inverter (Part 1). Doing some initial research, my wife and I found that buying a power inverter to keep our reptile and fish devices running during a power outage was the right choice. Now came the challenging part: deciding which power inverter would fit our needs. To our surprise, there were loads of options to consider when buying a power inverter for our apartment. Most importantly, we had to consider budget and output ability. Furthermore, we found out there are two main types of power inverters: Modified Sine Wave and Pure Sine Wave. Our first concern was price. We had quite a bit of money invested in our pets and their habitats, so if we were taking a proactive step to keep them safe, we were willing to spend a little money on peace of mind. However, we couldn’t justify making many other sacrifices in order to afford something we, hopefully, would never have to use. For our needs, a sufficient power inverter to run all of our pets’ devices looked to run between about $150 and $1,500, which was quite the range. Next, because we were most concerned with running our lizard and fish devices and not the rest of the devices in our apartment, we were happy with a power inverter that would run about 800 watts easily. After doing our research, we were confident that a 1000-watt inverter would run all the devices efficiently without any hiccups. Finally, we had to look into the difference between Modified Sine Wave Power Inverters and Pure Sine Wave Power Inverters. For a brief explanation on the difference, I found this video to be helpful. In short, a Modified Sine Wave Power Inverter will run most devices without any issue. However, the type of power provided is not identical to the power that comes out of the power outlets in homes. I’m no expert in this area, but I found that some devices (such as ones with varying power levels) can have difficulty running from a Modified Sine Wave Power Inverter. A Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter, on the other hand, provides power that is identical to the power that comes out of common power outlets in homes. After doing some research, we felt more confident in the capability of the Pure Sine Power Inverter, especially if a power outage proved to last a few days and we would need to plug in other devices to the inverter. The difference in price was noticeable, but not crippling for our peace of mind in keeping our pets safe and their devices working identically to how they do when the power is on. Please know, a Modified Sine Wave Power Inverter likely would have operated just fine, but we opted for the Pure Sine. All things considered, we found the COTEK 1000 Watt 12 Volt Pure Sine Wave Inverter at Inverters R Us ( www.invertersrus.com ) to be the right choice for us (and more importantly for keeping our fish and lizards safe during a power outage). It had features we believed were important for our situation, such as a cooling fan, a 2-year warranty and an energy conservation mode. Also, we were able to get information on the types of batteries we’d need to ensure we had enough power to last us a few days in the event of a big power outage. Now, instead of running to the cupboard for towels and blankets every time the power goes out, we can turn to our trusty power inverter with confidence. In the summer, we can have power to keep our aquariums cool and pumps running. In the winter, we can power our lizards’ heat rocks and run our aquarium water heaters to keep the water temperature consistently warm and comfortable for our fish.

“We have fish and reptile pets; our power inverter gives us the peace of mind to know that their tanks will still function properly and keep them safe even if the power goes out.” -Dale K., Libertyville, Illinois Over the last five years, my wife and I have enjoyed having reptiles and fish as pets in our apartment. We live just outside of Chicago in a town called Libertyville, where, just like Chicago, we experience chilly winters and hot summers. The first time our power went out, we didn’t think much about our lizards and fish because the power came back on within 20 minutes. However, the next time it went out, we were running around trying to think of how to keep our lizards’ heat rocks running during a power outage. This was the middle of February and the apartment was losing heat quickly. We thought the fish would be fine because they were in large aquariums that would lose heat more slowly (typically the large amount of water will save aquariums in a power outage). We covered the lizard cages in towels and blankets. In our largest cage with our Bearded Dragon, we even put in a pair of those hand warmers you usually buy at the grocery store checkout line. I wrapped a pair of those in a dry washcloth and put it in the corner of the cage. However, I was concerned with how hot they got. Of course, I couldn’t Google to see if this was safe because we had no power, and therefore no Internet. Thankfully, the power was only out a combined 3 hours, but it still had us really concerned about all of our pets. After cleaning up all the towels, blankets, flashlights, hand-warmers-wrapped-in-washcloths and more, we sat down together at the computer to look for a way to avoid this sense of panic and worry next time the power would go out. As part of our brainstorming, we configured a list of all the devices we needed to run while the power was out: A Common List For Pet Owners Needing to Keep Devices Running During a Power Outage:

• Water Heater in Aquarium1 (300w)
• Water Heater in Aquarium 2 (300w)
• Heat Rock in Lizard Cage 1 (10w)
• Heat Rock in Lizard Cage 2 (15w)
• Infrared Heat Lamp in Lizard Cage 2 (50w)
• Water Pumps in both Aquariums (10w combined)
• Water Filters in both Aquariums (30w combined)

Total power needed to keep reptile and fish devices working during power outage (simultaneously): 715 watts After doing some research we had narrowed down our options to the following:

• Have a backup generator on-hand (unrealistic, we lived in an apartment)
• Invest in backup, battery-powered heat rocks, pumps, filters, lights, everything (we couldn’t find positive reviews for enough products to make it reasonable to have two of everything in the house)
• Invest in a power inverter for our aquariums and tanks (this is the option we explored further)

Having narrowed down our options to what appeared to be the right choice—a power inverter—we now needed to purchase a power inverter for our reptile and fish tanks … something we knew nothing about. To read about how we came to a decision that was right for us, click here to read Save Aquariums in a Power Outage: Keep Fish and Reptile Pets Safe with a Power Inverter (Part 2).

“To me, being a DJ is about being able to spin records anywhere, anytime. The ability to bring music to any situation and elevate the experience people are having is what makes what I do special. From bonfires deep in the desert to beach bashes to rooftop parties, it’s amazing to be able to play music … without having to drag around a noisy generator or pull out a line of extension cords.”-Sean C., Salt Lake City, UtahI’ve been spinning records for about 8 years. I started by playing music at my friends’ parties and soon I had multiple inquiries about how much I charged. So, like anyone with an entrepreneurial mind would do, I started charging. Now, 8 years later, my calendar stays consistently booked. And, when I’m not booked with a professional gig, I like to do what I call “pop-up” sets. I’m pretty in-tune with the scene in Salt Lake City and I can usually catch wind of where the big parties or events are happening. Plus, because I’ve been doing this now for a while, people in my network will tip me off to events that are somewhat private that are coming up. I like to show up and bring music to these parties—or better music, should they just be playing music through an iPod or something. Being mobile is what gives me an edge as a DJ. When I was looking into my options for mobile power, I was able to zero in on power inverters right away. A gas-powered generator doesn’t travel well. Plus, believe it or not, I do like to play some mellower songs from time to time and it’s nice to not have the sound of a running generator in the background. Also, I like to set up inconspicuously when at all possible and then start the music as a surprise. Having to crank on a generator first would defeat the point. More so, some of the events I do are inside large airplane hangars, industrial buildings or even in abandoned mines. So, the thought of running a gasoline-operated generator makes me dizzy just thinking of the fumes. With a power inverter, however, I have the battery and the inverter itself assembled into my setup. I can roll in my speakers, records and turntables on one mobile cart I built. I’ve fashioned the battery and power inverter right into my setup so that it’s always plugged in and ready. I even have a backup battery stored in the bottom of the records should I ever forget to recharge the battery at home after a gig. The setup rocks. It’s simple, mobile and lets me pop up in places where people don’t expect there to be good music coming through a professional system.