Powering the lights in a powercut...

[2cvbloke]

Indeed. Its the only way to absolutely rule out what is happening in the real world.

All you need now is a wood powered Arga and you'll be larfing. In a real emergency, you can simply put all the 'jack' stuff in there.

Joking! Although, I am beginning to wonder

P.S. On my laymans install - have you attempted to, er, install it like that?

.

oooh I'd loooooove to have a wood burner!!! I remember a holiday in Sherwood forest a few years back and I managed to light one without any trouble, they make men feel lke men those stoves do....

I've not touched the cables yet, waiting for the cellar to dry out before I do anything as my cat loves to go down there and muck about and come back up with soggy paws and leaves pawprints everywhere... !

 

[BarMoo]

Well, whatever you finally get up to: don't end up like Frank Spencer in that classic epside where he automates his house. Mind, since this post started - I have been thinking of that episode

Yes, wait until the cellar dries out. What caused the flooding again - not some other invention per chance? Actually, forget I said that Frank, LOL.

Cripes tapfit2004 is going to love the tail-off of this thread.

 

[2cvbloke]

Well, whatever you finally get up to: don't end up like Frank Spencer in that classic epside where he automates his house. Mind, since this post started - I have been thinking of that episode

Yes, wait until the cellar dries out. What caused the flooding again - not some other invention per chance? Actually, forget I said that Frank, LOL.

Cripes tapfit2004 is going to love the tail-off of this thread.

ooooooh betty!!!

I think it's cos of the old coal hole in the path outside, there's a slate over it (that should be cemented in place) which some kids have moved off the hole, and I caught one using it as a urinal the other day, cheeky little sod, I'd have taken a picture and stuck it up in the window to shame him but I'd probably get called a pedo or something, so I've put it back and I' just waiting for it to rain again to see if it floods again, but anyway, the power stuff (fuseboard, meter, that big thing with big fuses which I'm not allowed to touch according to the labels) is all a the top of the cellar stairs and not in the cellar itself, plus it was only an inch or two of water, not a foot or two....

 

[BarMoo]

Certainly dealing with the flooding situation is more of a priority than the big-boys-toys UPS stuff.

As for the git who you caught peeing into your house - I would take the pic to the police and let them deal with it.

Nice neighbourhood you live in

.

 

[PoloMint]

This is what you really want, not really a UPS, but with about 30 seconds of downtime between the mains going down and the generated power coming on it shouldn't be too bad. And at 15kw it should power more than your lights...

You could be off the power grid for weeks...

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=172249-56725-15RESL&lpage=none


Of course the gas supply might also fail, so a diesel one and a big stokepile of diesel is worth considering


http://www.powercomplete.com/IndustrialStandby/GilletteDiesel15KWStandbyGeneratorSPLD150.html

 

[Mike4t]

The easiest and possibly safest way would be to take out the feed to the lighting from the MCB in the distribution board and connect to the output of your UPS, The connect your UPS to the outfeed of the MCD in the disboard. However there are afew problems, if you or some unsuspecting electrician comes along and isolates the board to work on a cct, the UPS will still be powering the lighting cct, so make sure it is well signed and marked up.
Secondly you need to make sure the UPS is capable of supplying your current. A more expensive but sure option would be something like a MX60 outback charger/inverter connected to a battery bank, This unit has a 60 A bypass switch, so effectively it can be wired between the mains incomer and the disboard, you only then have to be careful of power drawdown during power cuts as the system has capacity limited to its battery size and power inverter capability which is if I remember only 16A, but the system does work brilliantly..(these systems are used on Solar power systems)

 

[streetlighter]

Lighting circuits are not wired as a ring they are radial where only one phase, Neutral and CPC runs back to the distribution board. I wouldnt recommend using a UPS like this. Better to get some proper emergincy light fittings and wire them in you cnag et some nice decorative ones in the wholesalers catalogues.
Also anything that involves domestic electricial work may come under the part P regulations.

J

That's what I've been wondering, but I have no means of finding out though...

Also, as I'm thinking of sitting the UPS next to the meter & fusebox the junction box I'd put in would be exposed and easily accessible...

 

[BarMoo]

The last post is a good example of 'topping' (saying your piece before the quote). OK, there is only one example - the last post, hehe.

Streetlighter, 'topping' is tabboo (not my words) - best not go there again

.

 

[2cvbloke]

This is what you really want, not really a UPS, but with about 30 seconds of downtime between the mains going down and the generated power coming on it shouldn't be too bad. And at 15kw it should power more than your lights...

You could be off the power grid for weeks...

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=172249-56725-15RESL&lpage=none


Of course the gas supply might also fail, so a diesel one and a big stokepile of diesel is worth considering


http://www.powercomplete.com/IndustrialStandby/GilletteDiesel15KWStandbyGeneratorSPLD150.html

At $11,545.00 for the first one, it's more than a tenner, so no ta...

The easiest and possibly safest way would be to take out the feed to the lighting from the MCB in the distribution board and connect to the output of your UPS, The connect your UPS to the outfeed of the MCD in the disboard. However there are afew problems, if you or some unsuspecting electrician comes along and isolates the board to work on a cct, the UPS will still be powering the lighting cct, so make sure it is well signed and marked up.
Secondly you need to make sure the UPS is capable of supplying your current. A more expensive but sure option would be something like a MX60 outback charger/inverter connected to a battery bank, This unit has a 60 A bypass switch, so effectively it can be wired between the mains incomer and the disboard, you only then have to be careful of power drawdown during power cuts as the system has capacity limited to its battery size and power inverter capability which is if I remember only 16A, but the system does work brilliantly..(these systems are used on Solar power systems)

That's a tad confusing, shouldn't I connect the output of the MCB to the input of the UPS then the output of the UPS to the lights???

If a 190w UPS can power a PC system for 10-30 minutes, then there should be plenty of current to run 5 Engergy Saving lights (not all on at the same time though), so I think that MX60 is a bit of overkill for what I want, when I upgrade to solar power then I'll probably get one, but for now, very limited budget, and I'm woking with what I've got only...

Lighting circuits are not wired as a ring they are radial where only one phase, Neutral and CPC runs back to the distribution board. I wouldnt recommend using a UPS like this. Better to get some proper emergincy light fittings and wire them in you cnag et some nice decorative ones in the wholesalers catalogues.
Also anything that involves domestic electricial work may come under the part P regulations.

J

Again, cost and only working with what I've got...

You know, I was going to do a City & Guilds course in electrical engineering, until they told me I needed 4 GCSEs at C or above....

 

[Channel Hopper]

You know, I was going to do a City & Guilds course in electrical engineering, until they told me I needed 4 GCSEs at C or above....

I am trying to do a course in advanced motorcycle engineering (fuel injecton/engine management) , previous qualifications are fine, but they are telling me that I need to find about £1200 for the course.

 

[2cvbloke]

I am trying to do a course in advanced motorcycle engineering (fuel injecton/engine management) , previous qualifications are fine, but they are telling me that I need to find about £1200 for the course.

Ouch, bit much for a few peices or paper...

Tried getting bank charges back? my bank owes me £1500....

 

[BarMoo]

You know, I was going to do a City & Guilds course in electrical engineering, until they told me I needed 4 GCSEs at C or above....

Wierd, I attained my HND in Electronic & Electrical Engineering - with only, cough, 2 'o' levels? (strange I thought that with only two - I was a lazy ass).

In my time at college (1985ish) I thought C&G's were low-grade apprentice qualifications. That said, all three at the time: OND, HND and C&G's were all frowned upon by uni geeks.

By the by, I heard a few years back that my higher education course (HND in Television Systems and Studio Engineering) had mutated into a BA in telly somethingorother [probably, server maintanence].

Back to you. I guess if the rules have changed - if you want the C&G, study the GCSEs for it. Im sure you can. Mature student, hehe.

Never too late, for anything.;)

.

 

[2cvbloke]

Back to you. I guess if the rules have changed - if you want the C&G, study the GCSEs for it. Im sure you can. Mature student, hehe.

Never too late, for anything.;)

.

Nah, I like my current job, less chance of electrocution...

Although I have had a few zaps from static electricity and some dodgy PC components...

 

[Channel Hopper]

Wierd, I attained my HND in Electronic & Electrical Engineering - with only, cough, 2 'o' levels? (strange I thought that with only two - I was a lazy ass).

I had to get a minimum of 2 A levels to get into the HND course 20 years ago
Exam results haven't got easier then, only the pass grades for the next stage of 'eddukashun'.

 

[streetlighter]

Ive been thrown accross a road after getting a considerable whack off a Manweb cutout in a lamp column ! Quite a wake up call

Nah, I like my current job, less chance of electrocution...

Although I have had a few zaps from static electricity and some dodgy PC components...

 

[Topper]

Nah, I like my current job, less chance of electrocution...

I like the pun ....intended or not

 

[2cvbloke]

Ive been thrown accross a road after getting a considerable whack off a Manweb cutout in a lamp column ! Quite a wake up call

I once got a zap through a stanley knife whilst stood on a set of ladder near the top of the stairs in the old house, nearly took a tumble down them....

And as for that Pun, definitely not intended, I didn't even notice it...

 

[BarMoo]

Ive been thrown accross a road after getting a considerable whack off a Manweb cutout in a lamp column ! Quite a wake up call

Apart from 'stealing' burglar alarms as a teenager (once got stopped by the police in Leeds (I lived in bradford) with a phone-dialler in my placky bag "what's this" - "er, its an automated police dialler"....

My other habit was climbing up street light columns (in quite areas) and knicking the lamp unit - in its entirety.

Never got a shock - but I did get a kick. One time I am walking past a post-raid lamp and there is a horse on the other side of the wall. Goes and says hello. Some time later, I am lying in the middle of the road, having passed out. The horse had jumped the wall and (presumably) kicked me in the process.

To this day, I hate horses.

.

 

[Channel Hopper]

I am trying to do a course in advanced motorcycle engineering (fuel injecton/engine management) , previous qualifications are fine, but they are telling me that I need to find about £1200 for the course.

and.............(another thread hijack possibility)
The course I need doesn't actually exist.
Day course is too rudimentary, evening course has relevant stuff for four hours only (two nights), over a ten week period of basics.

Back to square one, unless somebody here knows a way out (which doesn't involve liver damage)

 

[BarMoo]

Looking back - I think I might have hijacked the thread

Powering lights in a powercut - to - I studied a Harder National Diploma in upside-down vehicular pressure cleansing

Anything more than 3 posts and peoples minds wander, hehe. I think I was fourth in the thread (lie).

Liver damage? Is that smart-ass for "drinking"? Guess not ...

.