I have been looking into buying a UPS to plug some lamps into in my living room, so if the power goes out the lights will stay on for a while. I was toying with the idea of getting a higher powered one so I could also plug the tv in to it as well. My only reservation is I see the battery life is usually listed at around 3 years. My question is will the battery life be 3 years regardless of use, meaning power outtages are rather few and far between, so if the battery is not used very often, will the battery stay good for a lot longer? Or should I expect 3 years out of it regardless of how often it gets used?

I like the idea of the UPS because you can get a pretty decent powered one for $200 or less, but I am wondering if a small generator would be better. I just like the option of instant backup versus having to hook things up to the generator. I know there are more sophisticated solutions but I am looking for a quick and cheap one!!

 

A battery will drain rather it's used or not. Obviously it will drain quicker if under usage. I'd assume these aren't meant for everyday use, so their claim of 3 year lifespan probably means you're covered if a blackout occurs in the next 3 years.

 

I would have thought it doesn't use the battery when juiced

 

The battery will loose it's charging ability over time. However once it's been discharged & then recharged 1-2 times the battery will be pretty dead.
We replace our UPS's at work about every 3 or so years. You can buy new batteries for less then new units.
Also most good sized UPS's will only give you about 10 or so minutes of battery power if you run something like a TV or fridge.

UPS's are not used for this. They are used to gracefully shut down equipment if power goes out for an extended time, or to protect equipment form power surges & brown outs that would normally knock out your equipment.

I do have have 3 though. Big APC 2200 units. They are heavy as hell too. My TV/stereo is plugged into 1, my PC equipment in another & the last is on standby.

If you want your power, buy a gas generator. You can get a good one that will run a TV & a few lamps for around $700.

 

They should be able to dis/recharge more than once or twice but they do need to be replaced every few years..

 

My advice: get a couple of LED laterns and a quality surge supressor for the TV. It'll be cheaper than any decent UPS.

 

Plus, don't most UPS devices (for the home) sound an alarm while on battery power? I know mine does.

 

spend a bit more money 2+K on instant generator that hooks up to your circuit breaker if you want to do that. I have a gas generator to run the fridges and fans on when the power is out during hurricanes, it is cumbersome to use and loud, plus no usage at night. the instant ones are much better in my opinion...

 

Didn't you hear me say cheap fool!!!! Just kidding, but yeah I had thought of doing it up all pimp with getting a nice gas generator with the separate electical box in the garage to run the appliances that I need. But really, it happens so few and far between that all I really need is for one light in the living room to run. I just thought having the tv would be nice but that would probably kill a battery backup real quick. Currently what I do is bring in the portable unit I keep in my trunk(its an air compressor, car battery jumper, etc) that has electrical outlets on it, that alone will run my light for 2-3 hours, plus keep the laptop charged so we can always watch a movie on that if need be. The power is never out long, so its not a huge deal.

And about the alarm, yes most/all beep annoyingly but I have seen a lot of the APC's can be disabled. I will probably just get a small apc unit to keep the lamp plugged into so when/if the power goes out the lights will stay on.