Power outage right now....

[abvidledUK]

I have a couple of gas cartridge cooking stoves, and cartridges, plus a piezo lighter for main gas cooker, for such an eventuality.

Electric cooker, no thanks, point proved.

Plus 12v SLA with inverter for gas CH pump, really for hot water for shower, works fine.

 

[zipplet]

That is a point, in an emergency my setup could potentially run the central heating system as it is gas. Is your inverter a modified sine or pure sine?

 

[jezzyp]

Unfortunately, since I've set this up we have had no blackouts...

Same here
I bought a 110Ah leisure battery, 600W sine wave inverter, Ctek battery charger
3 years ago and nothing!
Last year I added some more lights, eneloops and a honda genny with propane capacity and still nothing.

I second the need to run the genny every now and then - I fire mine up every 6 weeks or so.
My really cheap and nasty ebay chinese generator failed during a 6 week check (a bit snapped off) and so I bought the honda.

 

[abvidledUK]

Battery has 3 year stated life, previous ones have shown lower capacity after charging as they wear out, without being used, as per my charger leds.

AFAIK, just normal sine wave inverter, never comes out of box apart from test once a year.

Rated enough to cover initial heavy current as pump starts up, and gas valves / pumps etc.

only around 45 Ah, would charge it from car if needs be.

Oh, and Calor Gas heater with spare bottle for heat, again, never used in anger...yet

 

[zipplet]

The battery I bought has a 12 year design life if used in a mostly standby application. http://www.rapidonline.com/Electrical-Power/Batteries/Lead-Acid/6V-and-12V-Sealed-acid-monobloc-batteries/73345/kw/18-1176.

Most cheap inverters (mine included) are modified sine and as far as I know they don't work too well with some motors and pumps although fishtank pumps and fans definately work fine from them.

Nice to know some other people here have done something similiar!

Can't wait until the next outage when I get to really make use of the system and wind up my siblings by being able to use the computer and such while they sit in the darkness having forgotten to charge up their nintendo DS's!

(okay I'm not that mean, I'd let them plug in aswell)