Power Preparedness: Picking the Best Home Backup Option

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Portable power stations have come a long way in the last 5 years and now are a practical solution for running your critical appliances and loads during a blackout. I will walk you through how to assess the amount of power and energy storage you need to get through the next storm.

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[dden]

For multi day blackouts I was thinking using one of these in conjunction with a cheap small generator. The generator would be used mostly to recharge that power station, perhaps in tandem with a solar panel if there is enough sun. The goal here is to use the generator as little as possible. Would that work or am I missing something here?

[ncooty]

As usual, this is useful information. Even so, it's a bit odd to consider what people would rather spend on products than on taxes for more reliable infrastructure--particularly in a democracy. Shouldn't we be angry that these devices are needed? Technology is no substitute for accountability.

That is, we've evidently shifted from (a) investments and accountability for public utilities to (b) privately owned coping mechanisms. This seems true for electricity, water, healthcare, and public security. I wonder what "promote the general welfare" means to Americans these days, let alone "to secure the blessings of liberty to ... posterity."

Granted, a person can buy a generator *and* support investments in public infrastructure, but increasingly, we seem to have adopted a contempt for the common good, which we tell ourselves is pragmatism or prudence.

[Alleged_Mercenary]

Power stations are a waste of money for this use, if you want to save your food and cool or heat your house a generator is the answer. Power stations are a very short-term answer a few hours at best and then must be recharged.

[Warp]

My family got a Automatic full house generator like 2 years ago, its been really good during severe storms

[vg]

For the fridge/freezer, what is "well over" 377W? If 377W does not include surge On power for both the fridge and freezer, then what's a reasonable multiplying factor?

Can these EcoFlow units be configured to run like a UPS? When utility power goes Off, the UPS powers the things connected very quickly. In the case of EcoFlow, utility power is passed through the EcoFlow to things connected to its outlets, like a bypass mode, and the EcoFlow powers them quickly when utility power goes Off. And being run that way in any configuration, will leaving them on charge continually hurt battery life? One cannot fully charge them and unplug them to be turned On when utility power goes Off and still act like a UPS, so does turning them Off also turn Off charging, which is likely not typical, and do they have a bypass capability with a auto-On when utility power goes Off?

You may have covered this, but it would be like having a portable generator, say running from natural gas so it's always ready and fuel is not an issue, but is there a way to have the switching automatic with power applied fast so it operates like UPS? I don't know if a portable generator could turn itself On when utility power goes Off or not, but that's what I'd like to have. Like solar panels with a large battery bank. But thinking about it, some household items need to be turned Off for the powering devices' load rating and its operating longevity, so I'm back to individual units running like a UPS, with an EcoFlow sized for various loads in various rooms. I am attracted to a portable generator running on natural gas with a connection to the circuit breaker, but the switching or at least the load balancer would require an electrician for installation.

Have you covered this or is any of it even possible?

[hassanbazzi]

Isn’t good idea to have a couple of Delta 2 instead of the Delta pro. Unless I am missing and not understanding well. I am really want to have one before we get hit with some kind of a hurricane. It is unbearable when we had an outage of 4 days. Thank you for sharing

[TheExcellentLaborer]

I have actually been wondering about this. Technology has came a long ways! Very good comprehensive video. Thanks for sharing Scott!

[HomeRapidRepair]

I prefer generators…but good comparison video 👍🏼👍🏼

[dougf]

Late last year I purchased the Delta 2, having used the exact same analyzer you have to determine loads and current draw for my refrigerator and furnace blower. Recently Ecoflow had a deal on the battery expansion so I jumped on that too. 😊

[avalon]

Mister delta pro! LOL. YOU MUST BE GETTING THESE FIR FREE.

[howard]

Don't forget about the defrost mode that the freezer goes through, which typically twice the wattage of the running wattage.

[mindshelfpro]

Does the app work without internet (connect to WiFi but on a VLAN with internet blocked)?

[donackerson]

These are still way too expensive for the amount of time you can use them. They're probably good to work in tandem with a gas or dual fuel generator. Maybe use the Delta at night. Anything longer than a couple hour power outage you'll be out of luck

[TheAngelin]

Is there a battery that can power to ac central unit?

[exrayZap-rygh]

Would there be a 'power' disadvantage to buy 3 Delta2 instead of 1 delta Pro for similar cost but more convenience to place around the house at different locations ? thanks for the video.

[maximeboissonneault]

You should start reviewing Solid state battery backups, like the Yoshino. Liquid batteries are doomed to fall out of grace given the solid state battery revolution that is just starting. Yoshino has more than the capacity of the delta pro with half the weight and half the size.

[BJ_PLATZ]

I totally appreciate your channel content! You are my handyman - I watch your videos and try to complete the task myself.
Perfect timing for this video... Just a couple weeks ago here in KC, our power was out for about 3½ days. We managed - a gas stove, and thankfully not too hot to be without AC. We did lose most of our refrigerated goods but it needed a thorough cleaning anyway, right? My solution was like when camping - charging the phones and laptops in the car! Not an eco-friendly solution to use my vehicle as a power generator. I would choose the mid-range - I like the solar capability and would take it camping!
You know when people start talking watts and amps and volts - I kinda glass over. I'm pretty decent at math but don't know why those concepts are so mystifying to me - do you have a 101 course on Electricity?
Again, thank you very much for making day-to-day problems less expensive and easier to solve myself or decide to hire a pro!

[o.c.g.m]

Can someone be plain and simple. Which 1 is good enough for a fridge n freezer for 1 person in a 1 bedroom apartment. ?

[seethebutter]

100 lbs of battery- especially if lithium ion - isn't that a fire hazard?

[coina-dig-tion]

Just did a test with a watt meter and my medium sized fridge used almost 2000kwh in a 24hr period. So, I'm good for a single day with no solar with my Anker 767 powerhouse really but to make it two days I need to upgrade from my 400watts of solar panels or I'll never keep the battery charged and supply the load. Also, keep in mind, your power source's rated kwh (2048 in my case) is not going to be 100%. I've seen tests on Youtube that you can only expect to get about 88% of rated value or so. So....my 2048kwh battery can only be depended on for just over 1800kwh in practice. So, I have to make up the 200kwh (2000used - 1800kwh available) deficit with solar in my case.