How to Build a Secure Power Backup for Home Appliances

Building a power backup for home starts with determining your overall power needs. That is the wattage of the appliances you’ll power during outages or blackouts. Once done, choose a reliable, efficient, and safe battery that can accommodate most of your appliances. Then, select an inverter that complements it and build a generator by pairing all the components with wires. 

Amongst the available generator types, solar-powered generators are the most reliable, safe, and save you money in the long term. Jackery Solar Generators are powerful and portable charging solutions capable of running most household appliances, such as cooking equipment, refrigerators, TVs, lamps, etc. 

Key Takeaways

• A home power backup system powers your household appliances during power outages and blackouts. 
• The types of home power backup systems include standby generators, portable generators, UPS, and solar generators. 
• Before choosing a secure power backup, you must determine your power needs and consider factors such as portability, runtime, costs, and fuel type. 
• To build a power backup solution, determine your power needs, select a good battery, inverter, and charger, and design it accordingly. 

What is a Home Power Backup?

Home power backup is a system that provides electricity to your homes during a power outage or blackout. These generally have a stored energy source, like batteries, which they utilize when grid electricity isn’t available. A good battery power backup for a home has the following key components: 

• Battery Bank: Primary component of a home power backup that stores the power in the form of DC to be used during power outages. 
• Inverter: Converts the stored DC power from the battery into usable electricity. 
• Battery Charger: Charges the battery when grid power is available. 
• Transfer Switch: Automatically switches the power supply from the grid to backup generators and back again when utility power is restored.     

Types of Home Power Backup

When it comes to home power backup, there are multiple options in the market. Here are some common types to help you decide the best fit for your home. 

Standby Generators: Standby generators are suitable for those looking for an alternate solution to power their homes. They are permanently installed outside the home and connected to the primary electrical grid to power the entire home. They typically run on propane or natural gas, eliminating the need for manual refilling. However, they are expensive and require professional installation. 

Portable Generators: Portable generators combine convenience, effectiveness, and affordability, which is why these are popular choices for most homeowners. People with the need for backup power during emergencies especially find it useful. These units run on propane, gasoline, or diesel - and can be moved around.   

UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply): Besides providing emergency power, these systems protect appliances from power fluctuations. As the grid power goes off, it instantly switches to backup power by drawing energy from the internal battery. This ensures seamless operation until the standby generator kicks in. 

Solar Panels with Battery Storage: Combining solar panels with battery storage creates an eco-friendly solar power backup for the home. This setup provides backup power during outages and offers energy independence. Many options are available on the market, but Jackery Solar Generators stand out due to their portability, versatility, and affordability. 

Factors to Consider Before Choosing a Home Power Backup

Not all battery backup solutions provide enough power to fulfill your electricity needs. This is why you must consider the following factors to select the best power backup for home: 

Runtime

Many battery backup solutions are available, but choose one that guarantees a long runtime. You don’t know what might hit; your power might be gone for days. Other than that, it’s crucial that the generator offers continuous power without any distortion and doesn’t take much time to charge. In short, pick a model with the latest technology and a long battery life. 

However, it's worth remembering that the runtime of a battery backup system varies with how much power an appliance plugged into it will consume. For example, a 900W refrigerator will consume more power than a 120W LED TV. 

Cost

While power is essential to maintain comfort even during dire situations, you must also consider the cost. In other words, get a battery backup solution that offers value for money. So, get a reliable solution during power outages that is easy to install and run. Solar energy, although expensive upfront, saves a lot of money in the long term.  

Fuel Type and Availability

Choosing a generator with the right fuel type is crucial. The options for diesel, gasoline, propane, or solar are available. Each fuel type has its share of advantages and limitations in terms of storage, availability, and cost. For example, propane costs much less than gasoline but emits harmful gases. 

Amongst the available options, solar generators are the best choice available. These might cost a bit high upfront but can save much more for an extended period. 

Portability

The choice between portable and standby generators solely depends on your needs. Standby generators are permanent solutions during power outages and can power an entire home. On the other hand, portable generators offer flexibility during power outages or when mobility is key. So, assess your needs and make decisions accordingly. 

How to Build a Secure Home Power Backup

The absence of a battery backup system can put your families in dire situations during emergencies, such as power outages. If you want to build one, follow the steps below in detail: 

Step 1:  Calculate Your Power Needs

The first step in building the best power backup for your home is determining your power needs. That is, calculate how much common household appliances like refrigerators, light bulbs, and others consume. Here’s an appliance wattage chart you can refer to: 

Note: These are just estimates, and the wattage value is printed on its user manual; you can check them out to ensure they are safe. 

It’s time to identify the critical appliances necessary to sustain a comfortable life during a power outage. You must consider heating and cooling appliances, security systems, medical equipment, and so on. This way, your generator will be tailored to your specific requirements.    

Step 2: Choose the Right Battery

The battery is the MVP of your backup system, so it’s crucial to choose it wisely. To do so, multiply the appliances' power requirements by the number of times/how long you’ll run them in a day. 

For example, if you run a 100W laptop for up to eight hours, you’ll need a battery with a capacity of at least 800Wh. If possible, select a battery with double the capacity so you don’t have to discharge more than 50% of its capacity. 

Given this, you need a battery with a relatively high capacity, longer lifespan, and relatively smart design. Jackery Solar Generators with LiFePO4/NMC battery ticks all the boxes. Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus is one popular solar generator with a LiFePO4 battery. It has a capacity of 2042.8Wh and can power most of your household appliances.  

Step 3: Choose the Right Inverter

Most home appliances require an alternating current (AC) to run. However, your battery pack stores a direct current (DC), which cannot power the appliances. This is where the inverter comes in. It can take the DC power from the battery and convert it into AC power for household appliances.  

Choose an inverter that matches the battery’s voltage and can support the total power needed by the appliances. More importantly, choose an inverter that can handle the total surge of heavy appliances. Jackery Portable Power Station features a pure sine-wave inverter that automatically converts DC electricity obtained from the solar panels to AC electricity which is suitable for powering home appliances.  

Step 4: Get a Battery Charger

Next, you will need a component to charge your batteries. This may not seem like a deal, but overcharging can negatively impact the battery, and undercharging keeps the appliances devoid of the necessary power. A charger with an attached regulator can recharge your batteries without overcharging them. Make sure your charger is compatible with the batteries, as this will prevent any damage to it. 

Jackery Portable Power Stations are chargeable with solar panels, car batteries, or a wall socket on grid electricity. The required Jackery cables and connectors are sold separately on the website. You can also purchase a bundle like Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus (Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Portable Power Station + 2*Jackery SolarSaga 200W Solar Panels). It includes all the cables you need. 

Step 5: Design the System

Now that you have all the components, connect them using thick wires and fuses. First, connect the battery to the inverter, charging regulator, and source. Then, plug in the appliances you want to function during emergencies. Many generators are also pluggable to the home’s primary wiring system using a smart transfer switch. So, as soon as the power is out, you are connected to the backup power. 

Using Jackery Solar Generators as a battery backup solution is simple. All you need to do is connect the solar panels to the power station and the power station to the appliances. 

However, units like Jackery Solar Generators 5000 Plus can be plugged into the main wiring system using a Smart Transfer Switch. For that, Jackery provides a smart switch installation service. You must fill out a form, and Jackery will contact you to arrange the installation. 

What Size Generator Do I Need For Home Power Backup

The size of the generator you need for your home depends on multiple factors, including the number of appliances, their energy efficiency, and duration of use. Following are the steps for that: 

Step 1: List the essential appliances you want to power with the generator, such as the dishwasher, room heater, and refrigerator. 

Step 2: Determine the running and starting wattage of the appliances. You’ll find the information on the product itself or in the user guide. You can check out the manufacturer’s website if you can't find it. 

Step 3: Add the running wattage of the appliances. To determine the exact size of the generator, add the total running wattage to the highest starting wattage.   

Jackery For Secure Home Power Backup

The best emergency power backup for home keeps household appliances running during hours of power outages and blackouts. Solar generators are the best among the available generator types due to reliability, efficiency, and safety. Jackery is a renowned manufacturer of solar generators, foldable solar panels, and portable power stations. 

The Jackery Solar Generators combine Jackery SolarSaga Solar Panels and Jackery Portable Power Stations to collect and convert the sun’s rays into usable electricity. It’s then sent to the household appliances to ensure optimal functioning. 

Jackery Solar Generator 5000 Plus

The Jackery Solar Generator 5000 Plus is a trusted solar-powered generator that can power most essential household items for long hours. You can drag it anywhere to maintain comfort. Despite its high capacity, its ergonomic design with pull rods and double wheels makes it easy to carry. You can connect it to the main house wiring using the Jackery Smart Transfer Switch. Whenever there’s an outage, the solar generator quickly (within 0ms) switches the appliances to the backup power. 

Appliance Running Hours:

• Induction Cooktop (1800W): 2.2H
• Electric Water Heater (1200W): 3.4H
• Refrigerator (900W): 4.5H
• LED TV (120W): 33.6H
• Lamps (30W): 134.4H

Customer Review: 

“I bought this as a backup power option for power outages. This is an absolute beast of a home battery supply. The Jackery 5000 Plus is a powerful and versatile power station with a 5040Wh capacity and 7200W output, making it perfect for a variety of needs.”- Kendra. 

FAQs for Secure Home Power Backup

How much backup power do I need for my home?

To determine how much power you need for your home, multiply the wattage of each appliance by the number of hours you want them to operate. Then, calculate the total wattage of essential appliances to obtain the final result. Then, get a battery system with a capacity of more than that to ensure a seamless operation. 

Can solar be used as backup power?

Yes, a solar generator can provide backup power. They have access to clean fuel, are efficient, and have enough energy to power essential appliances.  

Can a UPS last for 3 hours?

Yes, a UPS can last 3 hours, but it depends heavily on the model, power capacity, and load. Most UPS units are designed to run for a few minutes up to an hour, with larger units that can last for multiple hours. 

What is the best backup source for a power outage?

Solar energy is the best backup source for a power outage, providing a reliable, readily available energy source. As long as the sun is out there, it continues to generate electricity even when the grid goes down, providing a clean power source during outages. 

Conclusion

Power backup for homes is crucial for areas with days of power outages and blackouts. Proper planning helps design a backup solution that keeps your essential appliances running during emergencies. Although many generators are available on the market, it’s smart to invest in a solar generator like those from Jackery. Jackery Solar Generators are powerful and portable solutions that are efficient, safe, and cost-effective in the long term.