Winter Storm Outage? No Problem.
Monday, September 10, 2018
If you live near the East Coast, and even if you don’t, you likely remember the impact winter storms had on the region earlier this year. After one of the coldest holiday seasons on record, Old Man Winter ushered in storm after storm. One January blizzard was so intense, it was compared to a hurricane with a powerful cyclone spinning around a central eye. At one point in Massachusetts, 20,000 homes lost power and it was cold – very cold. Power outages are inevitable during intense winter storms and that’s when backup systems for pellet stoves can be worth their weight in gold.
Harman recently tested and approved several Tripp Lite battery backup systems for our pellet stoves and inserts. Readily available on Amazon and other retailers, they offer different levels of power and convenience:
- This UPS (uninterruptible power supply) simply shuts the stove down.
- Tripp Lite INTERNET750U. It senses when the power goes out and cuts electricity to the stove. It is not intended to operate the stove, but will help prevent smoke from entering the room as the stove is shutting down (and if the stove door is opened). Approximately $84 on Amazon.
- These units will power your stove during an outage:
- Tripp Lite APS700HF. This is the most cost-effective inverter/charger approved by Harman. At 700 watts, it can run the stove for up to eight hours. It requires a 12 volt deep cycle battery and simple stove setting changes from a Harman dealer. Approximately $191 on Amazon.
- Tripp Lite APS750. At 750 watts, it can run the stove up to eight hours and is capable of charging multiple deep cycle batteries for longer run-times. It requires a 12 volt deep cycle battery and simple setting changes from a Harman dealer. Approximately $280 on Amazon.
- Tripp Lite APS1012SW. With 1000 watts, it will power the stove up to eight hours and is capable of charging multiple deep cycle batteries for longer run-times. It requires a 12 volt deep cycle battery, and does not require setting changes from a Harman dealer (due to pure sine wave).
While a generator will also power your stove (and your whole house, depending on the size), these battery backup systems will kick-in automatically, so you aren’t required to be home. Old Man Winter will be making a comeback soon, and they can give you peace of mind.
More information about these systems and how they work with Harman stoves is available here. If you need additional help, your local authorized Harman dealer is a great resource for more information!