how to deal with power outages???

rowo

Member
been having some heavy storms recently, thankfully the power only went out once and it was back within a few hours. there’s supposed to be a big storm tonight and i’m never really sure what to do for my dragon when the power is out? especially now since it’s winter i don’t know how i’ll keep him warm. any advice?
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
If it's just for a small amount of time and the heat stays on in the house, it's not a big problem. They do just fine at room temp for a while. There are some things you can do in order to prepare for storms and power outages though.

I have my lights on a computer battery backup. That easily handles outages of up to a few hours. I also keep a couple of charged deep cycle boat batteries in the basement. I have a power inverter for them so they can be used to keep the lights on (a couple hours on, a few more off) for quite a while. For longer outages (weeks) then having a generator and fuel is probably the best bet, but more expensive - and you need to maintain the fuel and replace it as needed.

I also have a bunch of 72hr reptile shipping heat packs. They don't get dangerously hot and stay warm for several days as advertised. They are very much worthwhile. I use them for camping trips as well. They expire after a while so I buy a years worth at a time (10-12) and make sure to replace any that have expired.
 

Beansbanana

Hatchling Member
If it's just for a small amount of time and the heat stays on in the house, it's not a big problem. They do just fine at room temp for a while. There are some things you can do in order to prepare for storms and power outages though.

I have my lights on a computer battery backup. That easily handles outages of up to a few hours. I also keep a couple of charged deep cycle boat batteries in the basement. I have a power inverter for them so they can be used to keep the lights on (a couple hours on, a few more off) for quite a while. For longer outages (weeks) then having a generator and fuel is probably the best bet, but more expensive - and you need to maintain the fuel and replace it as needed.

I also have a bunch of 72hr reptile shipping heat packs. They don't get dangerously hot and stay warm for several days as advertised. They are very much worthwhile. I use them for camping trips as well. They expire after a while so I buy a years worth at a time (10-12) and make sure to replace any that have expired.
Which computer battery backup do you have?
 

Beansbanana

Hatchling Member
Which computer battery backup do you have?
@CooperDragon and also, do you just have your lights plugged into this backup all the time? Can it be used with a timer?

I have some of those reptile shipping warmers. In case of a power outage, how would I use those?
I am just trying to prepare because last year in Texas we had that crazy power outage. Thanks!
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
I have an APC SMT1500RM2U (rackmount) unit sitting under the table that the tank is on. The lights are connected through it all the time. You can definitely use timers with it. Just plug them in like you would to a normal outlet (or add a power strip if more flexibility is needed). I have a basking light and heat projector connected to a Herpstat 2 which goes to the UPS/battery. I also have a mechanical outlet timer that controls the T5 connected to the UPS. I don't bother backing up the portable basking lights around the house - those are just connected to mechanical timers. This setup works well but doesn't help much in long term outages. It's enough to keep the lights going for a few hours though. It is automated so it just passes power through the device and kicks over to the battery array when the power stops coming from the outlet. The amount of time it works depends on the model you have and how much of a load you're putting on it. I think the APC website has a calculator that matches load to uptime to find a model that does what you want. Keep in mind that they are designed for servers and are a bit overkill for this purpose, I just had one on hand so put it to use.

When I use the shipping warmers (they are great, I used one last weekend and it stayed warm for 3 days) I just put it under a towel or small fleece blanket and check to make sure the heat is coming through. They don't burn nearly as hot as hand warmers, so the burn risk is minimal but you definitely want to have something between the heat pack and your dragon. I shoot for having a surface temp on top of the towel/blanket be in the low 70s. They are enough to keep the travel carrier warm even on cold nights and on camping trips.
 

Beansbanana

Hatchling Member
I have an APC SMT1500RM2U (rackmount) unit sitting under the table that the tank is on. The lights are connected through it all the time. You can definitely use timers with it. Just plug them in like you would to a normal outlet (or add a power strip if more flexibility is needed). I have a basking light and heat projector connected to a Herpstat 2 which goes to the UPS/battery. I also have a mechanical outlet timer that controls the T5 connected to the UPS. I don't bother backing up the portable basking lights around the house - those are just connected to mechanical timers. This setup works well but doesn't help much in long term outages. It's enough to keep the lights going for a few hours though. It is automated so it just passes power through the device and kicks over to the battery array when the power stops coming from the outlet. The amount of time it works depends on the model you have and how much of a load you're putting on it. I think the APC website has a calculator that matches load to uptime to find a model that does what you want. Keep in mind that they are designed for servers and are a bit overkill for this purpose, I just had one on hand so put it to use.

When I use the shipping warmers (they are great, I used one last weekend and it stayed warm for 3 days) I just put it under a towel or small fleece blanket and check to make sure the heat is coming through. They don't burn nearly as hot as hand warmers, so the burn risk is minimal but you definitely want to have something between the heat pack and your dragon. I shoot for having a surface temp on top of the towel/blanket be in the low 70s. They are enough to keep the travel carrier warm even on cold nights and on camping trips.
Thanks so much for this information. So you put the dragon in the travel carrier with the shipping warmer wrapped in a towel. What type of travel carrier did you use?
 

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