The Stop Gap to Power Outages: APC Battery Back-UPS

I’ve always stated that it’s the high probability, low impact events that we should focus our time toward and power outages are something all of us face at one time or another.  To be fair I do acknowledge in a long term grid down (weeks, months) situation I doubt keeping food cold in the fridge or running laptops will be much of a concern, but for the point of this post let’s assume we are facing a common outage which lasts a few minutes, hours or even a day or two.  The product I’m going to showcase here is meant to be a stop gap for several reasons:

1- In a short term outage (a few hours) your devices can continue to be used because of the battery backup system incorporated into these devices

2- Even if you do have a generator to use, outages (even short ones) can cause a reset of critical items like internet modems, security systems and more

3- The added benefit of a backup with surge protection in one package at an affordable price point which requires no action upon the event of an outage is much more convenient than other courses of action (i.e. let me grab my solar generator)

My Personal Need

I have 3 generators, two are invertor style generators (run quieter) and another is a standard which through a transfer switch can power the entire home in the event of an outage.  This is great but there is a gap from when the power goes out until I get things fired up where my internet, security cams (wired) and recording devices are unusable.  It is this gap in operations that I sought to address with these battery backup devices, the stability of service when the power trips.  Additionally there have been times where for whatever reason the power trips on and off multiple times within a 30 minute period or so, not warranting a generator start but the inconvenience of all my equipment cycling on and off.

The Systems and Stats

The systems that I purchased were the APC Battery Back-UPS (Visit the APC Online Store Here)

Model BVN900M1: 900VA / 480 Watts / 5.9 Hours of Runtime (advertised)

Model BN450M: 450VA / 255 Watts / 2.3 Hours of Runtime (advertised)

Features:  Battery Backup + Surge Protection Outlets

Function:  Receive power from the battery for a limited period of time when a power outage, or brownout occurs.  Also provides protection from power surges or spikes.

Suggested Use:  Computers and monitors, other critical peripheral devices that need to remain on during power outages or AC problems.

Average Lifespan:  3-5 years depending on usage

Charging Time:  6-8 hours to recover 90% capacity

The Setup

I bought two units as my Starlink system is in a different spot in the home than my DVR Security / Monitor setup.  The actual setup of the devices was pretty straightforward.  Remove from box, connect battery on the backside, plug into wall (and plug devices in appropriate slots), power on.

The Systems Removed from Box

You have to pull up and push in the battery connection

The Bottom Line

I suppose these devices are more of a convenience purchase, while prices do fluctuate I think I paid around $175 with tax OTD on these.  If I had more pressing prepper concerns these would have to wait but I think for my personal need and what I’ve experienced here at my home over time, they fit and are a great addition.  The reviews online seem to be great but I won’t know how they actually function until the next few outages, more to follow at that time.