Duracell PowerSource 1800

This is the coolest thing since cheese cake! It works great. Please disregard the idiots who said they only had it 10 minutes and couldn't get it to work. YOU HAVE THE CHARGE IT UP FULLY FIRST, which only took 3 hours. It read 9% for the first 2.5 hours, then read FUL as stated it would. And to the guy who said it only lasted 2 years…THAT'S PRETTY GOOD. It's a battery… you need to have them replaced, just as the booklet states!! Try Battery Masters for replacement. Please read the booklet that comes with it FIRST before you mess with it and determine it doesn't work. IT WORKS GREAT. I live off the grid, and it's all I need for my electrical needs. Of course, I also have a small generator to charge the Duracell, but at night, when I want peace and quite for small electrical things, its perfect. Telephone, LED lamp lights, a TV, etc. I think its well worth the price, as I don't want to invest in a large battery bank. This product works for me!!

I purchased the Duracell 852-1807 to provide generator free backup power for the sporadic power outages we have in the Northwest. The product provides a steady 1400 Watts of power (surging to 1800 Watts) which is enough to keep the refrigerator going for 10-12 hours. We are using the Duracell 852-1807 to provide lighting. When the power goes out where we live it is often out for days. In these cases we replace the bulbs in the living room with CFL which helps to keep the overall watt usage down while providing sufficient lighting. You can generalize how long the product will work for you by totaling all of at the values on the wattage sticker each device you want to run. For example, we use run four 20W CFLs when the power goes out. 4 x 20 = 80W. 1800W available / 80W = 22.5 hours theoretical run time. Since batteries don't discharge in a linear fashion I calculate the run time at 80% which in this case is 18 hours. By my reckoning that gives me 4.5 evenings of light available (assuming you only run the lights at after sunset). It is important to remember that the deeper you discharge a product like this the longer the recharge takes. What is really great about this product is that it switches to backup automatically and recharges when power is restored.

Bought this recently from Amazon for $180.00 I will say its worth about that. I tried a few high wattage things in it like a hair dryer, Iron, coffee maker, just to see how long I could use it. These are things I could never think of using in a standard 1500VA UPS, (Which I have for comp and such) All of the devices ran well, the hair dryer probably sucked it down the fastest, (Set high 1500watts), lasted aout 7 minutes before the warning started going off. The unit ran about 5 more minutes on medium setting before the battery dropped to 20 percent. The battery did recover to 50% after turning off dryer, so high wattage appliances I think are a bit much for the batteries to output continuously. The unit is heavy, about 60 pounds. For the money, I would buy again. I figure I should get about 6 hours on a computer with a flat panel attached. For most short power outages, this will get you by for a few necessities. Anything longer you will have to go generator. The description reads as though you can use it for a fridge and other high wattage appliances, which I guess is true, but misleading as I would imagine a fridge would kill it in about 10 minutes or less. All in all glad, I was able to purchase for the $180.00. If nothing else you can dry your hair when the power is out, and make coffee, without having to hook up the generator. UPDATE: So I wanted to update this review. The unit gave out after about 18-24 months. Cant tell exactly when it lost its capacity but it would last maybe 5 minutes on light load. I took the time to tear it apart and found three 12 volt 17ah SLA batteries wired in parallel. They were pretty much useless. Tried to bring them back but as most here know once an SLA battery gets near end of life it is almost impossible to get them back from the dead even with a good quality desulfator. I got lucky and found 3 new Panasonic replacements for $25ea on EBAY and installed those. (A good quality SLA battery in this range is usually about $70 bucks each). Unit is back up and running like new. I would assume most people would not attempt this nor probably should they. High risk of shock even with the unit unplugged. And many parts to disassemble/reassemble. If you do attempt, take lots of pictures as you break down and be carefull of wires. Doesnt matter how long or how many times you have handled electricity, only takes once.

This backup battery is huge, weighing in at around 50 pounds. With a rating of 1800 watts and five AC outlets, I expected this thing to be a workhorse during a power outage, giving me multiple recharges of my portable devices (phones, tablets, even laptops). After all, if my cell phone can run all day on a tiny little battery, shouldn't I be able to refill it quite a few times with this monster? Well, either my admittedly unsophisticated analysis of batteries is horribly wrong, or this big rechargeable battery is poorly designed, or both. Here's my experience during a recent power outage, which was the same as during previous outages over the three years I've owned this thing: - The battery was fully charged. I've tried leaving it plugged in all the time, and just plugging it in once a month to top it off. Makes no difference to what happens next. - When the power goes out and I go to use the battery, it immediately drops to 90%. No problem, that might just be the way the monitor works. - I plug in my iPhone to charge. In the time it takes to get a 30% charge on the iPhone, this 50 pound beast drops by 30%! From 90% full to 60%. I couldn't believe it. I had the same thing happen in a previous outage, when charging two un-smartphones drew the battery down significantly. I get better performance from dramatically smaller Anker backup batteries, which seem to provide as much power, weigh mere ounces, and can be recharged with a small fold-out solar panel (GoalZero, Instapark, etc.). The monster lead acid battery in this Duracell Power Source might be good for something else, but if you're planning on using it to recharge electronic devices during a power outage, skip this and buy a handful of Anker backup batteries. You'll get more charges, save money, and save your back.

REVIEW NOVEMBER 11/11/2011: PERFORMANCE & BATTERY LIFE OF THE DURACELL POWERSOURCE 1800 I have had this Xantrex (Duracell) Powersource 1800 since October of 2009. I bought it as a Duracell branded Powersource 1800, and there has been no failures with the unit for two years... until now. It was a great unit, but a transformer failed, and now the whole unit is non-repairable. The batteries are fine, but the transformer design is specific to the unit, and Xantrex will not repair it. They will give you a new unit at a substantial discount. However, for my application, it really worked reliably for two years. Application: The unit powers an M-53 Zoeller cast iron 1/3 HP submersible sump pump, which is used as a secondary back-up pump to the primary M-53 Zoeller pump. I It pumps water through a vertical pipe 10 feet upward and 6 feet horizontally out of the house to an exterior drain pipe, at 2100 Gal/hour - 35 Gal/min. I have two units for two houses... both perform in a similar manner. However, one of the units failed, and is the subject of this review after two years of service. I have had frequent power failures in heavy rain storms, and the unit has functioned reliably with more than expected back-up battery time. I test it once a week to keep it fresh, and typically, the main pump runs 7 seconds under normal situations, and back-up sump pump runs 8 seconds during a back-up duty cycle to clear out the water in the sump pit. At that rate, here are the documented duty cycles for my home sump pump application: Back-up Duty Cycle #1: Low Demand Situation Winter: In a no-rain storm situation, the back-up pump runs 8 seconds every 30 minutes. I have a lot of water seepage from surrounding farm land. At this duty cycle, the battery has been tested to last 24 hours running the back-up pump. See note about charge indication vs. actual usable power during the pump run. Back-up Duty Cycle #2: Normal Light Demand Situation Summer: Without any extensive rainfall, the typical demand would be to run 8 seconds every 20 minutes. This is the normal base condition at my home most of the time. At this cycle, the battery lasted 18 hours. Back-up Duty Cycle #3: Medium Demand Situation Summer-Fall: In a medium rain storm, the main sump pump runs 8 seconds every 15 minutes. The battery was tested to run more than 14 hours at that cycle. Back-up Duty Cycle #4: High demand, heavy rainstorm Spring/Fall Rains Situation: The back-up pump runs 8 seconds every 5 minutes, and the battery was tested to run 6 hours. Back-up Duty Cycle #5: Extreme Demand, heavy rain situation any season: The back-up pump will run 8 seconds every 2 minutes. At this cycle, the battery lasted 4 hours to its unusable power level. Notes on charge capacity: Even though the Duracell (Xantrex) 1800 charge capacity read out will indicate a certain % of charge that is left in the battery discharge between cycles, you have to allow that there is less actual usable battery power present to handle the initial current surge and amount of power consumed during the pump start-up and run period. For example, if the indicator reads that there is a 50% battery capacity while the pump is not running, when the pump calls for power to run, the actual discharge rate will dip to 40% and then to 30% as the pump continues to run. When the pump stops, the charge indication will read 40%, and then resume to 50% after one minute. As the battery becomes weaker, this same charge vs. actual usable power span will be repeated at lesser charge levels. The battery may not be reliably usable at the 30%-25% charge indication level... it may start the pump running, but may shut it down as the initial power surge demand and load continues during the first 2 seconds. FAILURE INFORMATION: November, 2011 After running for two problem free years, the unit suddenly failed during a routine weekly test. One of the four transformers in the inverter failed, and it is not replaceable. The three 17 amp batteries are fine, and the unit will pass through AC power to the pump and charge the batteries. But the unit will no longer auto switches to supply back-up power, and flashes a E03 error code (can't meet power demand). This unit is now useless... as it can't be repaired since the transformer and support electronics are of a special design for this unit, and are not available from any electronics supplier. Xantrex will not repair the unit. However, they will send you a new unit a discounted price. It appears that over time, the initial surge of the sump pump weakens the support electronics, specifically the transformers, even though the pump surge and power wattage demand are well within the 1400 watt (3600 watt surge) continuous specification of the Powersource 1800. It would appear that this unit might last a long time with lesser-demand applications, but a sump pump application challenges the design of the Powersource 1800 in some way, and is not one that will grant long life to this unit. However, I still recommend this unit. This may be an unnusual failure, but for two years in this heavy-duty situation, it gave me piece of mind that my basement would not flood while I was away on a business trip. In a non-sump pump application, this unit should be rock-steady reliable as a main UPS for small appliances, refrigerators, and small electronics. REMEMBER: When you get the unit, you must charge if for 48 hours before using it, even if the read-out says FUL battery charge. This will properly condition your batteries for years of service. I have noted that in recent specifications of the Powersource 1800, a sump pump application is no longer listed as it was two years ago. OTHER BACK-UP SUMP PUMP SOLUTIONS: The only other 120 volt sump pump solution is to buy a Tripp-Lite UT2010UL (Heavy duty truck application) Inverter-Charger, connected to two 110 amp hour marine duty deep discharge batteries. This is a solution costing over $1400 with all parts included. There are other solutions like this at a similar cost. From personal experience, the 12 volt "marine bilge pump" type back-up pumps do not have the capacity to lift and pump out water in a 10 ft. vertical column at a high rate, and will work only in a low pumping demand situation.

I use this as a backup for my CPAP; having a power-fail in the middle of the night used to mean waking up strangling. This has solved the problem entirely for the past four years. I see a lot of negative reviews, which mostly seem to be from incorrect expectations. This UPS generates AC (a modified sine wave), which means having it turned on, even with nothing plugged in, is going to make the battery run down. That's simply the nature of the beast, generating AC from a DC battery. For my purposes, where I need it to power a CPAP overnight, it suffices. If the power fails during the night, I don't even wake up. If I go to sleep after a power failure (times when windstorms have knocked down wires and it takes the power company a while to get to them), I can get a full eight hours of sleep, and wake up to about a half-charge. I'll then turn it off if the power hasn't come back. I would not expect to be able to get a 2nd full night of sleep out of it. I also would not expect it to still be charged if I left it running all day.

GET RID OF YOUR TOXIC, LOUD GENERATORS PLEASE! These Duracell batteries work great for most outdoor activities. I put mine on a cart (it is very heavy) & tote it around without breaking my back. All you have to do is charge it (plug it in) the night before or during the day before an evening event. Lasts for at least three to fours depending on how many watts you run through it. NO NOISE! No gas. No pulling starters. Just push a button & you've got power for hours. I've had mine going on three years now. Use it twice a week. Never had a problem.

website describes the unit as having a 60Ah battery, which by the owners manual it has a 51Ah battery, that is a 15% decrease in capability... ran a motor at 1KW for 11 minutes before it shut down. seems in accordance with the specs listed in the manual.

hope it works on our sump pump . Haven't had a outage yet

Didnt last too long at all!

This is the second one of these that I have purchased. Originally it was made by Noma and I got the first one at Canadian Tire about 7 years ago. I use it as a sump pump back-up. Living out of town, there are times when our power goes out, and during spring, we can't afford even an hour of electrical downtime. This device has saved our hides numerous times, as it keeps our 6 amp sump pump running for many hours during power outages. I would have given this item 5 stars, because it work well, but I tried to service my old one and could not get the parts that I required. Also I payed almost double for this model, even though it is exactly the same product as I purchased 7 years ago. All in all, very happy.

The battery hasn't been used as a back-up for about 2 months and since it was bought July 31st, 2017 and for that price, I expected it to last at least 6 or 7 years. I have used this avenue of complaint because I was unable to find any other way and to see if there is anything Amazon can do to rectify the situation as I have been manually draining the well of the sump pump myself when there has been a power cut. I am a 73 yr. old woman who has been recently widowed.

I use it for a backup power supply for my sump pump. I tested it and it lasted about 8-9 hours before needing recharging. I keep it plugged in at all times so that my sump pump operates in case of a power failure. This device is a "must have".