Frequently Asked Questions
Where is PowerPlant made?
PowerPlant is designed and manufactured entirely in the USA.
What is the lifespan of PowerPlant?
Unlike some products that are designed to last 2 to 3 years before the batteries begin to fail, PowerPlant batteries are designed to last from 8 to 10 years. This makes the product far less expensive over the years that you own it.
Is PowerPlant water-proof?
Yes, you can close and latch the lid, drop it in a lake, and retrieve it a week later and keep on using it. While this is unlikely to ever happen, our product is designed to be used outdoors even when it is raining.
Will the batteries explode like Lithium Ion batteries?
PowerPlant uses LiFePO4 batteries which are the safest batteries in use today. It's virtually impossible for them to burn.
What happens if a battery fails?
PowerPlant wasn't engineered to be cheap to manufacture...it was built to last a long time. Our 90AH product uses triple redundant battery packs that operate independently. If one fails, the other two keep on working as if nothing went wrong.
What happens if a short circuit occurs?
If you look inside competing products, you will often find a single circuit board that runs their entire product. If that board gets wet or overloads, the entire unit may stop working. This is not the case with PowerPlant. We have 8 different circuits inside the product with fuses and a breaker that isolate each component. This design is far superior and ensures you of reliability unheard of in other solutions.
Should I need a repair or service, where is that done?
No need to ship the product to China for repair...we manufacture and service our products in St. Louis, Missouri USA.
How can the PowerPlant be re-charged?
You can charge it using the power brick we ship with it, from a 12-volt outlet or using our solar panel.
Can I charge the batteries while also using the product?
Yes. Our intelligent controller inside PowerPlant allows you to use it while simultaneously charging the battery. In fact, on a sunny day, our solar panel can power most of your electronics while still charging the battery.
Could I run my window air conditioner using the product?
Very likely Yes. A typical window air conditioner will require from 400 to 600 watts of AC power. If your air conditioner falls into this range, you can plug it into one of the AC outlets and it should work just fine.
Will my CPAP machine run overnight is I use PowerPlant?
Recent CPAP machines typically use from 30 to 40 watts of power. If you are using our 90AH product, you could run your CPAP machine for 8 hours at night for 5 days before needing to re-charge PowerPlant.
Do I have to use your solar panel?
In theory, any solar panel that puts out 18 to 24 volts of power at a maximum of 15 amps will work. However, our solar panel is designed to work perfectly with our product and delivers maximum charging power on a sunny day.
If a storm takes out our house power, what could I run with your product?
You could plug in our LED lights for your family room and kitchen, plug in an energy efficient (250 watt) refrigerator, a small fan, a small flat panel television, an internet hotspot, your iPad and your cell phone.
Could I go fishing for a week and use it to power my campsite equipment?
Absolutely. Take our 90AH PowerPlant with our solar panel. In the morning, you can run a small hotplate to make breakfast, run a fan if it becomes warm, use our LED lights around your camp at night, play a video on your laptop, and even run a small 12-volt refrigerator 24 hours a day to keep your drinks and food cold and fresh.
Would I be able to carry your 30AH product to the top of a mountain for movie night?
You bet. Our 30AH product weighs under 30 pounds and yet it could run a small projector and laptop computer for 6 hours.
How long does it take to re-charge the 60AH product if the battery is at 50% remaining?
Using the power brick provided, it would take about 3 to 4 hours. If you use our optional super-charger power brick, you could re-charge the battery in about 90 minutes.
I love a cup of coffee in the morning. Can I use PowerPlant to run my coffee maker?
Most efficient coffee makers use 500 watts or less of power. If this is the case with your own, you could run it three times a day for 20 minutes each and make a fresh pot every day for 3 days with our 90AH product. Plug in our solar panel and you can make coffee every day for the next 8 to 10 years!
Could I use PowerPlant as a back for my 12-volt battery on my small boat?
Very likely yes. Purchase our 12-volt accessory cable and connect it to the positive and negative cables you disconnect from your battery. You can use up to 15 amps at a time and with our 90AH product, you'll have a little over 6 hours of run time. Assuming you don't need 15 amps at all times, you might be able to run on backup for 8 to 10 hours.
Will PowerPlant work on a hot day when the temperature is 110 degrees?
Yes. Unlike competing products, PowerPlant has two cooling fans. One brings air into the unit, and the second fan pulls the air out. This process cools the unit and prevents over-heating.
Can I jumpstart my car if its battery goes dead?
Sort of. Car batteries are designed to provide high current for a short amount of time, where products like PowerPlant are designed to provide less amps over a long period of time. If you own our 90AH product, you could use our optional 12-volt cable to connect PowerPlant to your car battery. Generally speaking, if you leave the PowerPlant connected for 30 to 45 minutes and then disconnect it from your car battery, you may be able to start your car.
What kind of devices can I plug into PowerPlant?
Our PowerPlant 90AH can provide power over Ethernet (POE - 2 amps each) to 4 different devices. It can also power 4 USB devices at up to 3 amps per device. The AC plugs can provide up to 7 amps of 110-volt power. The total power available through all of the plugs is 90 amp-hours. If you add up all of the power requirements of your devices, you will want to stay under 20 amps of total power being drawn at one time. The product is designed to deliver a maximum of 30 amps at a time, but this would use up your batteries in about 3 hours. However, if you plug in our solar panel and it's a bright sunny day, you could use 15 amps of power and run your electronics for 3 days before needing to re-charge the batteries.