Examining EcoFlow’s Whole House Backup “Power Solution”

Unexpected power outages can be a common annoyance that nobody likes to deal with. Whether you’re living in a remote area, or tied into an unreliable grid, power outages can create a huge headache; especially when they catch you off-guard.

Sure, you might be able to connect a gas-powered generator to get your home power back up and running, but there are many downsides to this.

Often times, gas generators require manual intervention, never-ending amounts of gasoline, and let’s not forget; the maintenance that comes along with a combustible engine. Not only that, but they emit harmful pollution and smell disgusting.

Recently, industry-leading brand EcoFlow has introduced their latest new release – their Whole Home Backup Power “Solutions”.

Offering a much simpler solution to whole home backup power, it’s a modular system that utilizes their already popular DELTA Pro portable power stations.

With an AC output rating of up to 7200W and an expandable capacity from 3.6 to 25kWh, it promises a true, plug and play design that can keep your home’s power available, even at a moments notice.

But can it truly offer total home backup power without a bunch of drawbacks? Today we’re going to find out.

We’re going to take a deep dive by introducing this new technology in an easy-to-digest manner. We’ll explore all of the features, pros, cons and ultimately see if it’s a worthy investment for families, businesses and individuals alike.

Available Kits

The EcoFlow Whole Home Backup Power Solution is available in three distinct kits. Each one has its own place, depending on your specific energy needs and/or requirements. Let’s explain each kit and what they entail.

Starter Kit

One EcoFlow DELTA Pro, 3.6kWh capacity, 3600W output, 120V.
The Starter Kit consists of one EcoFlow DELTA Pro with a 3.6kWh capacity and a 3600W output at 120V. It’s the simplest and most inexpensive of the bunch, but for good reason.

In most scenarios, it’ll only provide around 1-2 days of backup power. You can expand the capacity by connecting additional EcoFlow Smart Batteries, but the only way to support 240V is by upgrading to the next level; the Advanced Kit.

Advanced Kit

Two EcoFlow DELTA Pros, 7.2 to 21.6kWh capacity, 7200W output, 240V.
If you’re looking for more power, bump up to the Advanced Kit and you’re getting two DELTA Pros which double the initial capacity and output, offering 240V for running high-demand appliances.

The Advanced Kit includes the necessary Double Voltage Hub that allows users to daisy chain two DELTA Pros to achieve 240V output. This is crucial if you plan to operate a washer machine, dryer, electric oven/range or anything else that requires true 240V power.

If you’d like to expand the capacity even further, there’s an option to add multiple Smart Batteries as an add-on. Ultimately, this will expand the capacity from 7.2 kWh all the way up to 21.6kWh. That said, it should provide around 5-8 days of backup power, depending on specific power demands.

Smart Control Kit

One or Two EcoFlow DELTA Pros with a Smart Home Panel, 3.6 to 25kWh, 120V/240V.
Last but definitely not least, the Smart Control Kit is the premium option that includes either one or two DELTA Pros. One DELTA Pro will offer 3.6kWh with up to 3600W AC output, whereas two units will double that up to 7.2kWh and 7200W of AC output. However, rather than including the Double Voltage Hub, with this kit you get the Smart Home Panel.

This panel supports up to two DELTA Pros, however, it opens up an additional layer of intelligence in several ways. First, it supports an automatic switchover feature. This enables true, uninterrupted power that will automatically start pulling energy from the DELTA Pro(s) and your battery bank when the power grid fails. It does this within 20 milliseconds, meaning you may not even notice the switchover.

Next, it supports Smart Power Management within the EcoFlow app. Simply put, it lets you pair your backup power system to your smartphone or tablet for in-depth insights and management. This lets you avoid peak power rates by closely analyzing the ideal time to operate high-demand appliances. As a result, users can lower their energy bills in the process. Not only that, it gives users a clear insight into their power requirements so they can fully understand the ins and outs of their energy usage.

However, with the Smart Control Panel, you’ll need to utilize one of EcoFlow’s Relay Modules for it to work properly. It comes in 15, 20 or 30-amp varieties in order to support a wide range of currents.

DELTA Pro: The Core of EcoFlow’s Backup Power Solutions

As you can see, EcoFlow’s backup power solutions heavily rely on the DELTA Pro. Since it’s original release in December of 2021, the DELTA Pro has been their flagship model that’s gained quite a bit of popularity. It should come as no surprise, since it’s credited as the first portable home battery designed specifically for home backup.

Keep in mind that this is a large and very heavy unit, but that’s perfectly OK in our opinion. Each DELTA Pro weighs in at 99lbs. and measures 16.4″ tall, 11.2″ wide and 25″ in length. However, it’s equipped with two integrated handles, with velcro pads included – one on each end.

Underneath, there’s a set of two wheels and a retractable handle that extends for easier maneuvering without the need to pickup the entire weight of the unit. Let’s be honest; any battery with a capacity of 3.6kWh is going to be bulky. We think EcoFlow did a great job at adding these features to better-work with the massive size. The wheels roll extremely smoothly while the handle retracts exceptionally smooth as well.

On the front-end of the DELTA Pro is a vivid LCD screen that clearly indicates input, output, capacity and an actual time remaining until it needs to be charged again. Beneath this is four USA-A outputs, with two of them that support fast charging.

Nestled beneath them is the main yellow power button centered around two additional USB-C outputs that offer speeds of up to 100W. Moving even further down is the AC output with a small grey button necessary for activating any of the following ports. There’s four 20-amp grounded AC outlets and a 30-amp AC output as well.

Just around the corner, on one side, there are two small doors. Open them up and you’ll have access to connect 12V 30A or 10A and Ethernet. There’s also an IOT Reset button, pairing button and standby switch. Beneath these, under the second door is the Infinity AC port which is used to daisy chain the two units together to double the output voltage to 240V, if you’re utilizing the DELTA Pro for backup power.

Moving around to the backside, above the set of wheels are all of the input ports for re-charging the unit. By flipping up a small door, you’ll see a reset button, solar input, AC input and a toggle switch to choose between a slow/fast charge speed. Beneath all this is two extra battery ports for connecting extra smart batteries, thus increasing the overall capacity of your home backup system.

Extra Smart Batteries

As stated earlier, each DELTA Pro offers 3.6kWH of capacity with an AC output of 3600W. A maximum of two DELTA Pros can be linked together to double the capacity to 7.2kWh and 7200W AC output.

While the AC output cannot exceed 7200W, you can increase energy storage by daisy chaining several additional Smart Batteries to the DELTA Pro for up to a massive 25kWh capacity. Keep in mind that the Double Voltage Hub supports 21.6kWh while the Smart Control Panel supports up to 25kWh.

These smart batteries carry the same form factor as a DELTA Pro, but weigh slightly lighter at 84 lbs. They have the same handle and wheel mechanism, although once you set up your system, you’ll probably rarely move it around. There’s no outputs to speak of, only an input to charge and/or connect to additional units.

Double Voltage Hub

If you don’t opt for the Smart Control Panel, you’ll need to utilize the Double Voltage Hub if you’d like to expand beyond the 3600W output that one DELTA Pro is capable of. As an inclusion in the Advanced Kit, it links together two DELTA Pros to double-up their battery management systems. Ultimately, this will raise the total supported AC output to 7200W, 240V and the base capacity to 7.2kWh.

The Double Voltage Hub is a lightweight, simple device that’s also relatively affordable. There’s two permanently fixed high-gauge cables that run from each end of the hub into two corresponding DELTA Pro units. On the hub itself are three AC outputs. Two that offer 250V AC, 20 amps (NEMA 6-20) and one that supports 125V/250V AC, 30 amps (NEMA L14-30).

Potential Downsides

Although EcoFlow’s Whole Home Power Backup Solution is an ingenious solution on paper, there are a few drawbacks that we’d like to make clear.

• Does Not Support Anything Above 30A – While it will have no issues powering anything at 30-amps or under a 7200W draw, it does not support anything beyond this. Simply put, heavy duty appliances often require a double-pole 30-50 amp or even 60 amp circuit in order to operate. Examples of this include a range/oven, electric furnace, central air conditioner and/or electric car chargers. Check with your appliance specifications to see whether or not it will be supported.
• Installation – Not all homes are equipped with a transfer switch or power inlet box. This will usually be at or near the circuit breaker in the home, and offer a way to connect a generator, or in this case, an entire backup home battery system. In addition, if you opt for the Smart Control Panel, installing the required relay module is necessary. If you need help with this, you’ll need a licensed electrician to install these essential components for you.
• Up Front Costs – There’s no other way to put it; EcoFlow’s products are a premium. And at that, comes a relatively steep initial investment. With the entry-level system starting at around $3800, you can easily spend well beyond $10,000 if you’d like to maximize your system’s capacity and output. In addition, if you need to hire an electrician for installation, there are one-time costs for this.

Warranty

One thing we really appreciate about EcoFlow is their warranty and after sales support. In our experience, whenever we have a question, concern or issue with one of their products, they’re extremely helpful in remedying anything. Best of all, they have an impressive warranty period on everything they sell.

For the DELTA Pro (the backbone of these kits), you’re getting a built-in 24-month warranty with the ability to add-on an additional 36 months when you register your product with them. That’s a five year guarantee that the system will work flawlessly. And if it doesn’t, simply email them at support@ecoflow.com and you’ll usually hear a response back within 24 hours.

And we’re not just saying this. We’ve tested many EcoFlow products over the past 3 years. In that time, we’ve had to replace one unit and throughout that process, they offered great support via email. While we wouldn’t consider it a common occurrence, there are instances where batteries don’t last or malfunction for what seems like completely random reasons. So it’s nice to have some sort of guarantee built into the

All that being said, the Smart Control Panel is stated to have a 3-year warranty, which is still exceptional in our opinion.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, EcoFlow’s latest release of their Whole House Backup Power Solutions is an impressive set of technology that most home or businesses can benefit from. With an expandable capacity, 30-amp output and smart control integration, there’s plenty of backup power for anywhere from 1 day to beyond 7 days, depending on which kit you opt for.

While there’s no way around the steep initial cost, the benefits it can provide in areas where power outages are commonplace is something that most people will fall in love with. The overall simplicity is a nice touch; you won’t need much prior knowledge for install. That is, unless your home isn’t already equipped with a transfer switch or power inlet box. In that case, a one-time visit from a licensed electrician will keep you on track.

While it fails to operate anything beyond 30A/240V, this is something to keep in mind for those who have high expectations. While it probably won’t power your home’s central heating or air, there are fewer things it can’t do than things that it can do. All in all, you’re looking at an impressive, albeit expensive solution for your home or business.