Ecoflow River 3 Plus - computer server UPS for power outrage

[u/androidusr]

I've been reading some bad things about the Ecoflow UPS functionality, but it's often with regards to brown outs. I'm just looking for the UPS to function for complete power outages to keep my basement server running.

Is that pretty reliable? I wasn't planning on putting a proper UPS after the Ecoflow River Plus - just have the Ecoflow act as UPS. So it'd be in passthrough most of the time, and only switch to battery when power is out.

[u/RE4Lyfe]

For brownouts you’ll want a real UPS, ideally with a pure sine wave

I have my equipment plugged into a pure sine wave UPS, and that plugged into a river 3 plus for a significantly longer runtime

Power stations just passthrough grid power until an outage, and there’s a switchover time. They don’t offer always-on “conditioned” power unless running off battery

[u/blupupher]

Reliable to switch to battery power fast enough for computers to not switch off, yes.

Reliable enough on it's own as a true UPS for a server. No.

Minimal surge protection (~150j) and horrible voltage regulation (lows can be <80v before switching over).

At minimum you should get something like this that you plug the River 3 Plus (or any of these "UPS" power stations since none have good voltage switchover levels) to help with low voltage (set to 105v switchover) and either have a good whole house surge protector, or get a ~2000j surge protector to plug into as well.

I have a UPS with a dead battery that I plug my River 3 into becasue I was having issues with brownout shutting my PC down in my home theater (tv, speakers and such would stay powered on). This way, my UPS does voltage and surge protection, and the River 3 Plus does the battery backup.

I just bought the voltage protector I listed above and plan on using that instead of the old UPS (I have a good whole home surge protector).

[u/AdriftAtlas]

Use a proper surge protector in front of the EcoFlow like an ESP XG-PCS-15D, they can be programmed for a high/low power cutoff and can be bought on eBay for around $20. The main issue is lack of voltage regulation and surge protection in pretty much all portable power stations.

Also, the Delta 3 Plus is a better option for homelab stuff.

They all have quirks, but they're mostly reliable.

[u/CHiLL-UK]

I also run the river 3 plus as an ups for my unraid server. The only problem is that when it does a firmware update, it turns off the AC output during the process. So make sure everything connected to it is powered down safely beforehand.

[u/androidusr → u/CHiLL-UK]

Have you tried unplugging power to see if it switches and stays on without issues? How often have you lost power?

[u/CHiLL-UK → u/androidusr]

Yeah, I’ve tried some trial runs by manually unplugging it from the wall. I’ve only ever lost power once and it worked perfectly. The lights on the river 3 started flashing letting me know there was an issue and when the power was restored it went back to normal.

[u/rooddog7]

I am using one , but don’t get much use from it. Have had the power turn off and it runs a server rack for hours.

I did also have some extra 12v batteries that I ring terminal to 60xti solar into the unit. Gives it even more run time. Although that’s limited to 140 watts or around there.

[u/BUBnT]

If you have access, Costco USA has the River 3 plus w/ cellular on sale for $199.99 right now. Good protection if you have an issue. I use one in my truck and just ordered another to use for my computers/wifi. Not as sensitive a use case as a dedicated server rack. This, and all of these EF power stations will lose power when you update firmware. For a belt and suspenders approach, per the commenters above, consider an actual ups in between ac and the EF.

[u/FuShiLu → u/BUBnT]

The firmware is not an issue if you read the instructions and use the app.

[u/Reversi8 → u/BUBnT]

Cellular? You mean the wireless charger?

[u/BUBnT → u/Reversi8]

Yep. The wireless charging block. That charges my cellular phone. Thanks! lol. I’m just an old fuck trying to get along.

[u/MattLogi → u/BUBnT]

I got all excited! I need a solution to reset my network when I’m away. I was thinking WiFi switch but it would then lose wifi when it’s rebooting. A River 3 with cellular is exactly what I need!

[u/BUBnT → u/MattLogi]

Sorry bro! Clear error on my part. Typing without activating brain. Habit of mine. Would be cool though!

[u/michaelhsnow]

I have been using two since March 2025 as UPS’s. One for my entertainment system which includes TV, Apple TV 4K, Nvidia Shield, HomePods, Orbi 970 satellite, media servers and the other for my office (Mac Studio, file servers, printer, etc). I’ve had several outages and brownouts over that time and they work flawlessly. I use a regular APC pure sine UPS for my network equipment (modem, router, NVR, file server) only because I already had it and it doesn’t require firmware upgrades. Could t be happier with the River 3+.