I have heard that plugging a motor into a UPS unit can fry the UPS. is this true, and if so why? my only thought would be overload or arcing in brushes. this makes me think a shaded pole motor would be fine. I was considering running a small harbor fright water pump of an old ups as an inverter connecting battery inputs to old truck battery. I think the pump only takes maybe a few amps so shouldn't overload.
I have plugged florescent lamps into ups before, and they work, but make unusual hum sound that you normally don't hear. is that ok to run fluorescents like that other than possibly less life from the lamp?

 

Motors have a property where the starting current may exceed the running current by a factor of 10 or more. You said nothing about what UPS you are using and they vary considerably in their capability so it is quite impossible to really answer your question since way more information is needed. A possible reason CFLs make noise is that they were meant to run on sinusoidal AC. Many, especially inexpensive UPSs do not put out a sinusoidal waveform. Not sure what it might do to life of CFL.

 

I was just going to use and old APC backups 400 or a 600depinding specifics of motor and ups when I look at in more detail.