07-31-2017, 04:02 AM
I am on my third set of batteries. The first 2 sets were golf cart batteries from Costco. The first set lasted 3 years which was OK but not the 5 or so years normally quoted. the second set lasted less than 2 years. I can't really explain that except that the batteries, bought in September, had dates of July and August on them instead of all September dates. Possibly some of them sat uncharged for a couple of months. I also had installed a new charging system and was experimenting with higher voltages. The water got down to the tops of the plates once. That's not good. In the end the inverter started tripping on low voltage every now and them. That's not good for them either so their demise was being hastened by each event. I had had company a couple of times towards the end there and overworking a small battery bank will have a disproportional effect since it is so bad to let them get down too far.
This last set is a set of Deka L16s from The Off-Grid Store in Kurtistown. They have been champs so far. The electrolyte SG has been higher in these L16s than it ever was for the previous set of golf cart batteries, another hint that there may have been something wrong with them from the beginning.
Anyhow all this talk of alternative battery technologies is fun but the FLA batteries are what is available. I still don't know simple things about the Tesla batteries like can I use my old charge controller, etc. There is nobody on the DIY websites that actually has them. That tells you something.
ETA: Not doubting my ability to kill batteries but the first set should have had a harder life than the second set. I didn't even have my solar set up ready when I bought them so they sat in my container being intermittently charged with a generator for a couple of months. I have a vague memory of having bought two a couple of months earlier then another 6 although even as a noob I should have known better than to do that. Then for over a year I only had 3 panels so they were being charged at a marginal rate. By all accounts they should have died early and the second set should have lasted lots longer.
This last set is a set of Deka L16s from The Off-Grid Store in Kurtistown. They have been champs so far. The electrolyte SG has been higher in these L16s than it ever was for the previous set of golf cart batteries, another hint that there may have been something wrong with them from the beginning.
Anyhow all this talk of alternative battery technologies is fun but the FLA batteries are what is available. I still don't know simple things about the Tesla batteries like can I use my old charge controller, etc. There is nobody on the DIY websites that actually has them. That tells you something.
ETA: Not doubting my ability to kill batteries but the first set should have had a harder life than the second set. I didn't even have my solar set up ready when I bought them so they sat in my container being intermittently charged with a generator for a couple of months. I have a vague memory of having bought two a couple of months earlier then another 6 although even as a noob I should have known better than to do that. Then for over a year I only had 3 panels so they were being charged at a marginal rate. By all accounts they should have died early and the second set should have lasted lots longer.