Should I return my SS battery?

[forbin]

I just purchased a 12V EG4 LL battery from SignatureSolar. I've never owned one before, so I am reading the manual carefully. First thing I see is, "Keep the battery away from locations where humidity > 55%." I live in SE Oklahoma, where annual average humidity is 60-70%, and can reach 70-80% or higher in summer. I guess I made a mistake?

 

[wpns]

That’s bizarre, what do the specs say?

 

[forbin]

That’s bizarre, what do the specs say?

I don't see the humidity tolerance in the spec sheet. The numbers I read came from the manual.

EG4 LL Lithium Battery (V2) | 12V 400AH | Server Rack Battery

EG4 LL Lithium Battery (V2) offers 12V, 400AH capacity, ideal for server racks. Reliable power solution with advanced lithium technology. Available now at Signature Solar.

signaturesolar.com

 

[Oakley]

Any chance of this being installed in a climate controlled power shed or similar'

 

[seneysolar]

Generally Server rack equipment is designed to be in a climates controlled room with other tech equipment. So the hardware used will not be corrosion resistant or marine coated like some other general use stuff. Its probably why server rack batteries are the cheapest option in most cases.

55% is unavoidable in most regions. They should have put it at say 75%. What i read is"for best results". I wouldnt expect the battery itself to be harmed but things like com ports and breakers are just not designed to be damp.... Use at your own risk in high humidity environments.

 

[740GLE]

What’s your intended use of the battery? Camper / RV? Used year round or fair amount of down time?

 

[forbin]

Any chance of this being installed in a climate controlled power shed or similar'

None, I'm afraid,

 

[forbin]

What’s your intended use of the battery? Camper / RV? Used year round or fair amount of down time?

My off-grid cabin where we live 24x7. I bought the battery to replace some old Trojan FLA batteries.

 

[forbin]

Generally Server rack equipment is designed to be in a climates controlled room with other tech equipment. So the hardware used will not be corrosion resistant or marine coated like some other general use stuff. Its probably why server rack batteries are the cheapest option in most cases.

55% is unavoidable in most regions. They should have put it at say 75%. What i read is"for best results". I wouldnt expect the battery itself to be harmed but things like com ports and breakers are just not designed to be damp.... Use at your own risk in high humidity environments.

View attachment 276224

Yep, that is directly from the manual that came with the battery.

 

[MattMan119]

That is taken out of context… that is for best results for STORAGE..



Not that I’m sure it don’t have an effect, but I have 3 in my bay and it’s 70-90% often …

 

[Brett V]

Do you have any electronics or appliances in the same space that show signs of unusual corrosion? The battery is really no different.

 

[Crowz]

I'd return it and go with something like the chins batteries I power my house with.

Amazon.com

$799 and 200 amp bms.
5120wh

【Widely Used】: CHINS lithium iron phosphate battery can be used in the following areas: Home energy storage system, lighting, fish finder, golf cart, trolling motor, motorhome/RV & camper, Houseboat, Travel Trailer and more.

With the above said I seriously doubt you would have humidity problems with these

Now that battery is 48v.

For 12v like you linked there is the ones on this page:

CHINS: 12V Lifepo4 Battery

12v lifepo4 battery

www.amazon.com

280 ah 12v
$460

Sooo you can get about 3 of them for the price of the one you bought.

So in parallel you would have a 840ah 12v battery that can survive some serious humidity.....

 

[forbin]

That is taken out of context… that is for best results for STORAGE..

View attachment 276271

Not that I’m sure it don’t have an effect, but I have 3 in my bay and it’s 70-90% often …

You're right, that section is about storage. Thanks for pointing that out. However, being a newbie, I don't know why the notes about humidity would not also apply to daily use though.

 

[wpns]

@EG4TechSolutionsTeam Any insight?

 

[seneysolar]

I don't know why the notes about humidity would not also apply to daily use though.

Agreed, it doesn't suddenly become humidity resistant when in use.

 

[740GLE]

Agreed, it doesn't suddenly become humidity resistant when in use.

But constant use will have a bit of heat in the unit which will drive humidity out of the unit.

 

[forbin]

I'd return it and go with something like the chins batteries I power my house with.

Amazon.com

$799 and 200 amp bms.
5120wh

【Widely Used】: CHINS lithium iron phosphate battery can be used in the following areas: Home energy storage system, lighting, fish finder, golf cart, trolling motor, motorhome/RV & camper, Houseboat, Travel Trailer and more.

With the above said I seriously doubt you would have humidity problems with these

Now that battery is 48v.

For 12v like you linked there is the ones on this page:

CHINS: 12V Lifepo4 Battery

12v lifepo4 battery

www.amazon.com

280 ah 12v
$460

Sooo you can get about 3 of them for the price of the one you bought.

So in parallel you would have a 840ah 12v battery that can survive some serious humidity.....

The CHINS batteries look interesting, but the review ratings are roughly the same as most other solar batteries, which means about 7% of them are 1-star. A high-ish percentage of solar batteries from all manufacturers suffer from DOA, short life, failure to meet specs, etc., so the next thing to look for is a company with good customer service that quickly honors their warrantees. That's another factor that is disappointing for all manufacturers that I have investigated, even ones at the high end low ends. The reason I went with SS is because I live fairly close to them. I drove there to pick up the battery and and I can drive back there and meet with them personally for warranty issues if necessary. That said, the price of the CHINS batteries still makes them worth considering.

 

[MattMan119]

You're right, that section is about storage. Thanks for pointing that out. However, being a newbie, I don't know why the notes about humidity would not also apply to daily use though.

Like I said I have several I my RV they are very reliable and have give me no problems.. I don’t suspect that it will pose any substantial issue.

 

[SparkyJJO]

But constant use will have a bit of heat in the unit which will drive humidity out of the unit.

How much? LFP cells don't seem to generate that much of their own. Though I suppose the BMS will generate more, and that's more likely what is going to care about humidity levels than the cells... I guess I just answered my own question.

 

[Jmhai3]

The CHINS batteries look interesting, but the review ratings are roughly the same as most other solar batteries, which means about 7% of them are 1-star. A high-ish percentage of solar batteries from all manufacturers suffer from DOA, short life, failure to meet specs, etc., so the next thing to look for is a company with good customer service that quickly honors their warrantees. That's another factor that is disappointing for all manufacturers that I have investigated, even ones at the high end low ends. The reason I went with SS is because I live fairly close to them. I drove there to pick up the battery and and I can drive back there and meet with them personally for warranty issues if necessary. That said, the price of the CHINS batteries still makes them worth considering.

If I was easily able to drive to the supplier and deal with issues (or just to buy another) that would be the best customer support, you can get in this industry if product support is a big concern.
I would go with SS even with the cost difference.

 

[740GLE]

How much? LFP cells don't seem to generate that much of their own. Though I suppose the BMS will generate more, and that's more likely what is going to care about humidity levels than the cells... I guess I just answered my own question.

Some is better than none? lol I agree it’s a gray area that’s not specified.

 

[forbin]

Like I said I have several I my RV they are very reliable and have give me no problems.. I don’t suspect that it will pose any substantial issue.View attachment 276338

That's a clean setup! I just got off the phone with SS. The support tech (Javier) said their facilities are in Texas where the humidity is about the same as where I live in Oklahoma, and they have never had an issue with humidity, and he's not sure why the manual says the bit about avoiding locations where humidity is > 55%. I asked if the humidity would impact the warrantee and he said no, so that makes me feel better about it.