Which battery’s for daily use

[Q-Dog]

For daily use? I would want LiFePO4 ... especially with so little solar charging. LiFePO4 can charge faster than lead and last 4 or 5 times longer.

If you cycle cheap AGMs every day you will likely have to replace them in 2 years.

 

[Supervstech]

Thanks for your help but my budget is £570 hence opting for agms, as I also need to include an inverter in this price, just trying to get the best bang for my buck, we hardly use any power just the battered old lead battery we are currently making do with is dead by 8 - 10 pm and then we’re onto candle light

Please be open minded about this.

Lead acid type batteries have SEVERAL drawbacks over lithium.

Search around, look at cheapo lithium batteries.

No way on earth I would invest 500 in lead.

Lead REQUIRES a high watt charge, it REQUIRES to Reach FULL charge EVERY DAY, and you only get 1/2 the capacity you pay for.
Lead degrades rapidly if charge rate or fully charged doesn't happen, and Lead wastes watts when it is charging. The internal resistance is massive on Lead.

Lithium has none of these drawbacks.

The ONLY feature Lead has vs lithium is it can be charged win cold weather... so if your batteries will be stored in unconditioned space, Lead makes sense...
Otherwise it is a no brainer to get LFP...

 

[Bluedog225]

The advice about lead versus LiFePO4 is sound. And the related advice about Victron battery price/value.

The advice about wind is good as well. I’ve yet to see a happy story about wind on this forum. Perhaps your location is particularly suited. Do you have neighbors with wind?

Many folks check in here with a partially executed plan and suffer from a bit of target fixation.

 

[Solarcabin Channel]

Please be open minded about this.

Lead acid type batteries have SEVERAL drawbacks over lithium.

Search around, look at cheapo lithium batteries.

No way on earth I would invest 500 in lead.

Lead REQUIRES a high watt charge, it REQUIRES to Reach FULL charge EVERY DAY, and you only get 1/2 the capacity you pay for.
Lead degrades rapidly if charge rate or fully charged doesn't happen, and Lead wastes watts when it is charging. The internal resistance is massive on Lead.

Lithium has none of these drawbacks.

The ONLY feature Lead has vs lithium is it can be charged win cold weather... so if your batteries will be stored in unconditioned space, Lead makes sense...
Otherwise it is a no brainer to get LFP...

I can confirm this:

After 10 years using Vmax tank AGMs they had degraded to about half the original capacity. Still would charge to full every day but night time draw would drain them overnight where they would last 3 nights when new.

That was the best available at the time and I have no complaints about those batteries. Zero maintenance in 10 years BUT they are very heavy and the price for them has not come down much in 10 years.

I replaced those three 125AH Vmax AGMs with one Enjoybot 400Ah LFP that weighs half as much and has more than twice the capacity and will maintain that capacity for 5000 cycles to 80% DOD.

The prices for LFP have come down rapidly and top line AGMs and the moderately priced LFP are about the same price but you get higher capacity and life cycles with the LFP.

That said, for a remote application where battery temperature will get below freezing the AGMs are better.

 

[Solarcabin Channel]

The advice about lead versus LiFePO4 is sound. And the related advice about Victron battery price/value.

The advice about wind is good as well. I’ve yet to see a happy story about wind on this forum. Perhaps your location is particularly suited. Do you have neighbors with wind?

Many folks check in here with a partially executed plan and suffer from a bit of target fixation.

I have a 400 watt Air X wind turbine in use for over 10 years now.

I have it on a 30 foot pole and we don't get great wind here but in winter when sunshine is at a minimum and we get more wind it helps keep my recharging station AGM full.

Most people way over estimate how much wind they get and you need 5mph constant wind just to get most turbines producing and at least 15-20mph to get significant production. That is constant wind not just gusts.

You also need to get a wind turbine very high and 50-100 feet to get good wind. That is difficult to do without a special expensive tower and guy wires.

Also be aware wind turbines can be noisy and don't attach one to your roof as they will vibrate causing noise in the house. I also recommend a 5 blade turbine over the 3 blade for better production. If the blades are white paint them black so birds can avoid them.

I always tell people to go with solar first and then if you want to try wind go for it.

My turbine sits idle most of the time and the buzzards seem to think it is a mate.

 

[TimE]

I have no more room on my roof for solar and to add any more would mean a new solar controller as mine is maxed out on what it can handle. Also we’re in the uk so not as fortunate as the Caribbean for sun hahah. I’m just putting alternatives in place for the winter as the uk doesn’t see much sun at all during the winter, during the spring/summer the solar panels I have are more than enough to keep us fully charged. I know that the wind turbine is not going to produce 400 w, probably about 20% of that but it’s better than nothing while the sun isn’t shining.

Also the generator will surely do a job a couple of times a week?

So as for my original question, would you get cheaper batteries (the ones I shared) and invest in a generator and charger or stick to the more expensive trusted ones and wait a few weeks to get a generator and charger?

I can’t afford lithium batteries, it’s just not an option at the moment, maybe in the future but I need something in place for the coming weeks.

I wouldn't do either. I would put lithium in and more solar. You can mount solar on your guardwires. I have 720w mounted that way. 4x180w panels. The UK in the summer get way more sunshine hours than here in the Caribbean. We only get 12 hours. Wind turbines do nothing in light winds and when it's blowing a gale you need to turn them off or you lose a blade ot two. Their output os woeful in my experience. The Caribbean is way more windy than the UK but still people are not installing them.

 

[Solarcabin Channel]

you need to turn them off or you lose a blade ot two

Most turbines have a braking system to prevent that in high winds.

Never let a turbine free spin and it must be connected to a battery or it will damage/destroy the turbine.

 

[TimE]

Most turbines have a braking system to prevent that in high winds.

Never let a turbine free spin and it must be connected to a battery or it will damage/destroy the turbine.

No, some have a braking system. By no means all.

 

[MisterB1959]

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within budget, just!!!


i understand your predicament re 'funds' - ive been there myself in the past. the problem is though that sometimes you end up with something that isnt right, but it will cost the same again and more to put it right.

i know that hardly used AGM's often come up on motorhome sites, where people have bought a motorhome and changed to a lithium battery, but perhaps there is a better option to contact companies who install lithium batteries and ask them to contact you when they replace AGM's with lithium, with a view to you buying the pre used (subject to a test of course), a few examples of pre used

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with regards to the inverter, my renogy 3000w is able to power my microwave and kettle at the same time, with capacity for additional items. its changed the way we 'live' off grid whilst in the motorhome, touring europe or the UK, we rarely go on hook up BUT as previously mentioned, its all very well having a massive battery, but its important to make sure you can replace whatever you use.

i dont know your circumstances but have you considered a diesel heater for heating? also an idea that came to mind in discussion with someone else is working out a way to use a DC to DC (or sometimes called a B2B) charger instead of buying and running a petrol/diesel generator

there are a few more videos on there aswell, but when you think that a some chargers can pump in 60A per hour, if its viable it might be an option to keep costs down



anyway, whichever way you go, best wishes