Inverter Battery Opinions

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
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South Coast
Looking for opinions on batteries for our inverter.

First off, two different inverter people have told us that the Trojan 105's they're selling now are not the same as the older ones [which we have] and will only last 2 years. When the first person told us that, we took it with a grain of salt, but when Mr. AE asked the guy in SD who his brother swears by [and who installed our bigger inverter that needs the batteries] he responded that he's been hearing the same thing.

So it seems we have three choices:

Red Trojan 105s again

Interstate [at La Sirena]

Rocca/Roca?? Inverter guy in SD said these are a lot cheaper, in the 4K range, and that a lot people are having a lot of luck with them. Said they require less maintenance too.

Opinions from anyone who has bought Interstate or Roca?
 

Luperon

Who empowered China's crime against humanity?
Jun 28, 2004
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Are you sure someone did not swap / steal your batteries with bad ones while you were away?
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
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AE, in your other topic you mentioned the batteries been bought in january and went dead by summer, did i understand that correctly? if yes, then i would be very suspicious, as that is not normal, not even for cheaper quality ones.

Mike
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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we have 8 black trojan and most of the house wired to them, including large fridge, water pump, gate and a variety of other items. they hold for a very long time, once they managed 36 hours. now we have 24 hr power but just last year we had 8-12 hours of blackouts a day. if you have two sets of batteries and you had to change one within several months from purchasing batteries then you are being fcuked: either with batteries or with the installation. maybe the guy who did your setup is inept.
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
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South Coast
AE, in your other topic you mentioned the batteries been bought in january and went dead by summer, did i understand that correctly? if yes, then i would be very suspicious, as that is not normal, not even for cheaper quality ones.

Mike

Yeah, well, we're suspicious too. I mentioned in another thread awhile back what happened. We bought 4 new Red Trojan 105's in January or so. We left very end of April. If I remember correctly, someone screwed up and didn't refill water [caretaker and/or cousin, each blamed the other] and they went dry. Called inverter guy, who came and checked and said he'd take them and do his magic on them and bring them back. Normally very trustworthy guy. Took the 4 batteries, and hooked entire house up to the bigger inverter. Weeks passed, he's not answering phone, not answering FB messages, etc. Mr. AE finally gets him on the phone and he's steaming, let him have it. Guy got insulted because Mr. AE yelled at him. Few days later he sends 3 batteries to the house. Can't reach him about the 4th. We bit the bullet and bought 4 new batteries. We suspect that he switched batteries on us. When we got here, we found out he had left the 4th battery with the maid last week [4-5 months later]. When we bought the new batteries, we had someone mark them in an unobtrusive way so this cannot happen again.

The batteries that are dead now are the original ones on the bigger inverter, which are at least 4, maybe 5 years old now. They've done their job for a long time.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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you are being screwed. i know few other people who have two inversors, bigger inversors or more batteries and they cannot get quarter of the results we have here with 3.5 kw inversor with 8 batteries. you really need someone good to check the whole system for you and improve it so that it works. not to mentions someone trustworthy enough to give maintenance to your equipment. life in DR is tough enough without dealing with the basics as if you lived in stone age.
 

jstarebel

Silver
Oct 4, 2013
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AE, I suspect there are issues other than your batteries. Have you checked the charge controller for amps and voltage being delivered to the Trojan's? I've lived on a boat for many years, and the T105's are the standard for yachts with solar and wind. You can flatten them, and they come back up. We run a 12volt configuration, but I know several large yachts that run 36 and 48 volt. Maintaining them is also a necessity. I've not heard of Rocca, but if you buy a lead acid type of battery, check out how much the weigh against the amp hours. The more the battery weighs, the thicker the plates, and the longer they will work. I've also never seen black t105's. Always been red. One other thing, batteries have a shelf life just like other things. If you happened to get a deal because they were older stock maybe.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
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we have 8 black trojan and most of the house wired to them, including large fridge, water pump, gate and a variety of other items. they hold for a very long time, once they managed 36 hours. now we have 24 hr power but just last year we had 8-12 hours of blackouts a day. if you have two sets of batteries and you had to change one within several months from purchasing batteries then you are being fcuked: either with batteries or with the installation. maybe the guy who did your setup is inept.

Trojan does not make a black battery. Keep that in mind no matter how long they lasted, someone is illegally using their name. I was told the fake black Trojans were made by Meteor.

I would stay with Trojan Red batteries and do the best I could to verify they were genuine.
 

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
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On my eighth year with my Interstates, but they're on their last legs now. I used to get over 24 hours out of them, now I'm getting around 8. It will be time to swap them out soon. I will most probably go with the Interstates again, but I might also research these new gel type ones. I've heard that they can last a very long time with very little maintenance.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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363
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Trojan does not make a black battery. Keep that in mind no matter how long they lasted, someone is illegally using their name. I was told the fake black Trojans were made by Meteor.
I would stay with Trojan Red batteries and do the best I could to verify they were genuine.

what? it says trojan black on them and they work. they look just like those:

1zywygi.jpg
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
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looks like the Trojan 6v Black Box/6 volt 210ah.
they are a bit lighter and 5ah's weaker than the Trojan T-105 Battery, which exists only in Red.
the t-105 is also well more expensive and should be the longer lasting more powerful one, BUT the correct setup/wiring is of course key to compare. the best batteries will go to heck in an eyeblink if the setup is a mess.

Mike
 

chic

Silver
Nov 20, 2013
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sometimes gel batteries are super expensive and not for your normal peep...gotta have deep pockets.... but could be wrong....i see them for cars and about 3 and 1/2 times the price of normal car battery... so...do the math and hope they are cheaper...
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
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I dont understand much about the inverter system.
I have 3.5k inverter ( I think). Used to be hooked up to 12trojan reds. The batteries died 2 years ago ( after 6 + years of loyal service ).
I had a guy round to rewire loads of stuff that ex-electric guys blotched ( long story ), this new one is a real pearl. The luz is off more often than is on here in my campo.
Anyway he convinced me to go for NAPA batteries, 6 V. He garanteed that only 8 of them would do the same job. ( big 2 door fridge/freezer, 2 TV/dvd/soundsystem, 3 ceiling fans, lots of lights. Water pump and pool pump not connected to inverter ).
8 batteries 31 796.64 pesos plus 5723.39 pesos of ITBIS. Total 37 520 pesos. I paid less than 34 k ( Joel, the electric guy applied to me his discount ). Bought them at that place above caribe tour in santiago ( sort of an inverter shop for electricians ). luis F. Gomez & asociados SRL.
They each came with their certificado with the batterie serial number, 1 year garrantee.

They have been working nearly 2 years ( I think ), and I managed to let them go dry twice ( sadly no caretaker or cousin to blame ), but they bounced back just fine.:)
 

Olly

Bronze
Mar 12, 2007
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Batteries are an interesting subject . We have had a system in place now for 10 years, A 5.6 Kw 220 Volt AC invertor and are now on another replacement cycle. We use US 245 Diamong Plate Technology Batteries and Exide GS 90 . With Twelve batteries we have to replace on set of four about every 4 years and a have staggered the replacements now so that only 4 at a time is needed. So we have 4 (GS 90 ) that are 3 years olgd and doing well. Four US 245 that are now 2 years old and a mixture in the other bank that is about to be replaced.
It has worked well and by positioning the main connections to the batteries you can equalise the charge rates and not fry the new batteries.

Olly and the Team
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
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Aren't batteries like tires where it's best practice to change them all at the same time to ensure that the newer ones don't wear out faster by having to work harder to compensate for the older ones that no longer have the same capacity as when they were new?
 

jstarebel

Silver
Oct 4, 2013
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333
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Aren't batteries like tires where it's best practice to change them all at the same time to ensure that the newer ones don't wear out faster by having to work harder to compensate for the older ones that no longer have the same capacity as when they were new?

You are correct. Having separate battery banks that are of different age or even type is ok, but a bad battery in a bank will draw the others down with it.
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
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Alright, so when you say "different battery banks is ok" what do you mean by "bank"? How does one create a separate bank of batteries in an installation where currently all batteries are wired one after another in series?
 

donP

Newbie
Dec 14, 2008
6,942
178
0
Take good care of your batteries!

1. In service: 16x T-105 red since Sept. 2010 (our fourth set*);
2. Still going strong, because never have been discharged deeply since solar system was installed about 2.5 years ago;
3. We always buy the new set in La Sirena from the same batch (pallet;
4. IMO, the red T-105 are the best value for the $$$$.

5. Only if you do not have someone for RELIABLE maintenance (topping up with destilled water**) consider gel batteries.

*)
We also used US Battery 2200 and "Trace" T-115 in between.

**)
We use 'agua bidestilada' from a medical lab.


donP