5 Disadvantages of Lead Acid Battery That Nobody Will Tell You
Today, the use of electricity is increasing every day, and living even a day without electricity has become difficult. That’s why, in many places where power cuts occur, household appliances are operated using an inverter battery. The inverter only charges your battery and then converts DC power from the battery into AC to operate your appliances.
Mostly, Lead Acid Battery is commonly seen with inverters because it is available at a relatively low cost. However, due to its low cost, you may face several disadvantages with this battery that no one tells you about.
5 Disadvantages of Lead Acid Battery That Nobody Will Tell You
So, before buying a Lead Acid battery, you should know what disadvantages can occur by installing this battery. Here, we are going to tell you about the 6 shortcomings of Lead Acid batteries so that you can find out whether a Lead Acid battery is beneficial for you or not.
Space/Size
As we all know, Lead Acid Battery is available only in 12 volts. So, if someone wants to buy a 96-volt inverter, they will need to install eight batteries. Installing eight batteries requires a considerable amount of space.
In contrast, if we talk about Lithium batteries, you can find a 96-volt lithium battery in the market. This means you only need to install one lithium battery instead of eight lead-acid batteries. Some companies are even producing lithium batteries that are equivalent to 15 lead acid batteries. This gives you an idea of how compactly you can set up a solar system of up to 10 kilowatts.
Maintenance
Lead Acid batteries require regular topping up with water. Forgetting to add water can lead to the battery drying out, rendering it useless, and necessitating replacement. On the other hand, Lithium batteries do not require any water addition, making them maintenance-free.
Slow Charging
Lead Acid batteries, if charged based on their rating, can take approximately 10 hours to charge. Charging them quickly with high current can reduce their life, affecting both the battery’s lifespan and backup time. Charging a system with 10 or 15 batteries also takes a considerable amount of time.
In contrast, some lithium batteries in the market can be fully charged in about 4 hours. Lithium batteries support high current charging, so even if you charge them with high current, it doesn’t impact their life, and you can quickly charge the battery.
Harmful Gas and Acid
Lead Acid batteries release harmful gas and acid during charging and discharging due to chemical reactions. Placing the battery in an enclosed space may result in the accumulation of harmful gases, and the acid in the battery can spill out, damaging the floor.
To avoid all these issues, Lead Acid batteries need to be placed in a separate room where you don’t frequently visit, and it is recommended to install them in an open space to allow air circulation and prevent gas accumulation.
Heavy Weight
Lead Acid batteries are not only bulky but also heavy. For instance, a 150Ah battery weighs approximately 50 kg. If someone needs to install a system with four batteries, the weight of the batteries would be around 200 kg.
On the other hand, lithium batteries are much lighter. If you install one lithium battery equivalent to four lead acid batteries, its weight would be around 50 kg. This means lithium batteries are about 4 to 5 times lighter than lead acid batteries.
Life
Lead Acid batteries typically come with a warranty of 3 to 5 years, and if properly maintained, their life is about 5 years. The reason for the short life of Lead Acid batteries is slow charging. However, many people charge Lead Acid batteries with high current, which significantly reduces their life and backup. Lead Acid batteries offer around 600 life cycles.
In contrast, Lithium batteries provide approximately 3000 life cycles. This means that a lithium battery can easily last for 10 to 15 years. Since Lithium batteries support high current charging, it does not affect their life, and they provide a long and trouble-free service.
These are the six disadvantages you may encounter with Lead Acid batteries. If you want to avoid all these issues, you can use Lithium batteries. Although Lithium batteries may seem a bit expensive initially, considering their benefits, the cost is justified.