People whose home alarm goes off each time there is load-shedding...

SauRoN

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I still think there is something wrong in your system, either too high draw or a bad battery installed (not meeting needed spec).

Probably also not a LiPo battery, so the repeated over 50% dischharge destroyed its cycles, can easily be done within the four months.

As I said before, do bother that one son of yours and see if he can help you figure it out.;)

You can’t just drop a LiPo into most of these systems as there isn’t special charge controller for it.

It’s simply a case of the repeated load shedding back to back affecting the full recharge cycles.

It does of course also fully discharge in some cases, but I think in most of these cases it’s a kind of false positive issue as mine triggers for some reasons an hour or so after full power is restored.

Longer amp hour batteries can do the job but usually there isn’t space for them and the price difference often means you may as well just replace the alarm battery again in a few months.

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biometrics

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You can’t just drop a LiPo into most of these systems as there isn’t special charge controller for it.

It’s simply a case of the repeated load shedding back to back affecting the full recharge cycles.

It does of course also fully discharge in some cases, but I think in most of these cases it’s a kind of false positive issue as mine triggers for some reasons an hour or so after full power is restored.

Longer amp hour batteries can do the job but usually there isn’t space for them and the price difference often means you may as well just replace the alarm battery again in a few months.

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You can change your alarm settings. I managed to get the manual and admin code for mine so I tweak it as needed.
 

SauRoN

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You can change your alarm settings. I managed to get the manual and admin code for mine so I tweak it as needed.

Oh I have the manual but couldn’t find anything particular to this issue.

But I should dig into it again.


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Tribs

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You can’t just drop a LiPo into most of these systems as there isn’t special charge controller for it.

It’s simply a case of the repeated load shedding back to back affecting the full recharge cycles.

It does of course also fully discharge in some cases, but I think in most of these cases it’s a kind of false positive issue as mine triggers for some reasons an hour or so after full power is restored.

Longer amp hour batteries can do the job but usually there isn’t space for them and the price difference often means you may as well just replace the alarm battery again in a few months.

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No the panel is completely dark before the power comes back on. And as I say - I just recently replaced the battery. Replaced it last year too. I am investigating options for inverter power but they are expensive and I have lots of things that need repairing. They start the pool tomorrow.

I will call the alarm company and find if there is a better solution
 

SauRoN

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No the panel is completely dark before the power comes back on. And as I say - I just recently replaced the battery. Replaced it last year too. I am investigating options for inverter power but they are expensive and I have lots of things that need repairing. They start the pool tomorrow.

I will call the alarm company and find if there is a better solution

Yeah likely your only option would be a bigger battery if there is space for it or a means to keep it close at hand and wire it in.

Unfortunately the multiple load sheds means it just doesn’t get fully charged.


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biometrics

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No the panel is completely dark before the power comes back on. And as I say - I just recently replaced the battery. Replaced it last year too. I am investigating options for inverter power but they are expensive and I have lots of things that need repairing. They start the pool tomorrow.

I will call the alarm company and find if there is a better solution
Battery dead. Replace.
 

biometrics

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No the panel is completely dark before the power comes back on. And as I say - I just recently replaced the battery. Replaced it last year too. I am investigating options for inverter power but they are expensive and I have lots of things that need repairing. They start the pool tomorrow.

I will call the alarm company and find if there is a better solution
Can get it cheaper than this, but as an e.g.

 

Johnatan56

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You can’t just drop a LiPo into most of these systems as there isn’t special charge controller for it.
Never said you could, said it's probably a lead acid battery and therefore load shedding would wreck it quickly if it wasn't quite a bit higher capacity than required.
It’s simply a case of the repeated load shedding back to back affecting the full recharge cycles.
Which you then say in the next sentence. :p
It does of course also fully discharge in some cases, but I think in most of these cases it’s a kind of false positive issue as mine triggers for some reasons an hour or so after full power is restored.

Longer amp hour batteries can do the job but usually there isn’t space for them and the price difference often means you may as well just replace the alarm battery again in a few months.
You'd need to check, can't know without knowing the circumstances. And if power draw is very high, you can always hook up the batteries in parallel, e.g. keep one in the roof, run a cable to alarm system.
 

SauRoN

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Never said you could, said it's probably a lead acid battery and therefore load shedding would wreck it quickly if it wasn't quite a bit higher capacity than required.

Which you then say in the next sentence. :p

You'd need to check, can't know without knowing the circumstances. And if power draw is very high, you can always hook up the batteries in parallel, e.g. keep one in the roof, run a cable to alarm system.

Yeah can just be tricky or dangerous to put in a larger battery or run another in parallel.

Better money spent towards and inverter setup for all essentials in the home anyway.


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Düber

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At the Lab they are getting fed up with having to change the UPS batteries so often. I currently have two of these on test and it's looking good so far.
They are a direct drop in replacements that work with the normal lead acid chargers.


In testing it kept a computer (old I5) and a 20 inch screen, streaming DSTV, alive for over an hour and a half, I stopped it because the UPS was getting hot.
 

Johnatan56

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At the Lab they are getting fed up with having to change the UPS batteries so often. I currently have two of these on test and it's looking good so far.
They are a direct drop in replacements that work with the normal lead acid chargers.


In testing it kept a computer (old I5) and a 20 inch screen, streaming DSTV, alive for over an hour and a half, I stopped it because the UPS was getting hot.
Those should drop in price next year btw, patent set to run out.
 

Düber

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Those should drop in price next year btw, patent set to run out.
That is very good news indeed, they are pricey.
Cheapest I found was about R800 but with the recent load shedding the prices have shot up and finding stock is not easy.
 

Düber

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@Johnatan56 you have piqued my interest now, what do they hold the patent on?

It can't be the BMS or the cells, is it the form factor?
 

Johnatan56

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@Johnatan56 you have piqued my interest now, what do they hold the patent on?

It can't be the BMS or the cells, is it the form factor?
CNBC actually did a good news piece on it (very rare, there are still some errors in the video, like the how cobalt is still child labor and stuff which is super rare and they say common, media over-exaggeration):

Patent runs out in regards to LFP production, right now only produced in China and patent costs drop away if it's for internal market, that's why up until this year, Tesla in China used LFP but not anywhere else, but will now use it for their cars in 2022, most car manufacturers are going to as well (think patent runs out this year still in EU, early next year in US/rest of the world, was trying to find the exact date but couldn't as don't know exact patent names, just what news keeps reporting on).

China bought the LFP patent, and basically the patent costs were high enough that it meant everyone used LiPO, since LFP with patent costs was more than LiPO, and China controls most of the Cobalt industry of the world. LFP anyone can produce, and you'll see a very strong push for that in US/EU.

Looking at current market for batteries, it's LiPO -> LFP -> Solid State, but will end up with a mix of the 3 based on their strengths, LFP will probably dominate as cheapest cost and seems like some patents that are scalable make the energy density pretty good, but most of that will be end of 2023 earliest market probably, so for now LFP will be the poor man's LiPO, but I think it has a good chance of just removing the lead acid battery market near overnight (not really, but huge disruption there).
 
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