[abhiram7912]

So someone stole batteries attached to the inverter at our house in the village. A police complaint has been given since a lot of things have been going missing around our house. My question is would it be possible to check on the inverter, when they it was last connected or disconnected to a battery?

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by abhiram7912

So someone stole batteries attached to the inverter at our house in the village. My question is would it be possible to check on the inverter, when they it was last connected or disconnected to a battery?

No, the inverter does not keep track of when the batteries were disconnected or connected. If the house is in an area prone to theft I'd recommend you consider installing security cameras at susceptible points.

[srikanthns]

Noob question : Do these batteries give out any fumes that can affect health? (I mean regular brands like exide, others can / need not). I have Exide inva TUbular 150Ah battery. Now having read something somewhere, my family members are hell bent on throwing the inverter out, telling that my health is more important than the discomfort of being without power.
Is this true, or is it an urban legend?

[JMaruru]

Originally Posted by srikanthns

Is this true, or is it an urban legend?

Please do NOT keep these batteries in the living area. You could place them in a secluded area, where there is sufficient ventilation and the batteries are well protected.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by srikanthns

Noob question : Do these batteries give out any fumes that can affect health? (I mean regular brands like exide, others can / need not). I have Exide inva TUbular 150Ah battery. Now having read something somewhere, my family members are hell bent on throwing the inverter out, telling that my health is more important than the discomfort of being without power. Is this true, or is it an urban legend?

Emission of gasses is a scientific fact. Batteries emit hydrogen and oxygen during the charging phase a combination we all know is highly explosive in enclosed spaces. Plus if the battery is overcharged it emits hydrogen sulphide which is HIGHLY poisonous and can kill. Lead is a nerve poison and sulphuric acid is both corrosive and poisonous.

Still think it's an urban legend?

So do yourself a favour relocate the batteries to a ventilated place that is cool and dry and away from direct sunlight and the weather. The only type of batteries you can store in your rooms is a VRLA gel cell or AGM batteries. All wet batteries should be stored away from living areas.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by srikanthns

Noob question : Do these batteries give out any fumes that can affect health? (I mean regular brands like exide, others can / need not). I have Exide inva TUbular 150Ah battery. Now having read something somewhere, my family members are hell bent on throwing the inverter out, telling that my health is more important than the discomfort of being without power.
Is this true, or is it an urban legend?

Open lead acid batteries do.
Sealed lead acid do not.
Lithium do not.

As mentioned in previous posts, keep Large lead acid batteries in a well ventilated area, as in enclosed space the fumes may cause explosion.

[r_devakumar]

I have replaced both my inverter and battery with Microtek UPS SEBz 1200Va Pure Sine Wave Inverter and Exide IT 750. Please share your comment on the below points:

1. Whenever the power goes (and comes back), the Lights have blink and the TV (along with Marantz Receiver, Airtel Settop box) restarts. Is there a way to make this not happen? In my previous setup (Microtek + Exide, used for about 8+ years), this happens sometime, but most of the time we never notice the power went off.

2. When there is no load, the output voltage shows around 250. The voltage gradually drops as the load increases and with full load (4 fans, 4 lights, TV, Receiver, SetTop Box), it reaches around 210 V. Is it normal or do i need to get this checked with Microtek?

[aim120]

You can check whether the inverter as a UPS mode which may have a faster switching time.

Regarding the voltage, it does appear to be slightly higher. Do get it checked.

Edit: The spec of that inverter say output 200-230v with +/- 10% difference. So I guess by design its normal. It also has a narrow voltage range mode which could have a faster switching time.

[gautamkhadse]

I have been researching on the inverter batteries for some time now and am now considering replacing the VA batteries with Exide Gel Plus batteries .

The batteries are relatively new and are zero maintenance, which is a plus point considering I don't have to worry about getting a guy to top up the water every few months, plus no fumes and an unbeatable warranty of 4 years . But these are pricey. Just wanted to check if anyone else has these batteries?

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by srikanthns

Noob question : Do these batteries give out any fumes that can affect health? (I mean regular brands like exide, others can / need not). I have Exide inva TUbular 150Ah battery. Now having read something somewhere, my family members are hell bent on throwing the inverter out, telling that my health is more important than the discomfort of being without power.
Is this true, or is it an urban legend?

Remember the Inverter battery is very closely related to a car battery. The main difference is that an Inverter battery must take repeated deep discharges, It is the nature of the application.

[bluevolt]

Can we use a computer UPS as a power backup option for a single table fan and a lamp?

I just wanted to explore this possibility to save myself from a wiring headache.

The electricity stays for 98% of the time in our area.

[saket77]

Thanks a lot gentlemen for sharing the info on gel batteries. I was off-late getting worried about the battery fumes from my inverter battery. Though the battery is stored in a cool and relatively ventilated area, but still I was not comfortable having it 'inside' my house. I was even thinking of re-positioning my inverter set up so that the battery is kept in balcony but that will mean exposure to sun and the harsh weather outside. Plus the new placement was not practical too.

I will be going for gel batteries at the time of replacement, which should come within a year. I checked the prices, and yes, they are little pricey when compared to regular batteries (non-tubular that I have) but should be a good investment from health point of view. May be they will last longer too, though not sure. Amazon is selling this one for 16.7K. https://www.amazon.in/Exide-500-GEL-.../dp/B0190WM984

I think prices will come down slowly too.

Thanks!

[gautamkhadse]

Originally Posted by saket77

Thanks a lot gentlemen for sharing the info on gel batteries. I was off-late getting worried about the battery fumes from my inverter battery. Though the battery is stored in a cool and relatively ventilated area, but still I was not comfortable having it 'inside' my house. I was even thinking of re-positioning my inverter set up so that the battery is kept in balcony but that will mean exposure to sun and the harsh weather outside. Plus the new placement was not practical too.

I will be going for gel batteries at the time of replacement, which should come within a year. I checked the prices, and yes, they are little pricey when compared to regular batteries (non-tubular that I have) but should be a good investment from health point of view. May be they will last longer too, though not sure. Amazon is selling this one for 16.7K. https://www.amazon.in/Exide-500-GEL-.../dp/B0190WM984

I think prices will come down slowly too.

Thanks!

This time I am going to try buying from

www.batterybhai.com

http://www.batterybhai.com/inverter-.../810/1/2/150/1

Just because I have had 3 pleasant transactions with them for my car batteries, competitive pricing plus speedy delivery. This was originally recommended by GTO himself when he used their services for car batteries.

Other websites also which are now selling batteries online. We should compare prices there as well.

[aim120]

The problem with Gel batteries is the poor life, they are not suitable for cyclic use.
Exide 2010 whitepaper said that a typical Gel battery can loose its charge capacity by 50%, when you deep discharge the battery just a couple of times. Ideally Gel batteries are used for standby by application where one discharges it by 25%.

They are notorious for bulging in size due to overcharge, they can get hot and can also have a thermal runaway which is extremely dangerous.

If one has a ventilation its better to get a flooded battery, which releases hydrogen and oxygen during charging state only. Hydrogen will always raise up, so if you have a window or ventilation near it, the gas will escape rapidly.

One could also use a simple Arduino to use a gas sensor and activate a fan to vent it out of the sealed location.

My tubular flooded battery is close to 9 years old, I doubt any gel battery can remotely come close to it.

If one doesn't mind a 3x price, you could get a lithium titanate battery which have a cycle life of 5000 plus. Best part is the voltage, which is very similar to a lead acid battery with less weight and volume and no maintenance.

[Thad E Ginathom]

How much danger to health is there in the fumes from the batteries? Do they release acid vapours?

Of course, I mean other than the obvious danger: that of explosion!