Alarm battery

[ViVceptioN]

Good day Gents (and lady folk),

My lead acid battery that is in my alarm system is dead again and I want to buy a Lithium battery rather so that it hopefully lasts longer than 8 months.

Can I just go buy one and replace the existing one or are there issues that I'm not aware of that I need to check first?
I know the current battery is 12v 8ah, so I need to have those specs for the new battery (or at least the voltage correct?).

Was looking at these
Builders - Lalela 12v 6ah
Takealot - LUCE 12.8v 8ah
Makro - Securi-Prod12.8v 7ah
Geewiz - VESTWOODS 8Ah / 12V

 

[Ageless_ZA]

I bought the LUCE to replace my LeadAcid @ViVceptioN no complaints since. You want more aH to last longer. As long as the Voltage is 12, the alarm won't care.

 

[ViVceptioN]

I bought the LUCE to replace my LeadAcid @ViVceptioN no complaints since. You want more aH to last longer. As long as the Voltage is 12, the alarm won't care.

Alrighty I thought as much, thank you for the explanation

 

[Scrooloose]

Yes, those batteries are drop-in replacements. I bought the Blue Nova 8ah unit about 3 years ago and it's still going well - Granted I have had solar for the past 6 months now so the alarm battery isn't taking shots any longer.

I also have a DIY external battery solution where I can swap out batteries on the alarm panel without powering it down or opening it up - Something that came in very handy when our area was hit heavily with load shedding and cable theft during 2022.

An important note: Alarm systems charge at 300mA or 700mA dependent on PSU and charge current settings on the panel. Some older systems only charge at 150mA. Hence the reason why these LA batteries don't last is because they discharge deeply over a period of time and don't get the opportunity to fully charge back up between each power interruption. For example they get discharged 10%, recharged 5%, discharded another 10%. Eventually the battery goes below the damage threshold of 10.2V and the electrodes bend or get coated in sulphite which reduces the charge holding capacity.

The low charge current could also mean that your Lithium battery might also not recharge fully in between the bouts of load shedding.

 

[jtomcat16]

I installed a small lithium battery backup for my alarm.

It's the same Ah as the (i think gell) battery in the normal alarm box (7Ah), but significantly greater cycles.
My alarm system is not large so the 7Ah is enough to last over normal loadshedding times comfortably.
An advantage over just installing a lithium drop in to the alarm panel is the dedicated backup charges significantly faster.
I dont expect to have any battery issues for at least 10 years, and am able to change out this battery without having to mess with the alarm panel at all.

Link for the product I used:

Securi-Prod 3Amp Lithium Backup Power Supply | Iotrend

Securi-Prod 3Amp Lithium Backup Power Supply + 12V 7AH LifePO4 Lithium Battery. LifePo4 Charger. CCTV, Alarm Panel and Access Control battery backup.

www.iotrend.co.za

 

[ViVceptioN]

I installed a small lithium battery backup for my alarm.

It's the same Ah as the (i think gell) battery in the normal alarm box (7Ah), but significantly greater cycles.
My alarm system is not large so the 7Ah is enough to last over normal loadshedding times comfortably.
An advantage over just installing a lithium drop in to the alarm panel is the dedicated backup charges significantly faster.
I dont expect to have any battery issues for at least 10 years, and am able to change out this battery without having to mess with the alarm panel at all.

Link for the product I used:

Securi-Prod 3Amp Lithium Backup Power Supply | Iotrend

Securi-Prod 3Amp Lithium Backup Power Supply + 12V 7AH LifePO4 Lithium Battery. LifePo4 Charger. CCTV, Alarm Panel and Access Control battery backup.

www.iotrend.co.za

Just replaced it yesterday with the LUCA lithium battery, if that doesn't last 2 years or more then I will consider an option like this if I don't have backup power on the whole house by then

 

[ViVceptioN]

Yes, those batteries are drop-in replacements. I bought the Blue Nova 8ah unit about 3 years ago and it's still going well - Granted I have had solar for the past 6 months now so the alarm battery isn't taking shots any longer.

I also have a DIY external battery solution where I can swap out batteries on the alarm panel without powering it down or opening it up - Something that came in very handy when our area was hit heavily with load shedding and cable theft during 2022.

An important note: Alarm systems charge at 300mA or 700mA dependent on PSU and charge current settings on the panel. Some older systems only charge at 150mA. Hence the reason why these LA batteries don't last is because they discharge deeply over a period of time and don't get the opportunity to fully charge back up between each power interruption. For example they get discharged 10%, recharged 5%, discharded another 10%. Eventually the battery goes below the damage threshold of 10.2V and the electrodes bend or get coated in sulphite which reduces the charge holding capacity.

The low charge current could also mean that your Lithium battery might also not recharge fully in between the bouts of load shedding.

It's fairly a new system, a paradox sp5000 or 6000 something that was installed just under 2 years ago. I tried to check if I can see what the charge is at but I don't know where or how to be honest so I just shrugged and shoulders and hope for the best xD

 

[FireProof]

It's fairly a new system, a paradox sp5000 or 6000 something that was installed just under 2 years ago. I tried to check if I can see what the charge is at but I don't know where or how to be honest so I just shrugged and shoulders and hope for the best xD

If it is a Sp6000 or Mg5050 it has the option to increase the Charging voltage from 350mA to 700mA .it makes a noticeable difference. Installer code is needed for it though, Will be in section 700 option 2 needs to be On. We use UltraTrech 12v 8AH LifePo4 batteries. Works like a Charm

 

[Reegz]

I had a bee in my bonnet this weekend and ended up sticking 2 * 12v 9AH SLA batteries onto my the garage door motor.

They're significantly bigger and heavier than the tiny 1.4AH batteries that were previously in use.
Seems to work fine but the weight - I assume - is going to be an issue as the 9AH's are 2.5kg each.

Should I go with the lighter lithium alternatives or am I overthinking it given that the setup is designed to hold the weight of the garage door?

 

[Confucius]

I had a bee in my bonnet this weekend and ended up sticking 2 * 12v 9AH SLA batteries onto my the garage door motor.

They're significantly bigger and heavier than the tiny 1.4AH batteries that were previously in use.
Seems to work fine but the weight - I assume - is going to be an issue as the 9AH's are 2.5kg each.

Should I go with the lighter lithium alternatives or am I overthinking it given that the setup is designed to hold the weight of the garage door?

One thing to note when using lithium batteries on motors is that the c rating of the battery becomes important. Not all drop in replacements can be used to drive motors.
Another point is that if you have 2 12V in series, then not all lithium’s can be connected in series and there’s also a greater chance they go off balance so an external balancer is sometimes needed.

If your sla batteries are working, secure them properly and let them run.

 

[Reegz]

One thing to note when using lithium batteries on motors is that the c rating of the battery becomes important. Not all drop in replacements can be used to drive motors.
Another point is that if you have 2 12V in series, then not all lithium’s can be connected in series and there’s also a greater chance they go off balance so an external balancer is sometimes needed.

If your sla batteries are working, secure them properly and let them run.

Hadn't thought about the balancing. I reckon I should just cable-tie those 9AH's and live a happy life.

 

[FireProof]

Hadn't thought about the balancing. I reckon I should just cable-tie those 9AH's and live a happy life.

I have 2 Gel 8AH om the garage motor had no issues in weight .as long as these brackets are secured properly won't have a problem . And yes some Lithium batteries realy don't like being wired in Series and just like @Confucius said you need te be mindful of which LifePo4 to use on motors . So SLA and Gel usually just pan out the best .

 

[Reegz]

So I went ahead and emailed the main distributor of my specific garage motor.

They responded saying that the lithium drop-ins are not compatible with the model of motor I have. I assume it's in line with the reasons you guys have already pointed out.

They did, however, recommend I swap the two 12v batteries for a single 24v, 6ah one instead.

I like that idea but I don't like the idea of spending money when I already have a working solution.

 

[FireProof]

So I went ahead and emailed the main distributor of my specific garage motor.

They responded saying that the lithium drop-ins are not compatible with the model of motor I have. I assume it's in line with the reasons you guys have already pointed out.

They did, however, recommend I swap the two 12v batteries for a single 24v, 6ah one instead.

I like that idea but I don't like the idea of spending money when I already have a working solution.

I actually replaced the 6ah 24v one. It did not fair well with the stage 6 we experienced. It is definitely smaller in size , so if weight is realy a concern, it is a option . But in my case it was the problem.

 

[albaster]

There are batteries where the bms is designed for motor’s specifically. You get them in 12v and 24v variants, they’re just a bit pricier than the normal lithium batteries.