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If you are planning to buy a new inverter battery or want to replace an existing one, you are in luck. I would be giving a detailed insights about inverter batteries life span, size, types, how to make inverter combination.
This article was inspired by a personal experience I have had with inverter batteries. I run a 3.5kva inverter, the first set of batteries I had were efficient for years. The next set I got did not last 6 months and I wanted to know why. Which led to my research of the best inverter batteries in Nigeria.
If you are reading this article, I am sure you want the best value for your money. You might have had a bad experience with an inverter battery like I did or know someone who did. I hope this article guides you in you subsequent decision.
Buying an inverter battery in Nigeria can be very confusing because you really don’t know who to trust. Before we talk about types and sizes of inverter battery, let talk about factors that influences the inverter market in Nigeria.
Nigerian Standard Factor
If you see any made in Nigeria battery, please flee. There is currently no battery manufacturing industry in Nigeria. We have lots of inverter battery brands currently in the market with Nigerian influence, let me explain.
When you visit Alaba International Market, You would find inverter battery brands with indigenous names like Chuks inverter battery. These are batteries mainly produced in china with the importers specification which he now brands Chuks inverter battery.
Nigerian standard inverter battery has 80% share our inverter battery market. Some of these batteries can compete with international standards while others are nothing to write home about. It is almost impossible to rate these batteries because of our weak testing and certification process.
Another factor affecting the “Rateability” of these products is the constant fluctuation in efficiency. Importers can change factories or reduce the quality of their product if there a hike in raw materials. That is why “Chuks inverter battery” that performed very well last year could be garbage this year.
Chinese Standard Factor
China is a major industrial hub in the world. The world at-large depends on China due to their cheap production. China is currently ranked #1 in the manufacture of solar and inverter equipment. But there is a problem with the Chinese business approach.
Chinese manufacturers are very flexible in their products quality checks. They seem to discriminate a lot i.e They have US, EU, African and Nigerian standards. Lets say your friend living in the US introduces you to a jackie chan battery brand he uses already. You bought the same product, same model, same carton in Nigeria only for the product to fail you. Yes that is the Chinese for you, same product but different spec.
Types of Inverter battery
Do not use your car batteries to run your inverter, they are totally different. There are two main types of inverter batteries. I would talk about them in categories.
Lead Acid Battery ( electrolyte Technology)
- Flooded Lead-Acid battery or Wet Cell battery: This type of battery require lots off attention. The lead acid should be gauged regularly to produce maximum output.
- Sealed Lead Acic (SLA) or Gel Cell battery : This is a no maintenance battery, just keep it clean. They are more expensive than the wet cell batteries. They are also known as valve regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries.
Plate Technology
Under this technology we have the Flat plate and the tubular batteries. The tubular is more efficient. The flat plate has an advanced technology called T-plate. The company EXIDE has patent to the T-Plate technology.
How do you know the best Inverter battery in Nigeria
Ideally I should have said you should request for the data sheet but don’t forget, anything is possible. Some data sheets would even add to your confusion. What you see in the data sheet could be the opposite of what you are buying.
A 200AH inverter battery should weigh between 60kg – 70kg. The battery number of cycle should be at least 450 in 70% DoD. The list goes on and on but how do you verify all these specifications. You might need to carry you own scale to the market, that’s me kidding.
You are left with only one very good option. Buy from a Reputable dealer. A reputable Dealer is an authorized and A registered company. This battery should come with at least 6 months to 1 year warranty. Only reputable dealers honor warranties.
Join us as we countdown to the top 10 inverter batteries in Nigeria 2019.