Siekon Deep Cycle 12V Lithium Battery Review

Join daily news updates from CleanTechnica on e-mail. Or follow us on Google News!


We lately bought to evaluate a brand new lithium deep cycle battery from Siekon, an organization we haven’t labored with earlier than. As with many different lithium batteries, there are some critical advantages to creating the swap, however does Siekon’s tackle lithium batteries pan out? Learn on to search out out!

What’s a “Deep Cycle” Battery, Anyway?

Have you ever ever stayed in an RV or journey trailer? Have you ever ever used a quiet and environment friendly trolling motor on a fishing boat? You’ve used a deep cycle battery!

This type of modular, standardized battery has been round for many years, with most batteries prior to now utilizing a less expensive lead-acid battery chemistry, like what you’d discover in an ICE car’s 12V battery. However, as a substitute of being made to offer a fast burst of energy to start out a automotive’s engine, deep cycle batteries are designed for lower-power use over hours or days.

Why Lithium’s A Worthwhile Improve

There are some critical downsides to old-school lead-acid batteries.

First off, they could be a little harmful. They emit hydrogen fuel and might explode if not correctly ventilated, throwing acid all over the place. Leaks, dropping them, or an accident can break them open, letting harmful acid stream out or begin a fireplace. Even worse, some individuals intentionally misuse the acid in batteries for horrible disfiguring assaults.

One other downside is sturdiness. In some circumstances, a lead-acid battery may final 5–7 years. I’ve a automotive battery that did that lately in a automotive that we don’t drive a lot. However, normally, you’ll get 2–3 years out of a automotive battery or deep cycle battery. In excessive circumstances or in poor storage environments, some individuals purchase a brand new lead-acid battery yearly when the subsequent RV or fishing season begins.

Capability and weight are additionally points. Lead-acid batteries are pretty low cost, however you continue to need to get as a lot life out of them as you’ll be able to since you need to delay that $50–200 buy for so long as doable. Lead-acid batteries begin to degrade closely if you run them under about 50%, so regardless of the capability of the battery is, you need to solely use about half of that. Not utilizing a heavy metallic (lead) within the battery design saves lots of weight, too.

Siekon’s Resolution To This

Siekon’s 12.8-volt lithium deep cycle battery takes this to the subsequent degree by providing a LiFePO4 chemistry, also called LFP. LFP batteries are extra sturdy than different chemistries, could be left at 100% with out further degradation, and are extraordinarily unlikely to catch hearth. The truth is, increasingly electrical vehicles use LFP batteries for these causes, and since they’re cheaper.

Which means that about the entire issues older lead-acid batteries endure from are solved. As a substitute of lasting a season or two, a ship or RV with these batteries can final for years. Without having to maintain the batteries above 50%, you routinely double your accessible power storage with out having to purchase extra batteries. Plus, there’s mainly no hazard of outgassing, fires, or acid leaks.

As a result of it’s 12.8 volts, this battery is ready to plug proper into any present 12V battery system. You don’t want any particular cost controllers, adapters, or DC–DC chargers. Merely take away the previous lead-acid battery or batteries and wire these into the system. If you wish to use a number of batteries collectively, simply be sure you get all of them to the identical voltage earlier than connecting them collectively and comply with all advisories within the battery’s documentation.

The value can be fairly good. Whereas dearer than a lead-acid deep cycle battery ($229 as of this writing, $279 usually), the elevated sturdiness and the additional usable capability means that you would be able to get 2–4 instances as a lot good out of those batteries than an old-school one. So, even at a higher value, they’re clearly the higher deal.

In our testing, it labored nicely. Utilizing an influence inverter, we powered all types of instruments and units, and had no issues in any way. So, in the event you’re in search of an honest battery at worth, this one ought to match the invoice.

It’s not simply us who thinks Siekon makes an honest battery, both. In different critiques, they’ve been discovered to work nicely, have the marketed capability, and be constructed internally to face up to the type of use we count on deep cycle batteries to endure. Fairly than rehash all of that right here, right here’s a video from the DIY Photo voltaic Energy with Will Prowse YouTube channel:

Featured picture by Jennifer Sensiba.

Article by Jennifer Sensiba, sponsored by Siekon.


Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Need to promote? Need to recommend a visitor for our CleanTech Discuss podcast? Contact us here.


Newest CleanTechnica.TV Movies

Commercial



 


CleanTechnica makes use of affiliate hyperlinks. See our coverage here.

CleanTechnica’s Comment Policy




Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *