Inverters are useful device that provides backup power whenever there is a power cut in your area. The amount of time an inverter can keep powering up your appliances and devices is based on the kind of battery it uses and its capacity.
Inverter batteries can be of various types including flat plate batteries, tubular batteries, and gel batteries. Each battery has different properties and prices and you should compare each of them before making a decision. For instance, a tubular battery price can be more than a flat battery price but tubular batteries have a longer service life.
Since each battery is good at different things, you should know more about each one of them and then relate which one fits the profile of your energy needs better.
Different Types Of Inverter Batteries
Flat Plate Battery
Flat plate batteries don’t take up a lot of space and are great for small homes and commercial places that experience power cuts for a short amount of time but these cuts are quite frequent. Flat plate batteries are also called lead-acid batteries. The name comes from the fact that the batteries have two electrodes dipped in an acid solution.
These are some of the most commonly found inverter batteries and have been around for a long time. Flat plate batteries are designed to get charged instantly and are hence a good buy for places with frequent power cuts. These batteries are the cheapest of them all but require a lot of regular maintenance to extend their life. It needs to be water topped regularly and releases harmful gases during discharging or charging as well.
Tubular Battery
As the name suggests, tubular batteries look like towers and can come in different container sizes. Tubular batteries can be classified into tall tubular batteries and short tubular batteries depending on their size. These batteries are bigger as compared to flat plate batteries and are best suited for places where power cuts happen infrequently but happen for a long time.
Tubular batteries require minimum effort to maintain with fewer water top-ups and generally run longer than a flat plat battery. They have an abrasion-resistance and leak-proof structure which not only results in lower maintenance but better safety as well. While the tubular battery price is higher than that of a flat-plate battery, they have a longer operational life, are highly reliable, and provide greater efficiency as well. Suitable for heavy-duty applications and power cuts for a long time.
Gel Batteries
Gel batteries are also lead-acid batteries but the main difference between them and other lead-acid batteries is that they have a special crisscross structure of gel inside of them. This gel enables the battery to provide power backup over a longer period of time as it prevents the acid solution from settling down too quickly. These batteries provide more power backup as well per cycle.
Gel batteries are the costliest of all three batteries but their prices are coming down every day. They are completely sealed to prevent any kind of acid spillage and don’t emit any harmful gas during charging or discharging making them safe for you as well as the environment. One of the best things about these batteries is that they are very easy to install and maintain as well. They don’t require any water top-up in their entire lifecycle and still provide consistent power backup throughout its life.
How To Choose The Best Battery For My Home
Apart from the obvious factors like cost and available space at home, you should consider the duration for which you want power backup and the kind of load you want to run on the inverter to decide which inverter is the best for you. For instance, if you want power backup for just 15 minutes a day and want to use your TV and fridge continuously, a flat plate battery will do the trick. If you want to use just the lights and fans but want it to run for hours at a time, a tubular battery should be your choice.
Takeaway
Knowledge about inverter batteries can come in very handy when you are buying your next inverter. There are several things to consider like which battery will fulfil your power requirements? Is the extra tubular battery price worth it or is the flat plate battery enough? Are gel batteries a good buy for the long run? Once you’ve figured the answer to these questions, you will have the best inverter battery for your home.