Do you wish to swap your UPS battery for a solar bank battery?
Do you wish to swap your UPS battery for a solar bank battery?
I have this... The unit contains a sealed 12v 7ah UPS battery, but I'm thinking about swapping it for a 12v 50ah solar SLA battery. Don't mind if I'm getting a bit carried away with my theory—my French Canadian approach might be spot on. I'm concerned the charging section of the UPS could get damaged, but if that's what you're thinking, maybe it's worth exploring... Having 600 wh will let your PC and monitor run for four hours instead of just seconds during a power outage.
The charging circuits in a UPS are designed for specific type of battery. AGM (absorbent glass mat) which is typical for a UPS. Your solar battery may be a completely different composition and require very different charging parameters. Migt it work? Maybe. Might you get a fire because you over tax the battery or charging circuit? Maybe.
If you consider this project carefully, it would provide a more durable inverter. The original unit was designed with the goal of lasting longer than its factory batteries could sustain. Components were selected to match those requirements. While it might still work with larger amp hour AGM batteries, it wasn’t built for extended operation and overheating would be a problem. I have four-gauge wire for my battery bank since you also need to avoid overheating the wire in a 12V system that draws amps continuously. The inverter seems suited for around 24V, which would reduce strain on the wires. Still, those models were intended for short runs—about 20 minutes or less depending on load if power was lost and the inverter activated.
Most SLA batteries are AGM, while gel types are less common. Although it should function properly, the charging rate might be limited to lower values (e.g., below 1A), causing longer charging times than usual. A stronger external charger may be necessary occasionally. This setup resembles trickle charging a car battery—verify the UPS charge specifications accordingly.
I believed my solar battery was AGM... it should be sealed, but mine has caps on top. Living in the Philippines makes me think it could be a fake product.
I believed the voltage from the wall outlet to the UPS battery matched exactly what I draw from the UPS... I haven’t adjusted anything over the past three months, and I only have about four seconds of power when there’s a local outage. (This is typical in this great country)... Also, I searched for the SKP 650 specs but found nothing... Do you have any other suggestions?
my tower draws 105-110 watts, while my monitor uses 25-27 watts. the sealed ups battery seems to be handling this well. therefore, the thought of upgrading the battery comes into focus. adding another 5-20 watts for my fiber optics wifi modem is already pushing me close to 200 watts.
It's generally a fairly basic unit from the start.
The main factor is the duty cycle they specify.
How long each component is meant to operate continuously matters.
When examining solar equipment, inverters are built for continuous operation 24/7/365.
A UPS is usually intended for short bursts of use—like shutting down a machine or starting a generator.
It's hard to say exactly what will happen.
It might work fine, but prolonged use could damage the parts.
I've used bigger batteries in my UPS before replacements, but I didn't push it as far as they do.
Your current unit should last at least 15 minutes with a 200-watt load.
Often, within three years the performance drops noticeably.
Most units don’t reach five years of reliable service.
Thank you. I’m not too worried about fire since here in the Philippines my home is mostly concrete (and not a jailcell). I’ve sent an email to Ske and hope to hear back someday. As a Canadian, I try not to be racist, but I hate everyone equally...
.. but China...
But if I need a 12V 50Ah battery, I think that’s about 600Wh. That should give me more than three hours of PC use during a power outage (which is called brownout here). Is my Quebec brain right?.. except for the ups sending watts to the ups battery for a long time... I don’t see anything that could catch fire...
Taking these components too seriously might not be the best approach. The elements probably won’t ignite, they just won’t function properly. Likely a component inside a chip or a capacitor could melt, causing it to stop working.
The materials used for building these UPS systems are chosen to handle extended operation times. They’re built to endure about ten minutes of heat before cooling down during battery recharging, allowing hours for the batteries to recharge. Even using regular batteries reduces wear on electronic parts. The design aims to keep components from deteriorating under normal use, at least until the warranty expires.
Exceeding the intended operating times speeds up part degradation.