5 Tips to Remember Before Buying Inverter Batteries
By Snigdha Phatak
Inverter batteries are an essential electrical component of any building. They’re used to provide a steady, small electrical current to run all the appliances in the household. Your household can get a steady power supply for a few hours or days, depending upon the size of the battery. If you don’t have an inverter battery, getting one is one of the best methods to ensure your house doesn’t lack a power supply.
Inverter batteries can also be installed with your rooftop solar system. They don’t need any special type of electrical wiring inside the household or building. Instead, they’re compatible with almost any electrical system. These advantages make inverter batteries a must-have for any home, residential or commercial building. If you’ve decided to buy an inverter battery for your home, read through these five tips before you buy inverter batteries.
Tip 1: Inverter batteries aren’t one size fit all.
You can take recommendations from your neighbours and friends to help you find an inverter battery. However, the unit in their home may not be perfect for yours. Before you buy a battery, you should assess your total power consumption. Each appliance has different requirements. For example:
- A fan requires 70-90 watts.
- A regular tube light requires 45-50 watts.
- A television requires 60-100 watts. (higher if you have an OLED)
- A Laptop requires 50-100 watts.
- An AC requires 250-300 watts.
These are just the basic numbers. You will have to multiply these numbers by the total appliance in your home. For example, if your home has four fans, five tube lights, one TV, one laptop and one ACs, your total requirement would be:
Total Requirement = (4×90)+(5×50)+(1×100)+(1×100)+(1×300) = 1,110 watts.
Your chosen inverter battery should be able to support at least 1,110 watts. Without understanding your day-to-day requirement, you won’t be able to find the right product for your home.
Tip 2: Verify the warranty of the inverter battery before buying.
Most people forget to verify the warranty on the inverter battery before buying. Instead, they opt to look at the name of the manufacturer and decide based on trust. However, we recommend looking at the warranty available on the product.
Most batteries have a warranty of 12-36 months. However, for an inverter battery, the average warranty is 4 years. Most manufacturers provide a warranty of up to 5 years on inverter batteries. It also changes based on the type of battery. Lead-acid batteries have a maximum of a 5-year warranty, whereas lithium-ion batteries have an 8-10 years warranty. Therefore, you should verify whether the warranty of the product corresponds with its features or not.
Tip 3: Understand the type of battery you need.
While there are many brands and models of inverter batteries, understanding the difference between each is a must. Many people compare two different brands. Instead, we recommend first comparing the battery types.
Currently, there are three main batteries available in the market. Each battery has its benefits and disadvantages. Let’s understand these first:
1. Lead-acid batteries
These are the oldest, most common type of inverter batteries available. These were the first rechargeable batteries introduced on the market.
Benefits: These batteries are economical. They’re lightweight and can recharge.
Disadvantages: Lead-acid batteries require regular maintenance and electrolyte check. They are not eco-friendly and do release greenhouse gases.
2. Maintenance-free batteries
As the name suggests, these batteries don’t require any maintenance. They are made to overcome the disadvantages of lead-acid batteries.
Benefits: They don’t require any maintenance and nor do they release any greenhouse gases. They also don’t need any water or electrolyte top-up.
Disadvantages: They are very expensive and have a short lifespan. If broken or cracked, they have to be replaced completely.
3. Tubular batteries
Tubular batteries are the most popular modern-day option. They’re the most efficient inverter batteries currently available.
Benefits: Along with being the most efficient, they are also the most reliable inverter batteries. They have a long lifespan and are suitable for houses with frequent power cuts.
Disadvantages: They are also the most expensive batteries available.
Which one should you choose?
At a first glance, Tubular batteries sound like a straightforward choice. However, the choice depends entirely on your budget and household requirements. We recommend talking to an electrician or any technician before making a decision.
Tip 4: Understand the inverter’s VA rating.
Before buying any inverter battery, you should understand and verify the inverter’s Voltage Ampere (VA) rating. VA rating is the power required by the appliance and the power factor of the inverter. The power factor is usually between 0.7 and 0.8. Let’s understand this with an example:
Let’s assume your household has a requirement of 140 watts.
VA = 140W/0.7 = 200 VA.
Therefore, you’ll require an inverter that can support at least 200-220 VA. Choosing an inverter with a lower VA means you won’t be able to power the appliances that have higher requirements. Most manufacturers include the VA rating on the label of the product or the box.
Tip 5: Verify the after-sales service of the manufacturer.
Verifying the after-sales service of the manufacturer is one of the most crucial steps that you shouldn’t skip. Since an inverter battery can last for at least three years, it is a sizeable investment. Unfortunately, problems in these batteries cannot be fixed by following a DIY video. Instead, you will have to call a professional.
We recommend checking the after-sales service of the manufacturer. You may not want a manufacturer who delays your request. You can find information about these services by visiting online forums or reading product reviews on online marketplaces (Amazon, Flipkart, eBay, etc.)
Conclusion
Most rural houses require a stable electricity supply that can’t be provided by the city’s grid. Instead, most people turn to solar systems. If you’ve installed a new solar panel in your home, you should look for a suitable inverter battery. Remember these five tips and you will be able to find the perfect inverter battery for your home.
