Thread: Replacing cranking and yellow top battery with Lithium's?

Hope this is not topic, but where do Lead Crystal batteries fit into the mix, as house batteries.

Originally Posted by AndyG

where do Lead Crystal batteries fit into the mix, as house batteries.

Hi Andy, shortly after Lead Crystal batteries first came on the market, I got involved with the importer and also started selling them.

I very quickly realised that these batteries had to be charged in a very specific way and while it was achievable, it was not going to be easily done by most potential users, so I stopped selling them.

A good while after this, the quality of the batteries took a nose dive and they became almost impossible to recharge properly.

There is a lot more to the Lead Crystal battery saga but in short, if you already have the original batteries and can charge them properly, they will most likely out last lead acid batteries by a long way.

If you are considering buying new LC batteries, in short, DON’T. There are serious problems with them, and problems that can not be addressed.

Originally Posted by drivesafe

Hi Dave and there is some very good advantages to using lithium batteries in caravans but it still comes back to whether a user is actually going to get the benefit of the advantages lithium’s offer over conventional batteries.

This is why everyone considering caravan use and more specifically battery use in these caravans, needs to do a lot of research about what they will personally gain or potentially loose, by swapping to lithium batteries.

People are unlikely to “loose” by going to lithium’s from a usage prospective, but their pockets could take a seriously huge hit with no real gain, and this is where people need to look hard at what they actually want from their battery setup.

The biggest single problem I see for someone trying to decide whether to make the change is the incredible amount of misleading info out there about lithium battery capabilities.

The amount of times “individuals” make claims about ”how much better” their system now works since they changed to lithium batteries, when in actual fact, they have gained no real advantage and the change has actually done nothing more than make them “feel Good”.

There needs to be far more True data based discussion on this subject so people considering the potential of changing, can get a realistic idea of whether a change is to their specific advantage.

You ask for facts, here’s one for example: LiefePo4 is incredibly more effective at absorbing current, therefore the battery bank is able to replenish itself much quicker than the lead acid. This makes a huge difference.

Hi Bagoo76 and “if” you have a lithium battery that can take high current charging, sure you are correct.

But the very same thing applies to lead acid batteries.

I always instruct my customers to use high current recharging batteries, like Yellowtops and SSB HVT series batteries, or any cranking battery, as their auxiliary battery.

This allows both the cranking battery and auxiliary battery to take every thing the alternator can produce.

And note, this allows the correct lead acid batteries to charge just as fast as some special lithium batteries can be charged, but the lead acid batteries cost a fraction of the price of these special lithium batteries.

Also note, my isolators have been exploiting high current recharging for over thirty years now, so the principal is well and truely established, but lithium batteries have only been capable of this type of charging for a short time. We just have to wait and see if it is viable long term.

Originally Posted by Bagoo76

You ask for facts, here’s one for example: LiefePo4 is incredibly more effective at absorbing current, therefore the battery bank is able to replenish itself much quicker than the lead acid. This makes a huge difference.

Gday Nick,

In some versions you are very correct. Not all have such high inrush capability. Hence why most DcDc units only run around 25a - most LiFePo4 are around 20 amp.

With the research being thrown into the tech at the moment there are some interesting developments ahead.

Originally Posted by Tombie

Gday Nick,

In some versions you are very correct. Not all have such high inrush capability. Hence why most DcDc units only run around 25a - most LiFePo4 are around 20 amp.

With the research being thrown into the tech at the moment there are some interesting developments ahead.

I agree that you need to check lithium battery charge rates along with discharge. Although my research indicates that most take a higher rate than 20ah. The pic I posted at the start of the thread indicates this as well.

Either way

top of my list was discharge rate where I needed 200ah which I found
Second on my list was charge rate, mine accepts 60ah which I was happy enough with.

40 DC-DC and separate solar going into the battery. Generally get around 50 going in while driving. I’ve always been back at 100% before next destination is reached. Hang on, once I haven’t but it was a short drive home and solar had me back at 100 quick enough.

Originally Posted by drivesafe

Hi Andy, shortly after Lead Crystal batteries first came on the market, I got involved with the importer and also started selling them.

I very quickly realised that these batteries had to be charged in a very specific way and while it was achievable, it was not going to be easily done by most potential users, so I stopped selling them.

A good while after this, the quality of the batteries took a nose dive and they became almost impossible to recharge properly.

There is a lot more to the Lead Crystal battery saga but in short, if you already have the original batteries and can charge them properly, they will most likely out last lead acid batteries by a long way.

If you are considering buying new LC batteries, in short, DON’T. There are serious problems with them, and problems that can not be addressed.

Thanks that is very interesting