Where to buy 6volts battery for inverter

Geek
Geek Solar Expert Posts: 32
My mom lives in the Caribbean and uses a 24volt inverter with a bank of 8 6volt batteries.

Where's a good place to buy this type of battery?
do I need any specification before buying?
what's a good price per unit?
which one is good but affordable and recommended?

..

Comments

  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: Where to buy 6volts battery for inverter

    Our host, Northern Arizona Wind & Sun is not a bad place to look... Good pricing and NAWS stands behind their products (and will drop product that does not perform well).

    That being said--the reality is that between shipping, customs, etc.,--your best bet it to look for a local distributor for your large/heavy products unless you have some shipping contacts that can get your product in for a reasonable cost.

    I would suggest that you look at NAWS and start finding/pricing local sources of those products.

    If you find other brands--you can post and ask questions here about how well they may perform... But you may not find much in the way of help here--brands you find may not be available in the US, and/or the sample size so small that our feed back may be of limited use.

    I would suggest reading things like the Battery FAQ here (also read the product descriptions--cycle life and other information is frequently found in these areas) and search for others around the Internet so you can ask the correct questions and ensure you find the right kind of battery for your needs.

    Specification wise--Knowing the size of the current battery bank, the AH of the current daily loads, and the size of the charging device (watts of panels, amps of charging current, amount of sun available--if solar, etc.), will help size your battery bank appropriately... (too few batteries for the load/charging, the batteries will die soon. Too large, and may not have sufficient charging capabilities to properly charge and maintain the battery bank).

    And, last question, how did the current battery bank do? Did it last a long time or die quickly. Did one battery die, or are all aging together? Did they do a good job of taking care of the batteries (adding distilled water, keeping clean, monitor state of charge with hydrometer/voltmeter, etc.)?

    Would you get the same brand/model/size of batteries again, or where were they "weak" in performance?

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Where to buy 6volts battery for inverter

    My first thought is golf cart batteries. If there is a golf course near there, the shop there may be able to connect her to the battery vendor.

    Shipping from the USA will be painfully expensive.

    The batteries will also need a supply of distilled water. Non-distilled water WILL slowly kill them.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
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  • JESSICA
    JESSICA Solar Expert Posts: 289 ✭✭
    Re: Where to buy 6volts battery for inverter
    Geek wrote: »
    My mom lives in the Caribbean and uses a 24volt inverter with a bank of 8 6volt batteries.

    Where's a good place to buy this type of battery?
    do I need any specification before buying?
    what's a good price per unit?
    which one is good but affordable and recommended?

    ..

    Geek:

    Where in the Caribbean? Dominican Republic? Puerto Rico?...
    I live in Puerto Rico, and know of some places where you can find good 6v batteries.
  • Geek
    Geek Solar Expert Posts: 32
    Re: Where to buy 6volts battery for inverter

    she lives in the DR, Santo Domingo, not using any solar panels but since they they have so many electricity issues down there most of the people need to have an inverter with batteries so it can be used when there's no electricity....:cry:
  • JESSICA
    JESSICA Solar Expert Posts: 289 ✭✭
    Re: Where to buy 6volts battery for inverter

    Geek:

    I don't know where she may buy the batteries in DR.
    But if she, or anyone else, can take the Ferry to PR, they can find 6v batteries (Golf Cart type) just a few minutes away from the harbor:

    At Sam's Club (5 minutes from the harbor);
    At "Clean Energy", a new store in Aguada (They sell MOURA CLEAN, big and expensive, AGMs; 20 minutes from harbor.)
    At "Supermercado de Baterías", in Isabela (one hour from the harbor).

    I think the ticket for the Ferry is about $100. They transport all kind of stuff, and people, of course.
  • Geek
    Geek Solar Expert Posts: 32
    Re: Where to buy 6volts battery for inverter

    thanks for the info Jessica.
  • Geek
    Geek Solar Expert Posts: 32
    Re: Where to buy 6volts battery for inverter

    the batteries she needs are 6volts and 225A.
  • Solar Guppy
    Solar Guppy Solar Expert Posts: 1,989 ✭✭✭
    Re: Where to buy 6volts battery for inverter

    Those are standard sams club golf cart batteries