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Overheard a client in Dallas talk about their old system's battery life
They said their old panel's backup battery lasted 12 years before it finally died. I always tell people to change them every 3 to 5 years, but this got me thinking about how we test for battery health on site. Do you guys use a specific load tester, or just go by the manufacture date on the battery?
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evan2955mo ago
Yeah, a buddy of mine had a similar thing happen with an old alarm system battery, just chugging along for like a decade. Makes you wonder, like @jesse_nguyen said, if you're just getting lucky. We usually just check the date sticker, to be honest.
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jesse_nguyen5mo ago
That 12 year battery story is wild! It reminds me of this old pickup truck my dad drove when I was a kid. He never changed the battery, just kept jumping it for months until one day it wouldn't hold a charge at all. We were stuck at the grocery store. I guess some things just hang on way past their expected life, but you can't really plan on it. It's probably smarter to stick with the schedule instead of hoping for a miracle.
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lilycraig5mo ago
Actually, jumping a car battery over and over can kill it faster. Each time it goes totally dead, it damages the inside a little bit. So your dad's truck battery might have died sooner because of all the jumps, not just from old age. It's not really hanging on past its life, it's being worn down in a different way. That's why sticking to a schedule or checking it before it dies is the better move.
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