Almost every one of us has heard that there are gel batteries. Everyone says that they are very effective and have a number of advantages. Despite the fact that such batteries are already more than 30 years old, they have gained the most popularity today. But if almost everyone heard about such a product, then not everyone saw the device in action. To at least understand something, you need to read the reviews. A gel battery is a pretty broad topic of conversation, so let's figure it out in order.
What are the differences from a traditional battery?
This question is probably of interest to every potential buyer, which is quite logical. It would be extremely unreasonable to buy a product without understanding what its features and main differences from the traditional solution are. We all know that in a lead-acid battery, current flows through positive and negative plates, and it flows through an electrolyte, which is in a liquid state. To avoid a short circuit, a plastic separator is provided in the structure, located between the positive and negative plates.
But it is worth paying your attention to the fact that the device of the gel battery is somewhat different. The main difference is that the electrolyte is in a thickened state and is, as it were, jelly (gel). At the plant, such an electrolyte is specially dried, and during operation it gradually hardens. Due to its unique structure, the electrolyte does not volatilize and is constantly in the casing. As for the vapors of hydrogen and oxygen, which are formed as a result of a chemical reaction during operation, they turn into water and are subsequently absorbed into the gel. This process is called recombination. To release excess pressure there is a special valve in the housing. As you can see, the gel battery device is quite unusual, although the principle of the traditional battery is preserved. Well, now some more interesting points.
A couple more features of gel batteries
It is impossible not to tell that this type of battery has a very unusual separator. It is made of microporous plastic, in which aluminum additives are added.
This gives the partition special resistance to aggressive environments and reduces internal resistance. In addition, the separator is resistant to vibration loads and mechanical damage, for which it has earned high praise from experts and positive reviews. The gel battery has another distinctive feature - high-purity lead in its composition. This significantly increased the operational properties of the product.
Of course, the device received most of the positive feedback not for its beautiful case, but for its unique characteristics. The main feature is the increased number of charge / discharge cycles and, as a result, a long service life. Many motorists note that the unit has been working for many years without failures, and this, without a doubt, is positive feedback. The gel battery can be stored for a rather long time in a discharged state, and can also be installed not only in a horizontal position. All this makes the product unique in its kind. Well, now we’ll talk about what, in fact, car owners think of such batteries.
Gel battery for car: owner reviews
This section is particularly interesting. The fact is that gel batteries are very often installed on cars, both on freight and passenger cars. This is due to the fact that such a device has a large capacity and a long service life. However, the biggest plus motorists see is that the starting current here is much higher than that of traditional batteries. This is extremely true in extreme weather conditions, for example, in high frosts. You can not do without such a battery and people who like to install additional equipment in the vehicle in the form of subwoofers, air conditioners, etc. In this case, you need a gel battery for the car. Reviews say that such a device can greatly help out with a large consumption of electricity.
But many motorists say that on-board electronics must be very accurate. It is for this reason that there is not even talk about installing gel batteries on domestic vehicles, especially on the "classics." So, the charge voltage should be constant, about 14.4 V. On VAZ cars, and on some foreign cars, this indicator can fluctuate in the range of 13-16 V, which will lead to battery malfunction. Nevertheless, reviews are far from always unambiguous, a gel battery in some cases quickly deteriorates if it is constantly stored at sub-zero temperatures (less than -20 degrees Celsius).
How to choose a charger
Any, even the highest quality battery will sooner or later fail if it is incorrectly charged. Here, self-made memories can no longer be used, since they will very quickly bring the unit to a deplorable state. Overcharging leads to failure of the battery cells, as well as a reduced level of electrolyte. As for the harmful effects of a small current, it is not. Of course, such a battery will take much longer to charge, but this is unlikely to have any negative effect. In fact, the battery life is determined by the environmental conditions in which the device is used, as well as the correct charging. For this simple reason, a charger for a gel battery should not be self-made, but purchased in a store. In addition, there are cyclic and buffer modes for recharging batteries.
It happens that you need to urgently use a battery, but it is discharged. In this case, you can speed up the process somewhat. True, you will need a special memory with a temperature limiter, which eliminates the heating of the battery. In addition, it is strongly recommended that you use a timer and ensure that there is no overcharge. Please note that if the charger for the gel battery is correctly selected, then its approximate service life can reach 4-6 years. Well, now consider another important point.
How to charge the gel battery
This kind of battery, as noted above, has a number of distinctive properties and features.
In fact, this is the ideal solution for installation on a boat, scooter or car. But the service of many raises a lot of questions. The weakest point of such a battery is a recharge. Before you charge the gel battery, you need to find out how to do it right, and only then proceed. It is necessary to observe the basic rule, which is as follows: the charging voltage should not exceed the threshold. The latter parameter in most cases ranges from 14.2 to 14.4 V, which will be indicated in the instructions or on the battery case.
It is not recommended to interrupt the charging process until it reaches the end. This is due to the fact that in this way the useful volume is lost. Therefore, the next time you charge, instead of 100%, you get no more than 95%, and this is not good. Do not forget that the first thing to do is to purchase a stationary charger for gel batteries. It is noteworthy in that it is possible to adjust the voltage, and there are also multi-stage charge algorithms. In principle, this is all that can be said about how to charge a gel battery. Everything is pretty simple here.
What is the ideal charger?
There are a few golden rules you should be aware of. So, it will be much easier for you to navigate and find a suitable charger for the gel battery. In fact, there is nothing difficult, the main thing is to pay attention to several determining factors. Firstly, it is the ability to install and adjust the charging current. You can say that today all memory devices have such an opportunity, but this is not so. In order not to buy something that does not suit you, check with the seller. Secondly, the presence of thermal compensation function. True, it is needed only if the battery is charged in an unheated room. Thermal compensation is not necessary if the temperature does not fall below 10 and does not rise above 30 degrees Celsius.
But that is far from all. Particular attention should be paid to the stages of charge that are on the memory. For gel batteries, there should be at least 3 of them. At the first stage, charging is carried out by direct current with increasing voltage, at the second stage - by constant voltage with decreasing current. The third stage is the buffer mode, that is, maintaining the charged state of the battery. If the charger for the gel battery is just that, then you will make the right purchase.
What is the difference between Gel and AGM batteries?
Not everyone knows that these are two completely different batteries. The first is gel, the name of the second is translated as “absorbent glass mat”. By and large, between the plates is fiberglass. In the “bound” state, an electrolyte is placed in the glass fabric, so that such a battery can be operated not only in a horizontal position. It is worth paying your attention to the fact that AGM batteries have nothing to do with gel batteries. So, batteries made of fiberglass serve about 5 years, these are the cheapest options, more expensive (automobile) - about 10 years. Withstand about 200 charges / discharges at 100% discharge, 800 cycles with a discharge depth of 30%. This suggests that it is beneficial to keep such a battery charged.
We have already reviewed gel batteries, reviews of which are mostly positive. Silica gel - filler - has a huge number of pores that hold back the electrolyte. Due to the absolute filling of the space between the plates, the possibility of shorting or shedding of lead plates is excluded. Do not confuse the AGM batteries and Gel, as they really have nothing in common.
A little about the features of gel batteries
Quite a lot has been said about what consumers say about Gel-batteries. You probably noticed that the performance of such batteries is quite high, especially when compared with traditional batteries. All this translates into high cost devices. So? LX 12-105MG at 105 Ah will cost about 12,000 rubles, more powerful models of the same brand, for example, at 260 Ah, will cost 28,000 rubles and more. It is not worthwhile to say once again that a lot depends on the manufacturing company. If gel batteries for domestic cars have one cost, then foreign analogues are 10-20% more expensive.
Do not forget that you will have to buy a special charger. It should have many features that we have already talked about. Ideally, charging the gel battery should be very accurate, without pulses and with high quality voltage. It is extremely important to avoid overheating and overcharging, as this adversely affects this type of battery. It will be interesting for motorists that when there is not enough space, you can put the battery in a position that is convenient for you. Of course, you can’t completely turn it over, but no one forbids putting it on its side.
About prices, and something else
Since we completely understood the device and the principle of operation of gel batteries, it would be worth saying a few words about the cost of such units. Just remember: such a battery can not be cheap. If we consider the battery of the brand Sunlight Power Gel at 62 A / h, then it will cost you about 8-9 thousand rubles. At the same time, it is exactly the same, but a traditional lead-acid battery will cost no more than 4-5 thousand rubles. Do not forget about AGM, which are competitors to Gel. It is worth paying your attention to the fact that glass fabric batteries are 20-30% cheaper than gel batteries, and are inferior to the latter only in the number of charges / discharges. Here you need to think about it. The fact is that the characteristics of gel batteries are unique, and the operational capabilities are great, but the price of such devices is very high.
Conclusion
So we considered the question that interests us. As you probably noticed, despite the positive feedback from most owners, it is far from always advisable to purchase gel batteries. Technical specifications, of course, are at their best, and in some cases this is the only normal way out. For example, with accurate on-board electrics and a lot of equipment in a car or boat, you can put such a plan battery. If you operate the vehicle at a temperature of -20 or lower, then the life of the gel battery will be significantly lower than the declared one. Of course, only you can choose the result, but you need to think a few times before making this kind of acquisition. Plus to all this, you need to buy a charger, which will cost at least 3 thousand rubles. If you need a long service life with a deep discharge, it is better to choose gel batteries. Reviews say that today for such purposes this is one of the best solutions.