Gate batteries that last

Make sure your batteries don’t let you down.

Lalela Lithium LeFePO4 Gate motor battery

Are you tired of your alarm, gate, electric fence or garage door batteries not lasting a year? Well, you’re not alone. Many people have these batteries around their homes to provide backup power in the event of a short-term power loss (loadshedding!). Traditionally, these batteries are 12 V lead-acid batteries, similar to the batteries in our cars. However, they have a limited lifespan and can suddenly stop holding a charge.

But why does your gate and alarm battery not even last a year? The answer lies in understanding that lead-acid batteries have a design life of around 150 charge cycles, and were never intended for the regular power outages we currently experience with loadshedding. A charge cycle happens each time the battery drops below 100% and is then fully charged. Therefore, if you have loadshedding twice a day, that’s two charge cycles in one day. This means that the battery will last only about 2.5 months before it starts to underperform.

Lead-acid batteries can also take 12-16 hours to fully charge, meaning that they are often not fully charged before the next loadshedding cycle. This compounds the problem further, as lead-acid batteries should never be discharged below a 50% state of charge, which damages the battery.

But don’t worry; there is a solution! Lithium-ion batteries, such as the ones from Lalela, are the answer. Lithium-ion technologies are used in most portable devices that we charge on a daily basis, including our phones and laptops. Unlike lead-acid, lithium-ion has a depth of discharge up to 70%, giving you more usable power, and also charges faster. Additionally, Lithium Iron Phosphate LifePO4 batteries have a design life of over 2000 charge cycles. This works out to about 12 charge cycles per month, using the same calculation as above. Over 2000 cycles, that’s 13 years plus!

The Lalela lithium-ion battery is the exact same shape as the lead acid battery, so is an exact swap-out with your existing batteries. This means they can be used in all the same places as the lead acid batteries.

To replace the battery, start by ensuring that power to your gate motor is switched off at the DB board. Open the housing and unplug the power supply cables from the battery, starting with the negative terminal. Negative is a black cable and positive is red. Remove the negative first and replace the battery with your new Lalela lithium-ion batteryy. Reconnect the positive first, followed by the negative, then reconnect your power supply, turn on the power, and you’re done!

Now you can take advantage of much newer technology, let it work in the background and know that it charges faster and will last for years. Lalela products are available from Builders and are available both in-store and online at builders.co.za.