LiFePO4

[wicksie]

Hi folks,

My 3 batteries arrived flat as pancakes 2 had each got damaged cell which have taken three weeks to get a successful  calibration.

All the batteries are different in soc, as much as 20% between them.

Company won't  take them back and tell me they are okay.

Even though I am of the belief these are, and will always perform substandard. 

Please, any experts out there, that can reassure me?

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, wicksie said:

Please, any experts out there, that can reassure me?

 

I don't think anyone can reassure you with so little information. 

 

Can you start by telling the board what exactly what batteries you have in your possession now? Make and model?

 

And how you are determining their state of charge? 

 

 

 

 

[IanD]

11 minutes ago, wicksie said:

Hi folks,

My 3 batteries arrived flat as pancakes 2 had each got damaged cell which have taken three weeks to get a successful  calibration.

All the batteries are different in soc, as much as 20% between them.

Company won't  take them back and tell me they are okay.

Even though I am of the belief these are, and will always perform substandard. 

Please, any experts out there, that can reassure me?

If they arrived flat and with damaged cells you should reject them, assuming they were sold as new -- Sale of Goods act applies, the supplier can't refuse to do this.

Edited March 4 by IanD

[Tony Brooks]

FWIW I had an email from a householder with something sounding very similar for a solar battery bank on his home. The suppliers were also apparently refusing to take them back.

 

Did we not also have a report of a similar problem with Sterling, but they did the right thing.

 

This might be a bad batch from the makers, not that it helps the OP much.

[nicknorman]

47 minutes ago, wicksie said:

Hi folks,

My 3 batteries arrived flat as pancakes 2 had each got damaged cell which have taken three weeks to get a successful  calibration.

All the batteries are different in soc, as much as 20% between them.

Company won't  take them back and tell me they are okay.

Even though I am of the belief these are, and will always perform substandard. 

Please, any experts out there, that can reassure me?

 

You will need to be more specific please, eg what exactly do you mean by "flat as pancakes" and what exactly do you mean by a "damaged cell"? If the cell had physical damage such that is was deformed, I would definintely send it back. How did you pay for it?

The only thing I would say is that "batteries are different in SoC, as much as 20%" is not an issue. Li batteries are to be stored and transported at around 30-50% SoC but that is nothing like critical. If you want to connect them in parallel then just charge each battery separately until the SoCs roughly match.

[wicksie]

Hi, thanks for your reply! 

Firstly, these batteries are not supposed to be discharged below 20%.

They had been allowed to flatten in a warehouse somewhere. The installer, was supposed to install, wire up, calibrate (min-max) and set a parameter of minimum discharge of 4% above the 20%.

Then commission the system.

It failed to calibrate. He said batteries one and three had cells in that stopped them from joining in calibration.

He left, leaving us with one functioning battery. 

He needed to return with a special DC charger.

A week later, he used said charger on the two and left the three to calibrate over the weekend. 

No improvement, in fact, he asked me over the phone to check lights on the batteries.

No. 1 had no lights on. Calibration was stuck, incomplete. 

Pressing button  on right of No.1 battery started it up, but no.3 shut down. After a while I got all three with lights on.

System was put on Calibration  again but got stuck again. 

After another week he returned, charged them all for longer (to approx 35%). This time Calibration was a success. Except performance of 1&3 is subpar compared to no.2

[GUMPY]

1 hour ago, IanD said:

If they arrived flat and with damaged cells you should reject them, assuming they were sold as new -- Sale of Goods act applies, the supplier can't refuse to do this.

^^^^^^^^^^^^

This is the way forward.

Don't mess about, just get on and do it

Also if paid for by credit card take it up with the CC company they are responsible as well

[nicknorman]

34 minutes ago, wicksie said:

Hi, thanks for your reply! 

Firstly, these batteries are not supposed to be discharged below 20%.

They had been allowed to flatten in a warehouse somewhere. The installer, was supposed to install, wire up, calibrate (min-max) and set a parameter of minimum discharge of 4% above the 20%.

Then commission the system.

It failed to calibrate. He said batteries one and three had cells in that stopped them from joining in calibration.

He left, leaving us with one functioning battery. 

He needed to return with a special DC charger.

A week later, he used said charger on the two and left the three to calibrate over the weekend. 

No improvement, in fact, he asked me over the phone to check lights on the batteries.

No. 1 had no lights on. Calibration was stuck, incomplete. 

Pressing button  on right of No.1 battery started it up, but no.3 shut down. After a while I got all three with lights on.

System was put on Calibration  again but got stuck again. 

After another week he returned, charged them all for longer (to approx 35%). This time Calibration was a success. Except performance of 1&3 is subpar compared to no.2

 

It would be helpful to know what make of battery these are.

[cheesegas]

Yep, we need more information - please have a read of the posts. If you can get us a photo of the batteries, model number and if you bought online, a purchase link it would be great.

[MtB]

Also, as you seem to be mainly relaying stuff your installer has told you, could you ask him to register here and join in the thread please? 

 

There will be loads of questions I think he will be better placed to answer.