Question on switching to LiFePO4 batteries.
I'm going to replace my 2 lead acid batteries in my Bigfoot truck camper with two 100ah LiFePO4 batteries. I've previously installed a 4 way battery selector switch to allow me to keep one of my batt...
Forum Discussion
Sterling1 wrote:StirCrazy wrote:
LiFePO4 is a different animal and while it has a few things you can't do like you did with your old fifty buck Walmart special, it isn't really that hard. little things like using a capacitor to preload your inverter circuit before you hook the batteries to it, on a new install, is it necessary probably not, but it does reduce the chance that feedback from a spark will take out any electronics.
even things like making sure you can parallel it, some can't, some have 2 battery restrictions some have 4. same goes for series installation, do the homework.
This is an interesting comment about the inverter. My inverter is currently connected directly to one of my batteries and doesn't go through the switch. I was planning on leaving it this way and see if I have a problem with parasitic draw drawing down the LFE battery when the switch is in the Off position. According to my inverter manual it doesn't draw any current when the inverter is switched off. If it did I was either going to disconnect it for storage or move it to the switch. I would hope the BMS can protect itself from the inverter inrush current. It is pretty common to have inverters connected to batteries and it seems like they would have precautions in the battery manual if it could harm the BMS.
My new LFE batteries are allowed to be connected in parralel but not series.
nothing to do with the inrush current, in your inverter the capacitors will stay charged when it is off for a long period. The reason from pre-charging the capacitors on a new installation is to prevent an arc while connecting them which could back feed. There is a more in-depth explanation than that, but I would have to go back and refresh my mind with it. Once it is hooked up there is no danger of this happening.
the point is not that though, the point was that there are several things we used to do with old battery tech that shouldn't be done with new. can you get away with doing a lot of it.. probably, but I don't want to be that one who finds out he didn't ..
