We built our Ford Transit van in October of 2020 and purchased TWO Renogy Lithium-Iron Phosphate Batteries (12 volt/170Ah) for which we paid $3,000. We have put about 30,000 miles on the van taking around 6 road trips across country. We have not turned the batteries off when parked and so they usually stay charged at 100% in California. The batteries are now dead (will not charge above 20%)! This is after just 2.5 years. Is this normal? Naturally the "warranty" has expired. So, if this is normal life for these expensive batteries, then replacement will be equal to $1200 per year which seems insane. Is there a better option in batteries and did we do something wrong? The only thing running when not in use is the ICECO fridge. Should we have been turning them off when not in use? Appreciate any advice.
Lithium batteries dead after 2 years? Is this normal?
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Lithium batteries are usually rated for a number of charge cycles, ranging from 500 to 5,000 cycles. So I would check the battery manual, or contact Renogy, first to see what you should have expected. However, two years would be too short for normal expectations.
There are several things that can brick a lithium battery. Being charged below freezing would damage them. Also having the charging voltage (or amperage) set too high when charging them, especially if they are on a solar panel or trickle charger. Or, drawing them down at a faster rate than their specification. Or, letting them get too hot. All possibilities.
I'd try to figure this out before getting new batteries.
There are several things that can brick a lithium battery. Being charged below freezing would damage them. Also having the charging voltage (or amperage) set too high when charging them, especially if they are on a solar panel or trickle charger. Or, drawing them down at a faster rate than their specification. Or, letting them get too hot. All possibilities.
I'd try to figure this out before getting new batteries.
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Is this normal?
No, it is not normal. But it is possible to destroy or drastically shorten the life of a battery by improper charging or by continuous deep discharging, or by continuous charging and discharging at high ambient temperatures.
The only thing running when not in use is the ICECO fridge.
Why were you running the fridge if you were not using it?
We have not turned the batteries off when parked and so they usually stay charged at 100% in California.
Some will tell you that storing them fully charged will shorten their life. Others will tell you that storing them fully charged is recommended. Storing them fully charged should not shorten their life to 2.5 years.
Should we have been turning them off when not in use?
It would have been better to turn them off, but not turning them off should not have shortened their life to 2.5 years.
Here's what I suspect might have happened:
From your post it sounds like you have solar charging, and you have said that you ran the fridge all the time. You're in California, where it can get hot. So if your batteries were in a hot environment (the solar oven that some refer to as a van) AND they were constantly charging and discharging because your refrigerator was on all the time, that could drastically shorten the life of your batteries.
No, it is not normal. But it is possible to destroy or drastically shorten the life of a battery by improper charging or by continuous deep discharging, or by continuous charging and discharging at high ambient temperatures.
The only thing running when not in use is the ICECO fridge.
Why were you running the fridge if you were not using it?
We have not turned the batteries off when parked and so they usually stay charged at 100% in California.
Some will tell you that storing them fully charged will shorten their life. Others will tell you that storing them fully charged is recommended. Storing them fully charged should not shorten their life to 2.5 years.
Should we have been turning them off when not in use?
It would have been better to turn them off, but not turning them off should not have shortened their life to 2.5 years.
Here's what I suspect might have happened:
From your post it sounds like you have solar charging, and you have said that you ran the fridge all the time. You're in California, where it can get hot. So if your batteries were in a hot environment (the solar oven that some refer to as a van) AND they were constantly charging and discharging because your refrigerator was on all the time, that could drastically shorten the life of your batteries.
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Seven years so far on $600 dollars worth of Trojan agm batteries, (330 Ah) I hope to get ten years out of them.
What are we doing wrong? We obviously are going to need to buy new batteries now and do not want a repeat in 2 more years. Do you remove your batteries when not traveling, or just unplug/turn them off? Is it the brand we bought?
Again, we really need to know more or we are just guessing. You can easily cook an AGM battery in two years, many have. Properly used, as @Michael Ophus says, you can get 10 years out of them. The devil is in the details and that is what we need to help you out.
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I have a completely different kind of battery then you have, I am just attempting to point out that it is a cheaper alternative to the type of battery you chose.
Agm batteries work when you have a highly efficient marine refrigerator.
I spent all of my money on the refrigerator instead of the batteries.
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There are so many unknowns given the limited description you are providing in the opening post that, like Boondox says, we would just be guessing at answering. The more in-depth information you can provide regarding charging and discharging the better these guesses will be. The one easy answer from what you have said so far is that, no, that 20% capacity after two years is not normal.
What do you do for charging? If solar like kenryan says in #3, how are you preventing over voltage? What kind of BMS are you using? Do you have a way to track charge/discharge cycles over time? What are the limits on charge voltage? What are the limits on discharge levels? Do you have a way to look at the voltage of each individual cell? Are the batteries wired in series or parallel? To have them both go bad at the same time would point it to not being the fault of the batteries.
What do you do for charging? If solar like kenryan says in #3, how are you preventing over voltage? What kind of BMS are you using? Do you have a way to track charge/discharge cycles over time? What are the limits on charge voltage? What are the limits on discharge levels? Do you have a way to look at the voltage of each individual cell? Are the batteries wired in series or parallel? To have them both go bad at the same time would point it to not being the fault of the batteries.
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Yeah. I just noticed that there is another posting with the same title and opening comment, both on March 18.
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