Hi all. Just wondering — would you buy replacement SLA battery for UPS on eBay, from Australian sellers?
Longer story: a few days ago my UPS died. It's an Eaton Powerware 5110 500va that I bought about 3.5 years ago. The surge ports are still working, but battery-backed ports aren't, and I cannot turn the unit on. I guess the battery is dead so I am looking for a replacement one.
I took the battery out and it's a 12V/5AH sealed lead acid battery. I had a quick look on eBay and there seem to be quite a few Australian sellers selling 7.2AH ones for around $22-$30 delivered. Jaycar also sell them at similar price, but then I have to travel there.
Some of the questions I have:
- are all the SLA batteries the same? What do I need to look out buying a replacement for a UPS?
- is eBay a reliable source for SLA batteries?
Scotty, you may like to read the comments I posted in this thread as it developed, as I endeavoured to help someone who ultimately couldn't even manage a simple thankyou. www.ozbargain.com.au/node/119182
As to a couple of things specific to your questions:
Buying any lead acid battery where you can't test the thing yourself is risky. It may have been sitting around for months without charge, and have a degree of irreversible (fine-grained) sulphation as a result. An Ebay seller may also give it a long overdue boost charge just before shipping in order to convey a false impression upon arrival.
Since just about all gel-cell production shifted to China, quality of batteries has been variable and very difficult to pin down, brand-wise or otherwise.
Just the slightest difference in the consistency with which lead paste is applied to plates - or just the slightest difference in electrolyte level per cell - can mean the difference between a battery that really goes the distance, and one that doesn't.
The best you can do is to take a multimeter (or a $3 digital panel meter from Ebay or BIC) with you to a place where you can test the batteries yourself. Pick the freshest one you can find, with the highest voltage on offer.
Loathe to recommend Jaycar for anything, but they will let you borrow a meter from the front desk, and they do have a reasonable stock turnover.
Supercheap Auto stock some gel-cells. Often very dusty, but especially if it coincides with one of their (increasingly rare) 20%-off sales, worth a look.
Ebay - just a big gamble for this sort of thing. Buyer be very aware.