Review and Teardown of SUNRICH ENERGY $209 Cheapest (Low Cost) Self-Heating LiFePO4 100Ah Battery
Self-heating LiFePO4 batteries are necessary for use in non-climate-controlled areas that go below freezing. Charging LiFePO4 batteries below freezing will damage them and reduce their capacity and lifespan. At a minimum, the batteries should have low (and high) temperature cut-offs (the BMS should control this, but not all do). Even with a low temp cut off, the battery can't be charged without heating it up first, so you need to add a heater pad or some heat source to the battery.
Self-heating batteries are a little more expensive, but solve the issue of charging below freezing.
The least expensive self-heating 100Ah LiFePO4 battery I have found is this one. It and the associated brand appear to be brand new (edit: it's a sub-brand of RICH SOLAR, read below) and there are no reviews anywhere except for a few on Amazon. It's a big risk to buy it, but the investment is a lot less than the more expensive batteries.
Watch the full teardown video:
It claims "equipped with dual-layer heating pads totaling 100W. It can heat the battery from 41℉ to 50℉ in about 30 minutes, twice as fast as products with only 50W heating power. Perfect for the chilly winters across the US (except for a few extremely cold days)." At least they are honest about the extremely cold days. Adding some thermal insulation around the outside maybe benefficial, like a carbon fiber blanket.
【Low Temperature Cut Off】SUNRICH ENERGY lithium batteries feature smart BMS for cold weather protection. If the battery temperature drops below 32℉, charging stops; once it rises above 41℉, charging resumes. If it falls below -4℉, the low-temperature shutdown prevents discharging, safeguarding the battery from cold damage in harsh winter conditions.
Measures 12.8" x 6.6" x 8.5"
NOTE: The price fluctuates, I purchased 2 for $209 each, but when I checked back later the price was $229, but their advertisement still said $209. I'm sure the price will go back down, as that is the trend with LiFePO4 batteries.
I purchased 2 of these batteries and when I recieved them, the box was taped up with RICH SOLAR tape and RICH SOLAR labels. So SUNRICH is a sub brand of RICH SOLAR (the connection is so obvious now 😂). RICH SOLAR is an established and reputable brand of solar power and battery products, so I would expect the quality of these batteries to be to par with with their other products, and better than random name amazon products.
This is the box that the SUNRICH batteries shipped in.
The model number is SE-B100. They tried to cover up the RICH SOLAR label on the box.
I couldn't pull off the label covering the RICH SOLAR label, but It was slightly transparent, so I was able to take a picture and enhance it.
It reads:
RICH SOLAR
Lithium Iron Battery
Model No: SE-B100
Nominal Voltage: 12.8V
Nominal Capacity: 100Ah(1280Wh)
Carton Number: 50/50
Made In China
Even before opening this box, I'm much more confident about my purchase and the performance and quality I should expect from these batteries.
I did not want to damage the outer shell of the battery taking it apart. Most of the teardown videos I've seen of other batteries break, wreck, smash and cut the housings open, tearing up the battery in the process. I wanted to be able to out it back together and use it. So I carefully heated the seam to soften the glue and pryed it open without any damage!
It was more difficult to remove the epoxy around the edge of the fiberglass plate. Using a fiberglass plate insulator between the battery pack and the BMS is a nice touch to isolate them from each other
Battery BMS
I don't recognize this specific BMS, nor can I find a matching design. I was able to translate the label and discover the manufacturer's name which is Anhui BAK New Power Technology Co., Ltd. This is their website. And their company background is here. They appear to manufacture the battery and the BMS.
Battery Wires
The battery wire terminals are model # SC10-5. That means the wires are 10mm^2 gauge, which is the equivalent of a size 7 AWG gauge wire. They use 2 in parallel, so 20mm^2 which is the equivalent of a 4 AWG wire. That is perfectly suitable for 100A continuous current draw over the ~1ft length of wires.
Heavy-duty plastic straps and fiberglass plates are used to compress the cells and prevent them from expanding. All good battery packs have some form of cell compression like this.
Heater Pad
There is 1 large heater pad at the bottom of the cells (the cells are on their side inside the case, so it is like they heater pad is on the side of the case, opposite the electrical connectors). The advertising material made it sound like there were two 50W pads, but when I reread it I realized they are saying that there is a dual layer heater pad that totals 100W.
The heater pad resistance measured 2 ohms. The heater should turn on at the full charge voltage, between 14.2 to 14.4V, so using P = (V^2)/R calculates to about 100W of power.
Electrical Testing and Review
To be continued...
OTHER AFFORDABLE SELF HEATING BATTERIES
This battery has reviews and teardowns online. Quality looks good and positive opinion of the batteries.
Redodo 12.8V 100Ah LiFePO4 battery heater is equipped with dual heating pads with a combined power of 100W, which delivers a significant boost in heating capability. It only takes 30mins heating the battery cells from 14℉ to 41℉, 2X faster heating speed compared to others which needs 60mins due to only 50W heating power. Stay always prepared for low temp conditions and experience the convenience of a rapid and reliable heating solution.
【Support Low Temp Cut Off】Redodo 12.8V 100Ah LiFePO4 battery self heating supports low temperature cut off, where the battery will stop charging when the battery cells' temperature falls below 32℉ and resumes charging when the temperature rises above 41℉. Apart from that, it can also stop discharging when the temperature drops below -4℉. Choose Redodo 100Ah battery with low temp cut off protecion for peace of mind, regardless of the damage of your batteries in freezing conditions.
$399 - EPOCH 12V 105Ah - Group 24 - Heated & Bluetooth LiFePO4 Battery
These are high-quality, very well-made batteries.
$499 - 12V 100Ah Marine Battery - Lithium Trolling Motor Battery
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The products shown here were purchased by me with the intent to use them. I did not receive any free items, and I am not being paid or compensated for this review. The video, description, and comments may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link, I may receive a commission. Money earned helps to support my channel and bring you more informative videos about engineering, crafting, and DIY
