Eco worthy Batteries

[Bud]

I am in the market to add a second bank of Lifop4 batteries. I am considering the Eco worthy brand. Has anybody had a bad experience with this brand of battery?
Thanks,
Bud

 

[tiltrider1]

I have only 9 months experience so far. The only negative I have to report is the lack of a cold temperature sensor to prevent charging during sub zero temperatures. In my world we never see sub zero temperatures so it is not an issue. If you do see sub zero temperatures this could be a concern.

On the positive, a technician who was installing eco-worthy batteries dropped a wrench across the positive and negative posts. The BMS shut off the batteries instantly. The technician removed the wrench and a minute later the BMS turned the batteries back on. That installation continues to function normally some 3 months later.

 

[DavidM]

Hmmm, Pacific Northwest, huhh.

LiFePO4 batteries can be damaged by charging at below freezing temps, ie <32 F not below zero F. I think you do see those temps in the PNW.

This is what Battleborn has to say: “You should never charge any battery when its internal temperature dips below freezing. This can cause severe and permanent damage to your battery. Always take the time to let the battery warm up to a safe temperature before you begin charging it. Using external heating pads and storing batteries in a heated compartment can help prevent cold weather from affecting your batteries.”

David

 

[RedRascal]

Water temp around here usually keeps the engine room above freezing. It's another story though if you put your boat on the hard for the winter.

 

[tiltrider1]

Hmmm, Pacific Northwest, huhh.

LiFePO4 batteries can be damaged by charging at below freezing temps, ie <32 F not below zero F. I think you do see those temps in the PNW.

This is what Battleborn has to say: “You should never charge any battery when its internal temperature dips below freezing. This can cause severe and permanent damage to your battery. Always take the time to let the battery warm up to a safe temperature before you begin charging it. Using external heating pads and storing batteries in a heated compartment can help prevent cold weather from affecting your batteries.”

David

We saw -36 degrees this winter on land. The engine room was never below 39 degrees due to water temps being 49 degrees.

Every manufacturer calls out their temperature range. Eco-worthy claims to be good to -4 degrees. I suspect they have a very thin margin with that claim were the claim of 32 degrees has a fair amount of margin in it.

It’s going to take numerous real world installations before we really understand LiFePo4.

There are batteries with cold sensors to prevent this issue, they cost a little more. There are also batteries with internal heaters to operate in extreme cold, they too cost more. Eco-worthy has neither of these features. They have delivered on all their claims and they do answer their tech line.

 

[darnold]

I have a whole week on a pair of 280 ah batteries. No issues so far . I am also in the PNW and freezing if you are in the water is almost never an issue. If the boat is in the salt and not in a confined shallow space where the water temp might go low enough to freeze you are extremely unlikely to get below -4. To be safe I put an electric heater in the engine room set to very low during the coldest months, but this is as much to prevent freezing my fresh water lines as much as preventing the batteries from freezing. It almost never turns on. Just had a look at the specs you can discharge safely down to -4F but you can't charge below 32F.

 

[Bud]

I should not have a problem here in the Florida Keys and the Bahamas with the freezing or -4 degrees charging issue. Thanks for the feedback
Bud

 

[luna]

We saw -36 degrees this winter on land. The engine room was never below 39 degrees due to water temps being 49 degrees.

Every manufacturer calls out their temperature range. Eco-worthy claims to be good to -4 degrees. I suspect they have a very thin margin with that claim were the claim of 32 degrees has a fair amount of margin in it.

It’s going to take numerous real world installations before we really understand LiFePo4.

There are batteries with cold sensors to prevent this issue, they cost a little more. There are also batteries with internal heaters to operate in extreme cold, they too cost more. Eco-worthy has neither of these features. They have delivered on all their claims and they do answer their tech line.

Your location Info. states that you are in Seattle. What a wonderful place to boat. Let's surmise your boat is there as well.
The coldest day ever in Seattle was at the end of Jan. 1950, @ 0º F. according to Google, although how do I know for sure, as I was not there.
Winthrop Wa, 100+ miles East of Seattle (about the coldest town in Wa.) has, in its coldest month (Dec.) an average low Temp. of +14º F. Thats 50º F. warmer than your -36º F. I have been there in Dec. twice. Both times it was cold.

So where on land was it -36º F. (or C. as it does not really matter at this level) with a local water Temp. of 49º F. anywhere near your boat's batteries this winter?

 

[tiltrider1]

We had an arctic storm flow through mid Jan of this year. -37C in BC and -36F at the foothills of Mt Baker. My boat spent the winter in Anacortes where temperatures were below zero for several days.

I know this because I drove from Sumas to Kamloops that day. Was so cold they would only open one lift at Sun Peaks.

 

[SteveK]

The Gulf Islands was around -14C. Here is a list of temps Jan 12, 2024

 

[luna]

I've only lived within an hours drive of Sumas or Anacortes for some 60 odd years and have never had local Temps. of -36º F. Ever!

Here is the Weather Undergrounds historical Temps for Jan. 2024 which shows on the 12th of Jan. 2024 about 10º F. as the lowest Temp. recorded in Friday Harbour's airport, which is their closest station to Anacortes.

Friday Harbor, WA Weather History | Weather Underground

Here is the same Info. from Abbotsford Airport which is their closest station to Sumas Wa. Not surprisingly Sumas at about 8º F. is a little colder than Friday Harbour.

Abbotsford, Canada Weather History | Weather Underground

Neither are anywhere near your -36º F.

My niece manages the lifts at Sun Peaks, has for years.
I have not skied there since it was called Tod Mtn, Revelstoke has way better snow and less of a crowd.

 

[Iggy]

Living in Boston, I bought batteries with internal heaters. So its fool proof due to the fact, how do you know that the batteries are warm enough?

I do put a cover them when on the hard. So they will heat up faster.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

I'm near Seattle and have LFP batteries and a recording thermometer in the ER. This last winter, we had several consecutive days in the teens and twenties (F). The saltwater around the boat had a thin layer of ice. Coldest the ER recorded was 38F.

The only possible need for keeping the batteries charging would be the bilge pump, so the calculation is; which is the bigger threat during a heavy freeze, sinking or wrecking my FLP batteries? Both remote chances with one being far more costly. From what I've seen, the "solution" of adding a heater to the engine room (or anywhere aboard) really, really increases the chances of something going wrong.

 

[tiltrider1]

I've only lived within an hours drive of Sumas or Anacortes for some 60 odd years and have never had local Temps. of -36º F. Ever!

Here is the Weather Undergrounds historical Temps for Jan. 2024 which shows on the 12th of Jan. 2024 about 10º F. as the lowest Temp. recorded in Friday Harbour's airport, which is their closest station to Anacortes.

Friday Harbor, WA Weather History | Weather Underground

Here is the same Info. from Abbotsford Airport which is their closest station to Sumas Wa. Not surprisingly Sumas at about 8º F. is a little colder than Friday Harbour.

Abbotsford, Canada Weather History | Weather Underground

Neither are anywhere near your -36º F.

My niece manages the lifts at Sun Peaks, has for years.
I have not skied there since it was called Tod Mtn, Revelstoke has way better snow and less of a crowd.

That’s nice. I never said Abbotsford or Friday Harbor. You are however making my point that freezing temperatures are not really a concern in the PNW.

 

[dhays]

I keep an oil pan heater on all year other than the summer months. It keep the engine warm and the ER dry. During the winter I also have a Davis Air Dryr (a very old one but equivalent to their current 1000 model) in the ER. Between the two of those the ER is warm and dry. As such, I never worry about freezing of pipes or batteries in the ER.

In my aft lazarette where I have my house and thruster banks, I keep a Camfromo Stor-Dry. I also runs 24/7 and keeps that back lazarette, which is at the water line, dry.

 

[luna]

That’s nice. I never said Abbotsford or Friday Harbor. You are however making my point that freezing temperatures are not really a concern in the PNW.

Yeah, I know you did not reference Abby or Friday but those locations show up if you search for Temp. records on the Weather Underground. They are close enough to your quoted Anacortes and Sumas to be representative.

Still looking for some kind of 3rd party confirmation of your stated -36 F. or C. Temps. somewhere near Puget Sound in Jan. 2024.

Can you provide a link?

 

[tiltrider1]

I can not provide a link. I can only tell you what my car said as I drove from Anacortes to Sun Peaks. My car has proven to be reliable. However, those were the most extreme temperatures I saw during the 5 hour drive and they were at the base of tall mountains.

 

[CharlieO.]

I just ordered a Vatrer brand battery, it is one brand that Rod Collins recommends as a budget friendly battery, I ordered one with self heating and Bluetooth and built in 100 amp BMS. Should suit my needs fine.

 

[luna]

What you did say was that it was -37 C. in BC, -36 F. at the foothills of Mt. Baker and that Anacortes was below zero (F) for several days.

Undoubtably someplace in BC It was -37 C. but likely nowhere near seawater that was 49 F. I’ve already shown that the records indicate that the weather stations near the foothills of Baker say about 5 F. was the low in Jan. and Anacortes only got down to about 10 F.

Your car may be reliable but you might want to recalibrate the onboard thermometer.

 

[tiltrider1]

I just ordered a Vatrer brand battery, it is one brand that Rod Collins recommends as a budget friendly battery, I ordered one with self heating and Bluetooth and built in 100 amp BMS. Should suit my needs fine.

I don't expect that you will have any issues with Vatrer brand. I'm assuming that you ordered a 100 amp battery and not something larger.

I caution people to deal with a vendor that can lend support for programing their battery chargers. Customer support is what helped Battleborn charge such high prices for their batteries. Customer support was what impressed me with Eco-worthy even though they lacked cold sensors.

 

[CharlieO.]

Yes. I ordered the 100 amp battery. On reading the Marine how to page, Rod said one of his criteria for recommending goods is U.S. customer service that can and will answer questions. I ordered a Victron DC2DC charger and other components through PKYS so that I can use them for support and any technical questions I may have. I had a dock mate give me an inverter, but I suspect I will replace it with a Victron inverter in the future.
I should have ordered my battery sooner because it will not be here in time for our anticipated departure date on Saturday, all other components will be here though. I may have to hook it all up to a 200 ah lead acid battery that is at about 80% capacity according the hydrometer. Only planning to run a mini fridge to keep groceries cool.