John Andersen composed on 2014-11-25 15:14 (UTC-0800):
Felix Miata wrote:
Batteries especially. :-( Saving electricity by keeping the cooling season thermostat above 72F several degrees is not without offsetting costs. Besides needing to do laundry more often, I've too often gotten less than 30 months out of battery sets, sometimes not even 22. As many as 36 is unusual. Sometimes they swell so badly they cannot even be removed to be replaced.
That's over charging, not environmental heat.
It might be that the
Not "the", but well over a dozen models of various ratings from among at least 4 manufacturers. Only once have I ever purchased any particular model more than once. Manufacturer design and testing is probably being done on a predictive basis under ideal environmental conditions with tight spec batteries to survive the manufacturer warranty period, not long term in environmentally friendly energy saver conditions or in dusty corners with no material air movement around the only places they fit and stay out of the way.
charging circuit is poorly matched to the batteries in use, float current too high. A common problem with older UPS designs.
Plastic cases retarding heat radiation instead of metal, and batteries packed together with no air space between, probably don't help. These do speak to the desirability of external battery placement. What stops me from trying external batteries is these things usually need more than one battery, with installation/placement logistics complicating further, times the number of locations needed. -- "The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive." Proverbs 16:21 (New Living Translation) Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 ** a11y rocks! Felix Miata *** http://fm.no-ip.com/ -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org