Interstate batteries for use with solar panels.

 Has anyone in this group had experience with using Interstate brand
deep cycle batteries?  I can get a U2200 6 volt 225 AH for around $65.
 They are the only brand of deep cycle batteries that I have access to
without having to go out of town to purchase another brand.  

Larry

 

This is a very common type of battery often called a golf cart type. If you
will be using them for a small solar system and need only fairly low
capacity and limited life they will be OK. Well maintained you may get 5 to
7 years of service. If you need more capacity they can be operated in
parellel, but this is not a very good idea, only with extra care and
seperate charging will strings in parallel give long service.

J Hayes

 J. Hayes

Thanks for the response about Interstate batteries.   I figure that at
$70 per battery, if I can get at least five years out of two wired in
series, then I will be happy, especially at that price.   I have a 2000
watt Xantrex 458 inverter/charger that should take good care of these
batteries as I will be using them as backup to run my furnace during a
two or three day down time during the winter months.   At least in the
cold winter days up here in ND we won't freeze to death if access to
the grid goes down during a winter storm.

Larry

 You can get the same thing essentially from Sam's or Walmart - golf car
batteries - for around $60

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 Thanks for the advice and information, however there are advantages and
disadvantages to living in remote community.  In my case the nearest
Sams is in Fargo ND about a 500 mile round trip.  The Walmart store
here has only a small selection of deep cycle batteries and compared to
the Interstate brand, they cost more and don't have an AH rating posted
on the battery, but instead have CCA.   They are multipurpose marine
batteries.

Larry