“Home is where we will spend long and good times of our lives. We do not want power cuts to ruin those moments.”
Choosing the right inverter battery is key if we want to be worry-free while enjoying our time at home.
Do you need an inverter battery for home and want to know which battery is best?
Okay, I hear you, you want me to get to the point. You can find the Top 3 batteries for home use in India on the table below.
If you are still not clear on what your needs or requirements are please, keep reading. I will guide you and help you understand what your requirements are and how to choose the best inverter battery for home use.
Top 3 batteries for home use in India
Amaron Inverter 150Ah Tall Tubular Battery
Premium battery
Short Buying Guide
What should you take into account before buying an inverter battery?
1. Know your wattage needs
- Add the watts of the appliances you may want to run at the same time.
(The easiest way is to just look at the data plate on the back of your appliances).
- Add a 20% to 50% to your minimum wattage requirements.
(It is important to have some buffer for a safer use of your battery and inverter equipment. It also allows you to have room in case you plan to use more appliances in the future).
2. Alternatively, know how many appliances you can use
Be aware of how many and what types of appliances you can use based on the battery or batteries that you choose.
Important: It is always better to overestimate your needs. Connect less appliances than the number the battery can theoretically support. It will be safer and will extend the life of your battery.
If you plan to buy only one 150Ah battery you need to consider:
- What is your desired backup time?: you might need to reduce the load (disconnect some appliances) if you want to reach more hours of backup time.
- Even if you only need short backup times, be aware of the maximum load you can connect.
- For the battery to last many years and have a good performance it should not be completely discharged. Manufacturers usually recommend not using more of 75-80% of the battery charge.
3. Back up time
Important: the back up time will change depending on the type and number of appliances you connect, which is the same as the total watts.
Appliances = Load (watts) | Backup time (approximate) for a 150Ah battery |
|---|---|
1 fan (60W) and 1 tube light (40W) | 15 hours |
2 fans (60W + 60W) and 2 tube lights (40W+40W) | 7 hours 30 minutes |
2 fans (120W) + 2 tube lights (80W) + 1 Television (120W) | 4 hours 30 minutes |
Battery backup time depends mainly on three factors:
- Power consumption (total watts of all your appliances connected).
- Battery voltage (typically ~12.7v for a fully charged 12v battery).
- Battery capacity (Ah = Amperes hour; 150Ah in this example)
See the Complete buying guide (below) for additional and more detailed information
The Amaron inverter 150 Ah Tall Tubular battery is ideal for you if you are demanding, want to make sure you get the best battery and do not mind paying a little extra.
Brand authority is, among others, one of the requirements for the Amaron Inverter 150Ah Tall Tubular battery to be in the Top 3 selection. Amaron is the second largest selling battery brand in India. The brand belongs to the Amara Raja Group, an india-based multinational company which is headquartered in Tirupati.
The Amaron Inverter 150 Ah Tall tubular battery is a reliable, safe and long life battery with an extended warranty. In February 2019, the warranty was extended from 48 to 54monts (36 months free replacement + 18 months prorated).
It is probably the best inverter tubular battery 150 Ah.
Pros
Cons
The Luminous inverter 150Ah Tall Tubular battery is ideal for you if you are looking for a reliable battery with a good value for the price. Ideal for areas with frequent power cuts.
The Luminous Inverter 150Ah Tall Tubular Battery is one of the most positively reviewed of its category. Being considered a good value for money and a reliable battery. It has a warranty of 36 months (18 months free of charge + 18 months prorated). It is designed to have a life of over 1250 cycles at 80% Depth of Discharge (DOD), which means it is suitable for areas frequent power cuts.
Luminous Power Technologies is a subsidiary of Schneider Electric, which is a French multinational corporation headquartered in Rueil-Malmaison, France. Luminous batteries provide the vast experience from an electrical group as Schneider, which spends importantly in Research and Development. Holding about 20000 patents.
Pros
Cons
The Exide inverter 150Ah UPS battery is the most economical option. It is the battery to go for if it suits your needs. Less bulky and reduced dimensions than the Luminous and Amaron.
The Exide Inverter 150Ah UPS Battery is manufactured by the Exide Industries Limited, the largest manufacturer of lead-acid batteries in India and the 4th largest in the world.
It has a warranty of 36 months (18 months free of charge + 18 months prorated), same as the Luminous battery. Unlike the other 2 batteries selected, it is not a tall tubular type. It is a flat plate battery. It means it has some advantages and disadvantages compared to the tall tubular type. Some of the pros are the more affordable price, good performance, reduced dimensions and weight. Some of the cons might be that its lifespan (charge cycles) is shorter compared to the tall tubular type.
Pros
Cons
Battery Model | Warranty | Weight (kg) and dimensions (LxWxH) | Lead-acid battery type | Battery life (depends on use and conditions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 56 months (36 service free of cost + 18 prorated) | ~56kg; 480x180x400 mm | Tall tubular | 4-5 years |
 | 36 months (18 service free of cost + 18 prorated) | ~52kg; 503x189x411 mm | Tall tubular | 4-5 years |
 | 36 months (18 service free of cost + 18 prorated) | ~40kg; 508x222x257 mm | Flat plates | 3-4 years |
Buying guide for an inverter battery: How can I choose the right inverter battery for my home?
They are called inverter batteries because they need to be used together with an inverter (See our guide for selecting an inverter and our Top inverters selection). The inverter transforms the electrical DC (Direct Current) from the batteries to AC (alternating current) which is the type of current that our appliances use.
The most convenient type of inverter batteries for home use in India are the lead-acid batteries.
Most common two types of acid-lead batteries:
- Tubular batteries
- Flat plate batteries
Differences between flat and tubular batteries:
In short, tubular batteries (also named tall tubular), are an evolved version of lead-acid batteries. In comparison with the flat plate lead-acid type, tubular batteries have usually a longer life (up to 30% more than flat plates) and can withstand more challenging temperature conditions, among others.
Flat plate battery | Tubular battery | |
|---|---|---|
Reliability | Reliable | Most reliable |
Charge cycles (at 80% DOD) | 50-1000 | 1100-1800 |
Weight | Less heavy | Heavier |
Price | Generally cheaper | Less economical |
(adapted from: Lead-acid batteries white paper)
Appliance | Running Watts (Starting Watts*) |
|---|---|
Standing fan | 50-70 W |
Ceiling fan | 60-70 W |
DVD player | 25-60 W |
Electric kettle | 1200-3000 W |
Cooktop | 1200-2000 W |
Grinder | 500 W |
Immersion heater | 1500-2000 W |
Fan room heater | 500-2000 W |
Instant egg boiler | 300-400 W |
Sandwich toaster | 800-1000 W |
Iron | 1000 W |
Water heater | 2000-3000 W |
Vacuum cleaner | 500-3000 W |
Fridge | 1200 W (3000 starting watts) |
Microwave | 750-1200 W (1500-2400 starting watts) |
Washing machine | 2000 W (3000 starting watts) |
Desktop computer | 150-450 W |
Laptop | 40-120 W |
A/C | 2000 W (3000 starting watts) |
Incandescent bulb | 40-100 W |
LED | 5-10 W (10-20 starting watts) |
CFL | 15-25 W (30-50 starting watts) |
19” colour TV | 65-110 W |
27” colour TV | 110-120 W |
36” colour TV | 130-140 W |
Toaster | 800-1400 W |
22” LED TV | 15-20 W |
32” LED TV | 20-60 W |
46” LED TV | 60-70 W |
(*Starting watts: the peak power consumption of some household appliances)
This is important. Continuous or operating power are the running wattage when an appliance is continuously operating. These are the watts stated usually at the data plate on the back of your appliances.
The peak wattage (starting watts) is the current that some appliances require to start. Washing machines, air conditioners or fridges require an extra power to get the motor started. This is only needed for a very short time (less than 1 second), just to have the appliance started, but it is necessary to have the appliance started. This extra power can be up to 3 times the normal running power.
Or alternatively, how many and what appliances can I use based on the battery I have?
Important: It is always better to overestimate your needs. Connect less appliances than the number the battery can theoretically support. It will be safer and will extend the life of your battery.
If you plan to buy only one 150Ah battery you need to consider:
- What is your desired backup time: you might need to reduce the load (disconnect some appliances) if you want to reach more hours of backup time.
- Even if you only need short backup times, be aware of the maximum load you can connect.
- For the battery to last many years and have a good performance it should not be completely discharged. Manufacturers usually recommend not using more of 75-80% of the battery charge. Exide recommends a minimum cut-off voltage of 10.5 v in their web.
Backup time:
Important: the back up time will change depending on the type and number of appliances you connect, which is the same as the total watts. It will also vary if the battery is not fully charged or on how old it is.
For 1 battery 150Ah:
Appliance | Backup time (approximate) |
|---|---|
1 fan (60W) and 1 tube light (40W) | 15 hours |
2 fans (60W + 60W) and 2 tube lights (40W+40W) | 7 hours 30 minutes |
2 fans (120W) + 2 tube lights (80W) + 1 Television (120W) | 4 hours 30 minutes |
Battery backup time depends mainly on three factors:
- Power consumption (total watts of all your appliances connected).
- Battery voltage (typically ~12.7v for a fully charged 12v battery).
- Battery capacity (Ah = Amperes hour; 150Ah in this example).
To calculate your backup time:
For a standard inverter 150Ah Tall Tubular battery:
Battery voltage = 12 volts
Battery Ah rating = 150 Ah
Efficiency battery = 0.85 (typical battery efficiency for a lead-acid battery can be about 85%)
Total load = Total watts of all the appliances connected
Example:
For a Total load: 1 fan (60W) and 1 tube light (40W) = 60W + 40W = 100W
Some inverters are already indicating on the screen an estimated backup time based on the appliances connected.
How many batteries do I need? Or What battery battery capacity do I need? 80Ah, 100Ah, 120Ah, 150Ah, 200Ah, 220Ah?
If you already know the power consumption of the batteries that you would like to run with your inverter battery and also know for how long you want them to run, there is a rule of thumb you can use to calculate what battery capacity you need or how many batteries you need:
Example:
Load or power consumption: 1000 W
Battery backup time required: 2 hours
Voltage of the battery: 12 volts (usual voltage of an inverter battery)
(1000 x 2) / 12 = 166.6 Ah
For this case a 150Ah would not be sufficient and theoretically we would need a 200Ah battery or higher. If you require a 200Ah I would recommend you considering the Luminous 200Ah:
The Luminous RC 25000 200Ah Tall Tubular Battery is probably the best option for office.
In this article I recommend only 150Ah for being the most commonly used batteries in India. Depending on the brand it is possible to find a wide range of capacities. Here there is a list of some of the capacities that the brands highlighted in this article manufacture:
Amaron | Luminous | Exide |
|---|---|---|
Continuing with the example, if we have calculated that we need a battery capacity of 166.6 Ah and do not want to use a 200Ah, we could connect 2 batteries in parallel.
Connecting 2 batteries in series will increase the voltage to 24 v so the Ah calculated with the previous formula would decrease.
2 batteries in series | double voltage (v), same capacity (Ah) |
|---|---|
2 batteries in parallel | same voltage (v), double capacity (Ah) |
It is even possible to increase both voltage and capacity with joined batteries in series and parallel. Increasing the capacity (Ah) it usually requires more resistant cables.
Total power consumption of my appliances | Minimum recommended Inverter Rating | System Voltage | Recommended Battery Capacity & Battery Configurations for Different Backup time | ||||
5 hours | 4 hours | 3 hours | 2 hours | 1 hours | |||
160 Watt | 250 VA | 12V | 1 battery 150Ah / 130Ah | ||||
240 Watt | 350 VA | 1 battery 150Ah / 130Ah | |||||
440 Watt | 650 VA / 700 VA | 2 batteries in parallel 150Ah | 1 battery 150Ah / 130Ah | ||||
600 Watt | 850 VA / 900 VA | 3 batteries in parallel 150Ah | 2 batteries in parallel 150Ah | 1 battery 150Ah / 130Ah | |||
700 Watt | 1050 VA / 1100 VA | 3 batteries in parallel 150Ah | 2 batteries in parallel 150Ah | 1 battery 150Ah / 130Ah | |||
1000 Watt | 1450 VA / 1500 VA | 12 v | Cell | 2 batteries in parallel 150Ah | |||
1000 Watt | 1450 VA / 1500 VA | 24 v | String of 2 batteries in parallel + 2 batteries in series 150Ah | Cell | |||
Table adapted from the application chart for Exide Instabrite batteries found on their official website.
Important note: The table above does not represent a recommendation. It is just an illustrative exercise. It pretends only to theoretically exemplify how different wattage requires different battery capacities and configurations. Please, always check what are your real battery requirements and what are the alternatives with a professional.