All-round comparison about gel battery vs lead acid - which one performs better?

While these battery types may seem similar when comparing gel battery vs lead acid, they have many unique attributes and applications, just like liquid lithium battery and solid-state lithium-ion battery. So, which type of battery is for you? Let's take a look at both types so you can decide what will work best for you! This article aims to provide you a detailed introduction with the difference between gel battery vs lead acid, including their battery materials, construction, and their respective advantages and disadvantages, etc, so that you can have a deeper understanding of the two, thereby helping you make more correct choice.

1.What is a gel battery and what is lead acid?

Before comparing gel battery vs lead acid, let's first clarify their concept. A lead-acid battery is a battery whose electrodes are mainly made of lead and its oxides, and the electrolyte is a sulfuric acid solution. Gel battery is a kind of gel electro-hydraulic battery, which belongs to the development category of lead-acid battery. It is an improvement of ordinary lead-acid battery with liquid electrolyte, and gel electrolyte is used instead of sulfuric acid electrolyte. The easiest way is to add a gelling agent to sulfuric acid to make the electro-hydraulic sulfuric acid into a colloid.

Gel batteries have a gel electrolyte instead of liquid electrolytes like in conventional lead-acid and other types of rechargeable batteries, except for solid-state lithium-ion battery and lipo-battery.The gel electrolyte can form a solid protective layer on the electrode plate to prevent the electrode plate from being corroded. At the same time, it also reduces the plate bending phenomenon and the short circuit of the plate when the battery is used under heavy load, and better prevents the active material of the plate from softening and falling off, and has good physical and chemical protection.

2.Is a lithium battery a gel battery? What are the advantages of a gel battery?

A lithium battery isn’t a gel battery.  But different from traditional lithium batteries, the raw material of gel lithium batteries is gel electrolyte. In addition, the raw material of lipo-battery is polymer solid or gel electrolyte. It has many advantages when gel battery vs lead acid. The performance of the gel battery is better than that of the valve-regulated sealed lead-acid battery, and its self-discharge is low, which is conducive to long-term storage. Its deep discharge performance is high, which is beneficial to improve the utilization rate of active materials and discharge capacity. In addition, its deep discharge and overdischarge recovery ability is strong, and there is a deep discharge protection mechanism inside.

The deep discharge battery can still be connected to the load, and charging within four weeks will not damage the battery performance. After charging, the rated capacity of the battery can be quickly restored without affecting the battery life. However, lithium-ion batteries perform better than gel batteries. Lithium batteries have a lower self-discharge rate of only 3.5% per month, and they have higher energy density and longer cycle life. Under normal working conditions an average charge and discharge once a day), the battery can be charged/discharged for up to 4000 cycles. The most important thing is that the lithium battery does not contain heavy metal elements and will not pollute the environment.

3.Do lead-acid batteries work in cold weather? Can I replace gel batteries with lithium?

The best temperature environment for lead-acid batteries is about 20-25 degrees Celsius. When the temperature drops, the activity of various substances in the lead-acid battery will decrease, the resistance will increase, the battery capacity will become smaller, the charging effect will decrease, and the power storage capacity will decrease, affecting the normal operation of the battery. When it comes to the temperature performance of gel battery vs lead acid, gel battery seems to be better.

The gel battery has strong cold resistance, and its working efficiency is much higher than that of ordinary basic lead-acid batteries at -15 °C, and its thermal insulation performance is excellent. Nevertheless, the low temperature performance of gel batteries is still inferior to that of lithium batteries. The ternary lithium battery has excellent low temperature performance, and can maintain about 70% to 80% of the normal battery capacity at -20 °C. So, if you want your devices to last longer than just one season without needing maintenance every few months, then buy yourself some lithium-ion batteries today!

4.How do you charge a gel cell battery? Do you need a special charger for gel batteries?

You should not wait until the gel battery is used up to recharge it, and it should be charged in time after discharge. You will need a special charger for your gel cell battery. The charger is different from the lead-acid battery charger and it uses a pulse-charging method to charge your batteries. This means that instead of charging in one go, as you do with most types of batteries, the gel cell battery is charged at intervals during its lifespan. The principle of gel battery charging is as follows:

• Pulse Charging: To keep your device running smoothly while you are away from home or work, there needs to be enough power stored in your vehicle's main electrical system so that everything works properly when needed (including lights). A pulse generator sends pulses through lines connecting each component, so not only does this help prevent problems, but also makes sure everything stays connected correctly throughout use!

5.Do gel batteries need maintenance? Do gel batteries need acid?

Maintenance is also an important aspect of the comparison between gel battery vs lead acid. Gel batteries do not require regular maintenance. No acid is added to the electrolyte, and there are no water levels to check or maintain. For that reason, it's a good idea to check your battery for cracks or leaks before using it for an extended period of time.

6.Are lead-acid and gel batteries the same?

Lead-acid and gel batteries are not the same, so there is a comparative analysis between gel battery vs lead acid. Gel batteries are sealed, which means that they are maintenance-free. When comparing gel battery vs lead acid, gel battery is better in many ways. The energy and power of the gel battery are more than 20% larger than that of the conventional lead-acid battery, the lifespan is generally about twice as long as that of the conventional lead-acid battery. 

In addition, the high temperature and low temperature characteristics of the gel battery are also better than the ordinary lead-acid battery.  However, the downside is that these types of batteries are more expensive than their counterparts because their production technology is difficult and the cost is high.  In contrast, lithium batteries with better performance in all aspects may be a better choice, and their average daily cost is much lower than the former two.

7.Can a lead acid battery charger charge a gel battery?

Yes, you can use a lead acid battery charger on a gel battery. To charge your gel cell battery, connect it to the charger, and open the clamps that connect it to your device's electrical system. Once you have connected your gel cell battery, plug in the charger according to its manufacturer's directions (usually around 2 amps). The most common way of charging them is with an automatic voltage regulator that adjusts voltage based on demand by monitoring the current draw from each cell individually. This type of charger will let you set specific voltages for each phase of charging in order to prevent them from overcharging. 

8.Can I mix lead-acid and gel batteries?

If you are wondering if it's okay to mix lead-acid and gel batteries, the answer is no. They don't work together; they have different chemistries, voltages, and capacities. It's best to keep them separated on your devices so they can each function properly without interfering with each other's performance.

9.How long do gel batteries last?

Gel batteries have a longer lifespan and cycle life than lead acid batteries. The average lifespan of a gel cell is 8 years when used under normal conditions, while lead-acid cells typically have an average life span of 4-5 years. As mentioned above, the cycle life of lithium-ion batteries can reach 4000 times, which also means that it can be used for 10 years (4000/365≈10.96) under the premise of normal charging and discharging once a day, which is significantly longer than the previous two.

10.Conclusion

In general, gel batteries belong to a development classification of lead-acid batteries, but their performance in cycle life, applicable working environment and safety are better than ordinary lead-acid batteries with liquid electrolytes. Although gel batteries have many advantages, they are still not as environmentally friendly as lithium batteries, and are inferior to lithium batteries in many other aspects such as service life and high and low temperature adaptability. Therefore, the best lithium batteries will still be your optimal choice.