The fastest R700 you can make in an hour... it seems this is the biggest money making racket at the moment.

Due to load shedding these batteries are lasting around 3 weeks.

After out little incident yesterday... we had to try source 12 new 100 amp/hr deep cycle batteries to replace all the swollen ones.

While in the shop they must have sold 8 x 7 amp/hr batteries... all the same complaint.

When i asked the sale guy in the shop about this problem ...his response was that as soon as the alarm indicated the the battery is it must be replaced...because it has thin plates and the battery is damaged... i disagree.

What i have done is removed the battery...jumpered it with a good battery ..then used a smart charge to get it back up to full charge and rotate...with the one in the panel...goan save you R700 for an alarm or gate tech to replace... it is a simple procedure... unplug the old and replace with a new...it is that simple ...no technical training required.

So here is a question you need to ask...has your alarm or gate got a low voltage cutout switch...if so ...you battery will be ok ...no need to replace...if your alarm or gate doesnt have a low voltage cutout ...you should be asking why not.

this is my opinion ...i believe the trickle chargers in gate and alarm systems are not designed for regular load shedding incidents... (something which should be considered before installing a system) ...Is the battery damaged to a point of no return... it shouldnt be.

is the red light flashing on your keypad ...indicating a low battery try reading the user manual for the system ...there is good chance it might just require to be reset after a few days of no load shedding.