Cyril

About 18 months ago I installed 2 Hubble AM-2 batteries coupled to an 8Kw Deye inverter with 6 Kw panels on the roof with a COC for those that might bring this up. Batteries were never drained below 20% capacity. A couple of months after the installation when everything was working well, I recommended these batteries to my brother who bought five units. A work colleague also bought five units. I can report the following. After 18 months both my batteries have failed with a defective cell. For my brother 4 out of his 5 batteries have failed. For my work colleague 3 out of his 5 batteries have failed. It all starts with a call out fee of R500 for the electrician, who did the installation, to confirm the drop in capacity from 110 ah to ~50 ah. Then you have to pay R500 (which is way overpriced) for the RS232 cable so that the Hubble technicians can log onto your laptop to do a firmware update that will convert the battery from a 5.5kwh to a 5 kwh battery. Once the firmware does not correct the problem you have to have the battery removed and then spend R1000 on diesel to take the battery to Hubble in Joburg, who will then subsequently send it away to Cape Town because there is no welder in Joburg. If you only have two batteries, you will have to do this twice as SWAMBO has now become used to having electricity during loadshedding and two to three weeks without a backup system is not an option. I am not even going to get into the huge electricity bills for the two months... Not to go on a bashing spree I really think that 9 out of 12 batteries failing seems to be excessive?? Although, the support has been all but willing to assist 100% of the costs are for my pocket. It sort of feels like when there is a recall for your car because the brakes were manufactured with a defect, but they require you to carry the cost having them fixed.  
 

About 18 months ago I installed 2 Hubble AM-2 batteries coupled to an 8Kw Deye inverter with 6 Kw panels on the roof with a COC for those that might bring this up. Batteries were never drained below 20% capacity. A couple of months after the installation when everything was working well, I recommended these batteries to my brother who bought five units. A work colleague also bought five units. I can report the following. After 18 months both my batteries have failed with a defective cell. For my brother 4 out of his 5 batteries have failed. For my work colleague 3 out of his 5 batteries have failed. It all starts with a call out fee of R500 for the electrician, who did the installation, to confirm the drop in capacity from 110 ah to ~50 ah. Then you have to pay R500 (which is way overpriced) for the RS232 cable so that the Hubble technicians can log onto your laptop to do a firmware update that will convert the battery from a 5.5kwh to a 5 kwh battery. Once the firmware does not correct the problem you have to have the battery removed and then spend R1000 on diesel to take the battery to Hubble in Joburg, who will then subsequently send it away to Cape Town because there is no welder in Joburg. If you only have two batteries, you will have to do this twice as SWAMBO has now become used to having electricity during loadshedding and two to three weeks without a backup system is not an option. I am not even going to get into the huge electricity bills for the two months... Not to go on a bashing spree I really think that 9 out of 12 batteries failing seems to be excessive?? Although, the support has been all but willing to assist 100% of the costs are for my pocket. It sort of feels like when there is a recall for your car because the brakes were manufactured with a defect, but they require you to carry the cost having them fixed.