Only high quality batteries from reputable suppliers should be used for security and other mission critical equipment to avoid potentially costly failures.
This is according to the director of one of the country’s fastest growing battery distributors, Greg Pritchard from GSS Group, who adds that intermittent load shedding and other environmental factors can quickly damage batteries that are not specifically designed and manufactured for these important applications.
He says that on average an 8 amp hour battery should last approximately five years even with moderate load shedding. However, a flood of inferior quality, cheap batteries sold by retailers and traders, may only last for a couple of months or one deep discharge cycle. Even batteries sold at some security outlets have reduced lifecycles due to manufacturers saving on expensive materials.
Heavyweight battery
“One of the easiest ways to gauge the quality of a lead acid battery is its weight. Lead is one of the most expensive components of a battery and is usually where manufacturers make their savings. Our commonly sold 8Ah, for example, are very heavy and we have just the right amount of lead required to make this standard battery one of the most durable available. Beneath the skin are other design features that set the batteries apart such as the type of acid used, layout and design.
“Unfortunately, for the installer or layman these are difficult to know and usually falls to trial and error to figure out which batteries are better, last longer and are best able to handle mission critical applications in any power conditions. That is where our GSS batteries have performed excellently and is the reason for our company’s rapid growth in the four years we have been trading.
“Our batteries have been specified, designed and built according to our own requirements using knowledge that we have built-up over thirty years of experience in the industry. We have applied the lessons learned and come up with a number of different types and sizes of batteries specifically for mission critical applications in South Africa,” says Greg.
Good reputation
He says there are a number of reasons why monitoring companies should use quality GSS batteries and why end users should insist on them. In security applications a battery can mean the difference between life and death, while information technology infrastructure can lead to data and telecommunication interruptions or even the failure of instruments in manufacturing plants etc.
Faulty batteries also lead to false alarms and unnecessary call-outs which cost monitoring companies money and excessive false alarms can taint their reputations in the long run. What is more, the homebred GSS batteries are competitively priced and available online from the company’s website, via delivery or direct from the company’s premises in Benoni on the East Rand.
Greg has also worked for the country’s leading security product suppliers and interfaced with all the major electronic installation companies, overseas manufacturers, technicians and end users. He is eager to share his knowledge and welcomes customers to work with him and his team to supply quality batteries and power products for their applications.
Growing range
GSS batteries are available in a range of sizes and types from 6 Volt 4.5Ah used mainly in emergency lighting, 12 Volt 1.3Ah and 2.4AH for garage automation, 12V 4.5Ah for uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), 12V 7.2AH for gate automation, UPS and alarm control panels, as well as 12V 7.5Ah deep cycle batteries used mainly for solar, UPS and gate automation applications.
The following types are available:
- AGM technology: 4.5ah 6V, 1.4ah 12V, 2.4ah 12V, 4.5ah 12V, 7.2ah 12V, 9ah 12V,
- AGM Deep cycle: 7.5ah 12V, 12AH 12V, 18ah 12V, 24ah 12V, 45ah 12V
- Gel technology: 8ah 12V, 100ah 12V
The company also has a range of Lithium Polymer and Li Phosphate batteries, power supplies and transformers, as well as security communication cable, CCTV, Cat5, Cat6, Control cable (EN0575, IEC60332-1 standards and security products including detectors, beams and CCTV.
GSS Group, Greg Pritchard, Tel: (010) 140 7137, Email: greg@gssgroup.co.za, Web: www.gssgroup.co.za
New name in batteries
One of the country’s most sought after battery brands in security and other mission critical applications, GSS batteries, is changing its name to better reflect its outstanding features.
Manufactured for GSS Group in South Africa, the newly-branded EPS (Energy Power Storage) battery trade name has been adopted by the company and stands for quality and commitment to the local market. Director, Greg Pritchard, says due to the vast number of batteries stockpiled during lockdown and the sheer number of batteries sold on a monthly basis, that two brands may appear on shelves together for a while until the stock is depleted.
“The reason for the name change is simply to separate the company from the brand and give a significant meaning to the name of our batteries,” he concludes.
