The UPS we buy, which is an uninterruptible power supply, has a battery that's just like its "heart"—super important! The main types of batteries are these:
First, let's talk about the **lead-acid battery**. This is the most common type you'll find on the market. There's one kind called the **Valve-Regulated Lead-Acid (VRLA) maintenance-free battery**. It's filled with lead and sulphuric acid, but you can basically just leave it there and forget about it. It's well-sealed and pretty user-friendly for those who aren't familiar with UPS systems, plus it's cost-effective.
However, there's another type of lead-acid battery called the **flooded or vented lead-acid battery**. This one is more high-maintenance. You need to regularly check the specific gravity of the electrolyte—you even have to know how to read it properly. It requires some skill. If the specific gravity isn't right, you might need to add water or acid. The place where you install it also needs to have the right temperature and humidity.
Then there's the **Gel battery**, which is also quite common. Its electrolyte is in a gel form. Compared to ordinary lead-acid batteries, it's more durable and has more stable performance, but the price is a bit steeper.
Next up is the **Lithium battery**. It's the most eco-friendly option, containing no heavy metals like lead, nickel, or chromium at all. Plus, lithium batteries are much lighter than ordinary lead-acid batteries, can store more power, and have a lower self-discharge rate. Of course, lithium batteries also come with a higher price tag. For example, Samsure Power has quite a few UPS products that use lithium batteries, like the LT1000 Standby Lithium UPS and the ET Series Online Lithium UPS. Lithium batteries support low-current discharge, making them even more suitable for small loads like CCTV systems and routers.