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Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @youngbrokh. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about Arlec solar lanterns.
The rechargeable batteries in those units are sealed cells and non-replaceable. However, you should expect to get hundreds of recharges on them during their lifespan. The cells used in them typically outlast the old solar rechargeable batteries that would fail after a year or so.
Please let me know if you have further questions.
Mitchell
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Scampi. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about solar lights.
The Arlec 330 Lumens LED Movement Activated Sensor Security Solar Light also has a sealed battery, so unfortunately, it’s not designed to be replaced or upgraded to a larger capacity. However, the supplied battery is typically sufficient to power the light throughout the night, as the light only activates when it detects movement. On a full charge from a bright day’s sunlight, it should stay functional for several hours of movement-triggered illumination.
If you’re noticing that it isn’t lasting as long as expected, it could be due to the solar panel not receiving optimal sunlight. Try repositioning the panel to ensure it’s getting as much direct sunlight as possible throughout the day, ideally facing where it can get maximum exposure without shading. This should help the battery reach a full charge and improve performance.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
Hi Mitchell,
Thanks for your response. The problem isn't the capacity. The problem is it's been 2-3 years now and the battery is completely dead. What exactly is a sealed battery? I've uploaded an image of the battery that was able to be removed like a normal battery. It's just longer than a normal battery. You can't see in the image but the positive terminal has a protruding tip like a normal battery. The same batteries are sold online but only with greater capacities than 1000 mAh. The closest to 1000 mAh I can find is 1300 mAh.
Hi @Scampi,
That is an 18650 lithium-ion battery. I'd suggest the information I was provided about it being non-replaceable was due to this battery being somewhat specialised and not readily available off the shelf. Although it could be replaced, it would be important that the specifications match exactly. I have concerns about putting a higher-capacity 1300mAh battery in the light in case it causes an issue.
Mitchell
