Forklift Batteries Care and Maintenance
CHARGING:
Under normal circumstances, we recommend charging when a battery reaches 80% depth of discharge (near the “red zone” on most discharge meters), not before.
CHARGING:
Under normal circumstances, we recommend charging when a battery reaches 80% depth of discharge (near the “red zone” on most discharge meters), not before.
Select “weekend”, “equalize” or “weekly” charge (depending on your brand of charger) approx. every 5 to 10 cycles to keep the battery performing at peak efficiency. Failure to do so or selecting this option too often will harm the battery and shorten its effective life.
WATERING:
On both new and reconditioned batteries, we recommend you check 2 or 3 pilot cells every 5 charges to see that the water level is just above the red perforated plastic Element Protector after charge (color varies depending on brand).
If low, add only enough water to cover the Element Protector by approx. ¼”. The additional space is necessary for expansion while gassing at the end of charge.
CLEANING:
The spilled acid is both highly conductive and corrosive. If not rinsed away, the conductivity can cause the battery to discharge itself, even while it is not in use, and generate addition heat during recharge.
Over time, acid left on top of the battery will form clumps of conductive white corrosion. If it is allowed to accumulate, it can dramatically shorten the life of the battery and make checking and adding water an unpleasant experience, which employees will tend to avoid, as well as cause obvious safety concerns.
Acid vapors escape during charge, and residue will develop around the vent cap area even under normal circumstances. We recommend that batteries be rinsed every spring and fall (or as needed), to remove the acid residue from the
NEVER:
Never over fill. It will cause overflow on the next charge. Acid loss shortens run time, generates more heat, and requires shop service to correct.
Never make a habit of giving short charges during lunch or break time. Each short charge constitutes a “cycle” and over time will significantly affect the performance and life of the battery. It also causes excess heat that will make the battery less efficient than not charging at all. It’s better to let a battery rest and cool during lunch or breaks.
Never interrupt a charge cycle if it is avoidable. It is recommended that once a charge cycle is initiated, it be allowed complete.
Never allow a battery to sit discharged for more than a few days to avoid “sulfation”. If it becomes necessary to store a battery for any period of time, charge it prior, and once every 3 to 6 months thereafter to avoid damage.
Never allow a battery to go completely dead (unusable). It will take over 72 hours of continuous charging to bring back to full charge, and may require shop service to restore full charge.
Never continue to use an overheating battery. If a battery ever radiates excessive heat during use or charging or emits a strong sulfur smell, discontinue use and call for service. You have a battery, charger or lift problem.
Never allow sparks or flame near a charging battery. Batteries produce explosive hydrogen gas while charging, which could cause an explosion resulting in injury or death.
Never over discharge a battery:
Deep discharging will harm the battery and cause all of the forklift’s electrical components to run excessively hot. Significant lift truck damage can result, including complete motor failure, burned armatures and brushes, and burned or stuck contacts, which can quickly render the truck unsafe and unusable.
Deep discharging can easily increase the recharge time outside your charger’s range to recover, causing the battery to be only partially charged for the next day.
Most automatic chargers must sense a minimum battery voltage to activate and turn on. If the battery is below the threshold voltage, you will not be able to recharge the battery and may require a service call to manually start the charger.
If you don’t have a working discharge indicator, we recommend installing at least a simple “passive” discharge indicator. They are available for about $75.
That was an extremely comprehensive review of battery safety for warehouse personnel. It's an especially important area of information, given that there are so many warehouses that have used forklifts which simply include the same battery the factory had installed. Good advice to get a lot more life out of each charge and to keep the environment safe.
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