Maintaining Forklift Batteries

In many businesses, battery maintenance is one of those things that people care less and less about as time goes on. You know how it goes – maintenance starts strong, all the right things are done on schedule, things are going great, and then eventually focus is lost, and more and more of that checklist remains unchecked.

Well, that loss of focus is lessening the performance and increasing the expense of your forklift.

See, while batteries for your forklift are designed for long life, it’s up to the user to ensure that proper maintenance occurs to make that happen. Constant neglect and poor treatment will only shorten the lifespan of the battery and decrease performance, ultimately ensuring the need of an early, expensive replacement.

CHARGING: Do’s and Don’ts

Do select the equalize/weekend charge option every five to ten charge cycles to keep the cell voltages even and in line.

Do charge the battery when it reaches 80% - 85% discharge, which should be very close to the “red region” displayed on the majority of discharge meters.

Do charge the forklift battery in a well-ventilated area.

Don’t charge the battery on a daily basis for the sake of charging it on a daily basis.

Don’t “top off the tank”. Ever! Wait for the battery to reach 80% - 85% discharge before recharging.

Don’t interrupt charging unless absolutely necessary. Wait for it to finish before using again.

FLUID LEVELS: Do’s and Don’ts

Do check water levels every 5 – 10 charge cycles.

Do add water (if necessary) after charging, but don’t add it before charging.

Don’t over fill the battery when refilling. Rather than spacing out the time needed between refills, it will damage your battery and cause the need of expensive repairs.

If all of these do’s and don’ts are followed for monitoring fluid levels and charging, your forklift battery should last for the maximum possible duration of time. These simple steps really can make a difference. If your battery is on its last legs, contact Powerstride Battery and enjoy their standing offer of free ground shipping.