How to Look After Your Forklift Battery

How to Look After Your Forklift Battery

Around 30% of the total cost of your new electric forklift is the battery as it is your fuel for the next few years; as such it is important to take good care of it. A poorly maintained battery will cause unnecessary downtime and repair costs and will need to be replaced much sooner at significant expense.

Inspections

The battery and charger should always be checked as part of your daily routine

• Check the water levels as detailed below – and always top up after a charge, not before.
• Spilled acid is both conductive and corrosive and will commonly be noticed as white clumps around the cells. This should be removed as it will dramatically reduce the battery life by causing the battery to discharge – even when not in use – and will also generate additional heat during charging.
• It is important to have a service agreement in place where an engineer visits 3 times a year to ensure your battery continues to run efficiently and will have a longer lifespan.
• The charger should be installed in a safe area, away from general vehicle movement and with all cables off the floor. Regularly check the plug and socket of the charger.

Charging

The most efficient time to charge your battery is when it reaches 80% discharge

• Discharging the battery too low harms the battery and could cause the electrical components to run hot – you will also notice your truck will not perform at its peak. Never allow a battery to lose all charge.
• Battery life is based on charging cycles so only charge your battery when necessary and the level is sufficiently low. The more you charge, the more life you drain from the overall performance of the battery.
• Avoid opportune charging – short charges will decrease the efficiency of the battery. Rather than charging during a lunch-break, let the truck and battery cool to prolong the battery life.
• If possible, try not to interrupt a charging cycle and allow until it has completed.
• Try and schedule the workload around charging times to reduce downtime
• If the battery is overheating or there is a strong sulphur smell, call an engineer and take the battery of charge immediately.
• Explosive hydrogen is produced when charging, so never allow sparks of naked flames near a charging battery.
• Best practice is to allow a battery to cool following a charge, before using.

Water

Do not allow the water levels to drop too low in the cells and always top up after a charge, not before

• Check the water levels regularly. Typically a new battery will need topping up every 10 charges and a reconditioned battery every 5.
• A dry battery cell will burn out and cause permanent damage and loss of forklift performance.
• Always top up using distilled water.
• Do not overfill the cells as the water and acid will corrode the battery.
• Always top up after a charge and not before.

If you would like to set up a service agreement on your trucks or if you have any concerns or questions, Langley engineers are experienced in all makes of trucks so please do not hesitate to contact our team on 01773 763546 or sales@langleymechanicalservices.com.