How to charge and care for forklift batteries
When charging forklift batteries, it’s important to follow these simple tips to ensure the longevity and efficiency of your battery.
Keep your battery:
- Cool – Allow post-charge cooling to below 120°F.
- Clean – Clean and dry batteries last longer and encounter fewer problems.
- Watered – Keep the plates in the cells covered without causing overflow.
- Charged – Unless using specialized chargers, charge no more than once every 24 hours.
- Discharged – Discharge no more than 80% depth of discharge (many forklifts prevent over-discharge with a lift interrupt).
- Rotated – In multi-shift, multi-battery environments, rotate your battery fleet regularly.
On a daily basis:
- Inspect your batteries after a full recharge and cooling (typically 8 hours of charging followed by 8 hours of cooling). Check for frayed cables, broken connectors, etc.
- Ensure that you discharge no more than 80%. Avoid performing a boost charge during breaks, as this can fool the forklift into discharging the battery below 80%, potentially damaging the battery and increasing wear on the forklift. The more a battery is discharged, the higher the amps flowing into the truck, increasing wear on its electrical components.
On a regular basis:
- Check that the battery and the charger are properly matched. Just because the connectors match doesn’t mean the charger is correctly matched in DC volts output and battery ampere-hour capacity. Ask your sales rep to audit and confirm compatibility.
- Water the battery weekly after a full recharge. Ensure the water level is at least 1/4″ below the vent well neck. The best water to use is demineralized or distilled water.
- Perform an equalize charge on a weekly basis. Some chargers automatically handle this, but if unsure, check with your sales rep.
- Twice a year, clean and neutralize your batteries to help prolong their life.
- At the same time, have a battery technician check specific gravity readings, cell temperatures, and voltages.
Find the right battery for your forklift:
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