Automotive

How to take care of your forklift battery

Understanding how to take care of your forklift battery will help you prolong your battery life as well as maintain a seamless system without disruptions.

Forklift battery charging stations

It’s a good idea to set up a facility with a dedicated battery charging area. Clear signs, a water supply for washing, ventilation, a fire extinguisher, and a phone should all be present in this area in case of an emergency. These extra safety precautions are also recommended:

  • When recharging lift truck batteries, avoid wearing metal jewelry.
  • When lifting and moving big batteries, use the proper handling equipment.
  • Before charging or changing batteries, properly position forklifts and take pauses.
  • Recharge batteries with sealed vents with a current of no more than 25 amperes.
  • Turn off the charger if the battery becomes hot or electrolyte fluid begins to flow from the vents.
  • Keeping detailed records of battery watering, cleaning, and inspections is essential.

Battery fluid levels should be maintained

It’s critical to have the right amount of water in your battery if you want it to work properly. Check the fluid level of your forklift batteries on a regular basis – every five charging cycles is recommended.

If forklift batteries are brand new, they should be topped off every ten charges and should be filled to cover the plastic battery portion. When batteries are fully charged, they should only be topped up. It’s also vital not to overfill the battery since when the lift truck battery is in use, there needs to be some extra room to provide for expansion.

The pH of the water used in batteries should be between 5 and 7, and the impurity levels should be within the batteries’ prescribed limits.

Keep the battery at a safe temperature

Forklifts are frequently used in harsh settings, however, the operating temperature should be kept below 113 degrees Fahrenheit for maximum battery life. If operating in hotter temperatures is unavoidable, make sure the lift truck battery box has enough circulation so it can cool.

Equalizing

Some batteries require equalizing, and if they do, their chargers will usually offer an equalizing setting. Equalizing a battery entails overcharging it in order to eliminate sulfate crystals that have formed on the plates. Equalizing isn’t required for every lift truck battery, so double-check the specs before adding them to your forklift battery maintenance program.

Thus, you can take care of your forklift effectively with the aforementioned steps and prolong the battery life.

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