10 Ways to Protect your Forklift Battery Investment

Forklift battery maintenance is very simple, yet routinely forgotten. As a result many forklift batteries are replaced too soon, costing companies thousands of dollars that could’ve been avoided.  Here are ten simple ways to protect your forklift battery investment and lengthen the life of your forklift batteries:

1. Add approved water only – never acid.

2. Keep electrolyte level above separator protectors, but do not overfill.

3. Cool before charging or operating (If battery is above 115 degrees).

4. Keep battery top clean & dry.

5. Keep vent caps tightly in place.

6. Do not use battery with specific gravity below 1.120.

7. Do not charge battery for short periods of time: such as, lunch or coffee breaks.(Unless you’ve installed chargers designed for opportunity charging.)

8. Charge battery only on a properly rated charger.

9. Report any unusual conditions; such as, reduced run time, higher than normal temperatures, frayed cables, etc. immediately.

10. When in doubt, contact your forklift service provider for a free inspection.

Proper forklift battery maintenance is a key factor in reducing forklift expense. Don’t wait until there is a problem before properly maintaining your forklift batteries. With the right tools, battery maintenance can be quick and painless. Here are a few types of products that take the hassle out of your forklift battery maintenance:

• Single-Point watering systems – Less than 30 seconds to fill each battery.

• Water deionizer systems – takes out metallic water impurities that reduce battery life.

• Battery light indicators – alerts personnel when batteries need to be watered.

• Digital Battery Hydrometers – measures specific gravity of a battery’s electrolyte and transfers data to your PC, eliminating hours of hand recording & data entry.

Contact us for any additional forklift battery maintenance questions you may have.