Electric Forklift Battery Maintenance: Extending Battery Life

The performance of electric forklifts depends heavily on proper care of their batteries. Without regular maintenance, electric forklift batteries can quickly fail.

Why is it important to properly maintain electric forklift batteries?

Compliance with battery maintenance rules leads to positive results:

1. Regular maintenance prolongs their service life.
2. With well-maintained batteries, the forklift can work a full shift without stopping to replace the battery.
3. Preventive maintenance virtually eliminates the risk of unexpected failures.
4. Proper battery care prevents dangerous situations such as acid leakage or overheating.

Following a battery maintenance schedule improves battery performance and protects your investment.

Rules for daily care of batteries 

The first place in daily maintenance is recharging the batteries. It is carried out daily after the end of the shift, when the charge remains less than 30%. Frequent recharging with a residual capacity of more than 30% is harmful: the service life is reduced. Charge completely, without interrupting the process. Use chargers designed for this type of battery.

Also, after charging, take a few minutes daily to check the electrolyte level and add distilled water if necessary. Wipe forklift batteries with a damp cloth to remove dirt, dust, and oxidation of terminals. Neutralize traces of acid with a soda solution. 

What you need to know about deep discharge and overheating?

Deep discharge is considered to be a decrease in battery capacity below 20%. It is strictly forbidden to use the battery in this state. Also, it cannot be stored deeply discharged for more than one day, it must be immediately recharged. Deep discharge of more than 80% causes irreparable damage to the battery: severe sulfation of the plates occurs, the service life is reduced.

Overheating occurs during operation or charging and leads to the destruction of internal components of the battery. Monitor the temperature during charging: the optimum is +25° C. To cool the battery during operation in hot conditions, create conditions for air ventilation. Every 10 degrees above +25° C reduces the life of the electric forklift battery by 50%. 

Common problems and their solutions

Corrosion on terminals is removed with a paste of soda with a small amount of water. Apply to terminals and leave until white coating disappears. Remove residue.

Uneven voltage of elements is eliminated by equalizing the charge. Chargers with this function are used. The procedure should be carried out only with batteries for which it is provided by the manufacturer's instructions. The frequency should not be more frequent than recommended by the manufacturer.

If the electrolyte level is low, add only distilled water (not electrolyte!), and after charging, not before.

It may be that the battery is charging slowly. If the battery is OK, check the charger, wires and contacts.

How to extend battery life?

Proper recharging, cleanliness and maintaining optimal temperature extend the life of the battery. To charge correctly, follow three rules:

1. Disconnect the battery from the charger when the nominal capacity is reached. Continuing the process causes overcharging, overheating, which reduces the service life of the batteries.
2. Always charge fully, not partially.
3. Do not charge a battery whose capacity exceeds 30%.

To avoid these errors, use modern chargers that will automatically select the mode and turn off after full charge.

Follow the recommendations for caring for the forklift battery. Then you can extend their service life and avoid forced downtime. A properly selected and maintained battery can withstand the load during a work shift. Forklift Service helps businesses maximize the potential of their equipment by offering quality batteries and chargers.