Caring for Your Battery on Your Electric Forklift

Electric forklifts are highly effective pieces of industrial equipment for a variety of working environments. The key to making sure these machines provide years of reliable service is proper preventative maintenance. There are many aspects to forklifts that require careful maintenance, but a special consideration with electric forklifts is battery care.  Here is a brief guide to caring for the battery on your electric forklift:

Charging

The benefit of an electric forklift is the economical option of recharging the battery for extended use, but a battery can only be recharged so many times. To make sure that your battery lasts as long as possible, it is important to recharge it properly. This means avoiding frequent recharges and particularly long recharging periods. It is also important that the battery is not run at a very low charge too often, as this may affect its capacity.

Use

The way that a battery is used can greatly affect how long it will last, not only between charges but also over the course of its life. A deep cycle battery like those used in forklifts should not regularly be run below 20% charge. Each recharge also reduces the battery’s life, so it is important to use the battery efficiently and avoid unnecessary recharges. Another key to healthy battery use is monthly “exercise” of any battery that sees infrequent use.

Storage

Properly storing a battery is important to health and longevity. There are many things to consider when you plan on leaving a battery unused for a long period of time. First, it is best to avoid storing a battery that is completely discharged or has only a minimal charge. A stored battery should also be kept in a stable, cool environment and with no conductors attached to the terminals—this will help to avoid rapid discharge or short-circuiting.