Everyone knows that batteries die. Often, those in charge of maintaining electric forklifts don't realize that bad maintenance can shave 1-3 years off the life of your battery, and those lost years negatively impact power components, cut into uptime, and cost you money. Poor maintenance leads to dead batteries, and a dead battery means a (temporarily) dead forklift.

Unlike lithium-ion batteries that operate a forklift at full power until they are dead and simply need charging, a lead-acid battery requires maintenance to perform properly and last for the expected 5 years.

Discover how to properly take care of your lead-acid batteries to lead to longer-lasting electric forklifts. 

How To Extend Your Forklift Battery's Life

Properly maintaining a forklift battery is more complex than just plugging it into a charger. It includes proper watering, using the right charger, and having a charging schedule that produces the optimal battery lifespan. To preserve the life and health of your forklift batteries and the truck's electrical components, follow these battery maintenance guidelines: 

The 80% Rule

It’s kind of like stop, drop and roll. Once the battery is below 20% capacity, STOP! Drop everything and charge. Having a charging schedule that prevents deep discharging of your battery is critical. Going beyond 80% usage, which leaves only 20% power left is what we call deep discharging. Failing to recharge the battery sooner results in hot batteries and hot truck components, which can cause significant damage to the truck (even motor failure).

Your Batteries Need Water!

Lead-acid battery health is directly related to water levels. With normal use the battery water level decrease and the the plates become exposed. Prolonged exposure to air compromises the integrity of these plates and ultimately leads to irrevocable damage.

Keep the following tips in mind when adding water to your electric forklift batteries:

• Only add water from a known clean water source such as city or county water. When in doubt, use de-ionized or distilled water. 
• Only add water when the battery is fully charged.
• Never overfill the battery, either.

When To Replace Your Batteries: Signs Your Battery Is Dying

If you and your operators notice any of the following signs, it's time to replace the battery:

• Batteries last only one to four hours between charges, instead of the six to eight hours they lasted when they were new.
• The top of the battery cells have a lot of white corrosion between cells and the tray.
• Cell covers are cracked or discolored from excessive heat.
• The battery smells excessively when charging, especially compared to its neighboring batteries being charged.
• The battery is really hot.

Premature battery death can be spotted when you see battery sulphation, which is caused by prolonged under-charging of the battery. If there is a problem with battery sulphation, the chargers can be adjusted to prevent any damage to the battery. Catching it early, and calling in a battery professional to address it, will add life to a battery. And save it from zombie life.

Connect With Morrison For Quality Forklift Batteries

Most forklift companies are experts in forklifts, not in batteries and power. Morrison, however, offers you both through our sister company, Cisco Battery & Charger. That means no matter what is going on with your forklift, you make one call for service and “the buck stops here”.

We can help train your employees in proper battery handling, watering, and charging, and teach them how to watch for excessive operating temperatures. Let's make poor battery life a thing of the past at your facility. Contact us today to extend and renew your batteries life.