Short-lived batteries are a major drain on any fleet of electric vehicles. Although unit life can be shortened by other factors, one of the best ways to extend time of service is to understand the right and wrong ways to handle power cells. An established program of forklift battery maintenance will extend unit life and save the company money.

Keep Terminals Clean

Acid in batteries leaks out and corrodes the terminals, leaving a white residue. This corrosion is not just unappealing. It also causes batteries to discharge prematurely. The residue is conductive so the unit will slowly lose charge even if the forklift is turned off.

Basic forklift battery maintenance requires cleaning these terminals with baking soda or some other base to remove the acid and keep the terminals clean. This should be done as needed, but at least twice a year even if no visible corrosion exists. Washing by hand can be tedious and dangerous, so many organizations use automated battery washers which take care of the entire process in a hands-off manner. These washers treat and recycle the water used, ensuring no dangerous chemicals or heavy metals make it into the wastewater system.

Don't Charge Too Often

Forklift drivers will sometimes "top off" batteries during a break or lunch hour, believing they will get more use out of the unit. While they might get a longer charge that day, this tactic greatly shortens the long-term use of the unit.

A similar problem occurs when forklifts are used only occasionally. Companies routinely might recharge the units every day, but if the vehicle hasn't seen much use the power cell won't be discharged, and again this unnecessary charging shortens the lifetime of forklift batteries.

Batteries used in forklifts are designed to discharge by 80% and then be recharged. Recharging earlier reduces the cell's ability to hold a charge. The best forklift battery maintenance is to replace the power cell when it reaches that discharge point, and recharge the unit outside the vehicle.

Don't Overdrain

Power cells also degrade in the opposite scenario - when vehicles are allowed to run batteries well below the 80% discharge level. This is called a "deep discharge" and not only shortens the unit life, but can actually damage the forklift.

When power cells run beyond 80% discharge, it will damage the battery and force replacement much sooner. However it also causes the electrical systems in the forklift to run hot, potentially causing burned contacts or even complete motor failure. The repair bills will greatly exceed the cost of a new power cell.

Of course it is not always convenient for a truck to be taken out of service when discharge passes 80%, which is why modern forklift battery maintenance is more likely to remove the old cell and put in a freshly charged one rather than recharge the unit inside the truck.

Whether you have one forklift or a fleet of hundreds, forklift battery maintenance extends the useful life of power cells and keeps workers productive and safe.