BATTERY CARE AND WATERING
extend the life of your battery
Watering, Cleaning & Repairs
There is more to maximizing uptime than just maintaining your equipment. Battery life expectancy is determined by usage, duty cycle, watering, maintenance, and charging.
Having the proper level of forklift battery water is an important piece of the maintenance routine for an electric lift truck. Too little water and you risk overheating the battery. Too much water and you risk overflow during the charge and acid dilution.
Proper battery maintenance will extend the life of your power sources and chargers to avoid unexpected downtime.
- Damaged or Cut Cables
- Corrosion
- Dry or Weak Cells
- Sulfation
- Overcharging
- Tray Damage
BATTERY WATERING TIPS
WHEN SHOULD YOU TOP OFF WATER IN A FORKLIFT BATTERY?
Never top off the water in the battery before the charge. If you top off the water before charging, it can overflow, shortening life of the battery. Topping off the battery after charging will prevent damage.
HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD BE IN A BATTERY?
Keep the forklift battery plates below the waterline when charging to ensure that they don't overheat and dry out. If this happens the battery may become unusable or lose capacity
WHEN SHOULD YOU ADD WATER TO A BATTERY?
When used daily, forklift batteries typically need watering once a week. Batteries in use for an extended period (or reconditioned), should be checked after every five charges.
WHAT KIND OF WATER DO YOU PUT IN?
Forklift battery water should always be free from impurities. Using water with even small amounts of impurities, (regular tap water) can lead to battery damage from the minerals. Water that measures 5-7 on the PH scale is best.
AUTOMATIC BATTERY WATERING
For years battery maintenance has been a challenge. Forklift users fail to remember when to water the battery leading to dry cells or acid overflows. Without proper care, batteries don't last their full, cycle-life potential. Plus, the watering process exposes operators to unnecessary safety risks.
TODAY THERE IS A BETTER OPTION
With automated watering equipment, operators no longer need to worry if the watering was completed and if it was at the proper time. By tracking the time and day the charger knows precisely when you want the equalization done and the water level topped off. Now the operator’s only concern is plugging in the battery to be charged and our Charger-controlled Automatic Watering System handles it from there.
QUESTIONS ABOUT AUTOMATED WATERING
What if I don't have a water line nearby?
That’s not a problem! The low-pressure system can run with water through a hose or low-pressure tubing that is easy to install, cost-effective and safe.
If a direct water hookup is not an option, we recommend a simple gravity tank and fill cart. This way you’re PM technician can fill the tank once every PM ensuring the customer doesn’t have to worry about it and the infrastructure costs are completely mitigated.
But what if you want the automated process to occur at 2:00am on Sunday morning but the operator failed to plug it in on Friday when they left?
No worries, the system will automatically recognize it missed its equalization and watering and applies it on the next available charge ensuring it’s never truly missed.
What happens if the water is accidentally shut off? Will the batteries go dry?
No, we’ve got you covered again. The battery is equipped with an electrolyte sensor and communicates directly to the charger each time it’s connected.
If the water level is low, the battery instantly notifies the Operator through the charger’s display. The display shows the battery is “Low on Water” so the Operator knows the water is shut off.
News & Announcements
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