Optimizing Your Forklift Battery

Scheduling planned maintenance isn’t the only step you can take to ensure your forklift is running smoothly and saving you money—optimizing your forklift’s battery life is another way to protect your investment and preserve your machine’s performance.

Key Points

Choosing the wrong battery charger can deplete battery life earlier than expected.
Charging your battery is a little more complicated than simply attaching your battery to the charger.
A significant part of forklift battery maintenance is maintaining proper fluid levels.
As part of your maintenance schedule, be sure to equalize your battery.
You can invest in a battery status system to test your batteries without a professional.
Cleaning your battery with baking soda, hot water, and the manufacturer’s recommended amount of general cleaner prevents corrosion and is often required to maintain the manufacturer’s warranty.
Using or charging the battery in an environment that’s more than 92 degrees Fahrenheit can cut its life expectancy in half.

Tips for Preserving Your Forklift Battery

You don’t always need an expert to optimize your forklift battery. Here are some steps you can take to preserve your machine’s battery life:

Choose Forklift Battery Chargers Carefully

Choosing the wrong battery charger can deplete battery life earlier than expected. You can preserve your forklift battery’s life by checking with the manufacturer to confirm that you have the right industrial charger for your model. Start by asking an experienced technician if the amp hour rating is compatible with your machinery.

Charge Correctly

Charging your battery is a little more complicated than simply attaching your battery to the charger. To optimize and preserve your machine’s battery life, the charger must be connected to the battery correctly and involves the following steps:

Turn off the charger before connecting or disconnecting your battery.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your forklift battery charger.
Confirm that the battery caps are on during charging.
Don’t charge your battery until it drops below 20 to 30%.
Remove the charger once the charging cycle reaches 100%.
Monitor the battery temperature during charging to prevent extreme heat from shortening its life expectancy.

Understand Forklift Battery Maintenance

A significant part of forklift battery maintenance is maintaining proper fluid levels. To optimize your battery life, keep a regular maintenance schedule that includes adding water to the battery—not enough water causes the battery to overheat, while too much water causes acid dilution.

To repair or replace? That is the question. If your forklift isn’t running smoothly, decide between repairing or replacing your equipment.

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Equalize the Battery

As part of your maintenance schedule, be sure to equalize your battery. Equalizing your battery balances the acid levels to preserve life expectancy and reliable performance. If you don’t equalize your forklift’s battery regularly, the acid concentration increases at the bottom of the battery, reducing its lifespan.

Test Your Forklift Battery

Have your forklift battery regularly tested by a professional to locate any potential problems and avoid battery failure. You can also invest in a battery status system to test your batteries without a professional.

Keep Your Battery Clean

Keeping your forklift’s battery clean is another essential way to preserve its life expectancy. Cleaning your battery with baking soda, hot water, and the manufacturer’s recommended amount of general cleaner prevents corrosion and is often required to maintain the manufacturer’s warranty.

Ensure Your Battery Remains Cool

Avoid operating your forklift’s battery in high temperatures to preserve its lifespan. Using or charging the battery in an environment that’s more than 92 degrees Fahrenheit can cut its life expectancy in half. If you work in an environment where operations are completed in extreme heat, choose a battery designed for hot weather conditions.

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Your Forklift Battery Maintenance Specialists

HTX Material Handling prevents unexpected inconveniences with our planned maintenance services, including forklift battery maintenance. When you rely on us to preserve your battery’s lifespan, you get a long-lasting forklift battery that’s reliable, consistent, and optimized for efficient use.

With our team of experienced technicians servicing your material handling equipment like your forklift fleet, your machinery remains durable, reliable, and safe. We also offer forklift repairs and parts replacement services to maintain the proper functioning of your equipment. Contact us today to schedule your next maintenance service.