BY SUSAN K. LACEFIELD, ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR
BATTERIES/CHARGERS
equipment&applications
juice them for all they’re worth
Looking to keep your lift-truck batteries
going and going and going? The secret’s
in the maintenance and charging.
IN THE DAILY SCRAMBLE TO GET PRODUCT OUT THE DOOR, IT’S EASY TO OVERLOOK
what’s powering all that activity: your lift-truck batteries. Indeed, for many DC managers, industrial
batteries are “the forgotten asset,” says Tom Quinn, director of business development for Minit-Charger, a manufacturer of fast-charging systems.
That’s a serious oversight. After all, we’re not talking flashlight batteries here. A lift-truck battery
comes with a high price tag. And like many expensive assets, it requires regular care and maintenance
to stay in top condition.
How can you keep your lift-truck batteries running at peak performance levels? We asked several
experts for advice. Here are their recommendations:
1. Keep your battery watered. Mention battery maintenance, and the first thing that comes to mind
is watering. As a battery runs, it loses water. That water has to be replaced—and not with just any
water. Tap water may contain minerals, which could build up on the battery, shortening its life.
Instead, use distilled water, recommends John Pratt, president and CEO of Multi-Shifter, a battery-handling equipment maker.
When you water matters as much as what you water with. “Water should only be added to batteries while the batteries are on charge at the end of charge and gassing, or as soon after recharge as possible,” explains Ed Miller, product support manager for the Motive Power Division of East Penn,
which manufactures Deka brand industrial batteries. If a battery is watered beforehand, it could boil
over, adds Quinn.
As for the optimal watering schedule, that’s subject to variation. For the average operation, once a
week is usually enough. But a busy operation—say, one that runs three shifts seven days a week—
might require twice-weekly watering, says Quinn. And a small, one-shift operation may be able to get
away with watering every other week. To determine the right interval, Steve Ache, vice president of
sales and marketing for battery management solutions company PowerDesigners, recommends using
