“The cleaner the copper tips on both the battery and the
charger, the more efficient the transfer of electricity,” says
Dan Dwyer, general manager for Sackett Systems, which
makes battery-handling equipment.
Batteries can be washed manually or automatically using
wash cabinets. As for how frequently they should be
washed, that will depend on the application, the type of
facility, and the equalization cycle, says Dwyer. Typically, he
recommends somewhere between once a week and every
two weeks. Ahmad of Hawker suggests once a quarter.
6. Follow the 80-percent rule. Batteries should be charged
when they have reached 80 percent depth of discharge—
typically eight hours for a new battery. Removing a battery
for charging before it reaches that point is a waste of
money, says Jim Lane, vice president of sales and marketing
at battery-handling company MTC. Lane says it costs $20
on average to change and charge a battery (most of that
goes for labor), so the costs of unnecessary battery
exchanges can add up quickly.
7. Always use a cooled battery. If you’re changing out your
batteries (as opposed to using fast or opportunity charging), allow the battery to cool down for four to eight hours
after the charge, says Lane. “Heat degrades the battery faster
than anything,” he explains.
8. Follow the “first in, first out” rule. One way to ensure
you’re using a fully cooled battery is to follow a “first in,
first out” policy for battery rotation, says Dwyer. A battery
management system—which tracks not only how long a
battery was in the lift truck but also how long it was in the
charging system—can help assure batteries are used in the
correct order.
9. Don’t undercharge your battery. It might not sound
harmful, but undercharging will cause sulfate to build up
on a battery, reducing its capacity and ultimately its life,
says Ahmad of Hawker. To avoid this, be sure to use a
charger that matches the battery exactly. If you have a 1,000
amp hour battery, he says, your charger should also be
1,000 amp hours—no more, no less.
To determine whether batteries are fully charged, check
the specific gravity of the acid after the charge, Ahmad
advises. Each battery has a nameplate that tells what the
specific gravity should be when it’s fully charged. If the specific gravity does not match exactly, the charger needs to be
adjusted.
10. Don’t skimp on your record-keeping. When it comes to
battery maintenance, one of the biggest mistakes DCs make
is failing to document battery-related activities, says Miller.
Whether you use a simple paper checklist or a sophisticated battery management system, it’s critical to keep records
on activities like battery charging and discharging, battery
change-outs, and battery rotation. Maintaining good
records takes time and attention, but skipping that step is
false economy. The more you know about the maintenance
and performance history of these critical assets, the more
you stand to save in the long run. ;
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