Dos and Don’ts of Forklift Battery Maintenance

When you work in a warehouse or receiving bay, a forklift is a vital piece of equipment. Forklifts typically come with lead acid battery banks that need proper care to ensure a long and productive lifespan, but you can also upgrade to industrial lithium-ion battery packs if you’re looking to eliminate that. Today, we’re looking at some of the dos and don’ts of forklift battery maintenance to keep your warehouse machinery running smoothly and efficiently.

Do:

Keep Your Battery Away From Extreme Temperatures

Lithium-ion batteries work best when you keep them out of extreme temperatures. A forklift battery exposed to temperatures hotter than 92 degrees or colder than 30 degrees Fahrenheit can shorter lifespan. So, keep your battery at a controlled temperature during the summer and winter and take precautions when using your forklift outdoors.

Don’t:

Give Your Battery Short Charges

It may seem like a good idea to plug in the battery for the hour while everybody is at lunch to give it some extra juice, but this is one of the biggest don’ts of forklift battery maintenance. The lifespan of a lead acid forklift battery wears down with the number of charges rather than charging time. Charging the battery over short cycles can lead to the need for charging it more often, and it may eventually stop charging entirely. If you’re looking to avoid this, make sure to upgrade to a lithium-ion forklift battery, which affords the ability to do those quick charges, referred to as ‘opportunity charging’, without harming the battery.

Do:

Charge the Battery Before It Gets Too Low

While you don’t want to charge a lead acid forklift battery more than once per day, you also don’t want to squeeze as much juice out of it as possible before charging it. It’s good to start charging the battery when it hits around 25 percent to extend its overall lifespan. And remember, you should always let your battery charge fully before using it again.

Don’t:

Swap Out the Batteries Throughout the Day

If you disconnect a battery at 50 percent charge, you can shorten that battery’s total lifespan. Batteries don’t differentiate between a quick charge and a full one, so don’t pull it out too early, or you can cause permanent damage to the battery. Again, lithium-ion batteries don’t have these issue so choosing an LFP option like a BigBattery forklift battery is a wise decision.

For more information on forklift lithium batteries, the experts at BigBattery have the answers to all your questions, comments, and concerns. Feel free to reach out to us by phone at (818) 280-3091 or by email at Sales@BigBattery.com.