Caring For Your Used Forklift Battery
Posted on: 3 November 2016
Batteries for your electric forklift can be costly. If you plan to work with a used battery or simply have one on hand for emergencies, it's a good idea to know as much as possible about charging it and keeping it in working condition. This can be easy when you observe the tips below.
Be Sure You're Using the Correct Charger
If you are like many, you may just assume that the charger you have works fine for every forklift battery you're working with. However, this couldn't be further from the truth. If you plan to work with a used battery, it is even more important to be certain that you're charging it with the right equipment. If not, you can burn out the battery and render it useless.
How can you know whether you've got an adequate charger? Just make sure that you're matching up a charger that has the exact same volts as the used battery. To find this out, look at all the square cells running along the battery. Count them and double them; that's the number of battery volts. Use a charger that is equipped to handle that same number.
Water the Battery Frequently
A strange task that must be done with batteries of this kind is that they have to be watered. That's because they are powered by the interaction of sulfuric acid and water. Water is slowly used up during this process, which is why every battery has to be periodically watered. This is especially important with a used battery, as the metal plates which heat the water and acid solution are older and can be slower to do their job; proper watering is vital to ensuring that the battery doesn't short out or overheat.
You'll know you have to water your battery when the metal plates are no longer covered with water. You may want to adhere to a watering schedule just to be sure that there is never a problem; use distilled water for this purpose. For more specific information, consult the owner manual, which you should be able to find online.
Join Online Forums
In the industry you're working in, others are likely to use electric forklifts and know how to maintain and charge the batteries. Being able to ask quick questions to others who know what you're talking about can help you solve a battery problem right away. You may also be able to trade ideas about where to get good quality used batteries or trade them with others.
Ensuring that you follow all the tips here can keep you confident that your used forklift battery will work when you need it. Talk with the manufacturing company of your battery to be aware of whether you should take additional steps. Click here for info about used forklift batteries.
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