Should You Repair or Replace Your Forklift Battery?

Forklifts and their batteries are integral to the function of any warehouse. They allow employees to move and retrieve otherwise unreachable items quickly, safely and efficiently. But most forklifts use a battery that can wear out over time.

It can be difficult to know whether to repair or replace a forklift battery if you’re having problems with it. Thankfully, there are some factors that can help you decide whether to replace your forklift battery.

Age

Like any battery, forklift batteries have a lifespan. They have a limited number of charges before they need to be replaced. As a rule of thumb, most forklift batteries can run effectively for 1,500 charge cycles.

This comes out to about a five-year lifespan, assuming the forklift is used regularly during normal business hours. If your forklift’s battery is over five years old, it might be time to replace it.

Visible damage

When deciding whether to repair or replace your forklift battery, it would be wise to give it a close visual inspection. In doing this, you may notice obvious or subtle physical signs of damage.

These include but are not limited to corrosion, acid on the outside, damaged terminals or dim displays. If there’s considerable damage you can see, it’s probably time to replace your forklift battery.

Smell

You can use your eyes to inspect your forklift’s battery, and you can use your nose too. If you notice a foul odor reminiscent of rotten eggs coming from your forklift’s battery, that’s a bad sign. That odor is usually hydrogen sulfide, and if it reaches your nostrils, it typically means your forklift’s battery is severely damaged and is well beyond repair.

Reduced performance

Before you elect to have your forklift battery replaced, you should consider repairing it if the sole problem is diminished performance. Sometimes forklifts can have a slow response time, or the display flashes or flickers. This can be indicative of a larger problem, or it could just mean that some of the cables and connections are loose.

If there’s no obvious physical damage, you could have an expert inspect your forklift and its battery. If the problem is simply some connections that need to be fixed or tightened up, you may not have to replace your forklift battery.

Failed tests

If you’re unsure about the condition of your forklift’s battery, you can test its voltage and its specific gravity. You can test the battery’s cells with a voltmeter, and if there are failed cells and the battery is five years old, you’d likely want to have it replaced.

You can also use a hydrometer to test the forklift battery’s specific gravity. When testing each cell, the numbers should fall within the range of 1.15 and 1.29. If you receive readings outside of that range, you should have your forklift battery replaced. It wouldn’t hurt to have an expert perform an inspection after you receive suboptimal test results, just to get a second pair of eyes on the battery.

Call today for forklift battery help

Now that you know some more about replacing your forklift battery, call us at Remis Power Systems. We specialize in industrial battery solutions, and we offer free consultations. Reach out to us today to discuss your new forklift battery!

Categorised in: Forklift Batteries

This post was written by Writer