When Should Your Forklift Battery Be Charged?

Forklifts are specially designed vehicles that are used to move various items inside warehouses and factories. They help workers complete various tasks that are important to keep those aforementioned establishments organized.

Given how often they are used, forklifts will also need to be recharged frequently. But how often should they be charged? Stay tuned and find out when you should charge your forklift so you can preserve its battery life better.

How Often Should You Charge a Forklift Battery?

As soon as you’re asked how often a forklift battery should be charged, you may instinctively answer that charging is required whenever the battery level is low. That’s the obvious response, and while it’s not necessarily wrong, it’s not a complete answer either.

For starters, you should not completely deplete a forklift battery. Doing that has an adverse effect on the battery’s lifespan. To counter that concern, you may think of charging the battery after each use. Unfortunately, that’s not helpful either.

A forklift battery is typically only good for about 1,500 charges, including full and partial charges. You don’t want to waste one of those charges on a battery that is still 70 percent full.

Ideally, you want to charge the forklift battery whenever it ends up in the 20 to 30 percent zone. You’re maximizing the charge when you hook the battery up at that point. Don’t go any lower than 20 percent because that is when the battery becomes susceptible to damage.

How Long Do I Charge a Forklift Battery?

The forklift battery should be charged until it is full. Removing it before it reaches that point is wasteful because you aren’t getting that charge back.

If you are charging a forklift battery with around 20 to 30 percent of its juice left, reaching 100 percent will usually take about 8 to 10 hours. Charging the battery overnight is a good idea if you know the forklift will be in heavy use tomorrow.

What Step Should You Take Before Charging a Forklift Battery?

Charging a forklift battery is a fairly straightforward process, but you should still take some precautions beforehand. Check out some of the necessary precautions below.

Choose the Right Spot for Charging

Some gases may be released while the forklift battery is being charged. Because of that, you have to make sure that the battery is being charged in a building with good ventilation.

Wear Safety Gear

Never charge a forklift battery unless you are wearing proper safety gear. Read up on OSHA guidelines to determine what pieces of safety gear must be worn.

Check the Battery and Charger

Examine both the battery and the charger for any signs of damage. Don’t proceed with charging if either component appears to be damaged. Call a battery engineer instead so they can address the issue.

Keep the Forklift Out of the Way

Before charging, park the forklift in a spot where it won’t be in the way. Apply the brake to ensure that the forklift will be stationary.

Forklift batteries must be handled with care if you aim to maximize their usefulness. Follow the tips detailed in the article so you don’t run into any issues while using or charging your forklift.

Categorised in: Batteries

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