Can A Forklift Battery Be Rewired To Change Voltage

FORKLIFT AMERICA'S FORKLIFT Assimilate

Charging, Watering and Cleaning a Forklift Bombardment

Everyday big, heavy and expensive batteries ability electric forklifts and inevitably need to be re-charged. Waiting too long or making the wrong connection can cost your arrangement time and money. To go the well-nigh out of your investment, machine operators should know and practice the proper care and maintenance of forklift batteries.

Auto operators should monitor the percent of charge on a battery, checking for a charge of 20 percentage or less. Unlike jail cell phones or laptop computers, forklift batteries should not exist connected daily to the charger as it will harm the battery's ability to accept a charge. Batteries should only exist placed on a charger when it has been discharged past eighty percent. Allowing a battery to become completely dead (unusable) will take over 72 hours of continuous charging to bring it back to full charge. In some cases it may even crave service to restore it to a total charge.

Once the battery has been discharged to 20 percent or less, disconnect information technology from the forklift. And while it may audio obvious, insure that the forklift is turned off before doing and so. Before connecting the battery to the charger, it's disquisitional that you brand certain they are the same voltage. Connecting a bombardment to a charger that is a different voltage can cause serious damage. Connecting the charger to forklift instead of the bombardment is a common error that can consequence in impairment to the charger and forklift. Exist sure to take your time and pay close attending when making these connections. Yous want to connect the terminal from the battery to the last from the charger.

Set your charger to the "Equalize" or "Weekend" setting. Periodically giving your battery an equalizing charge will prolong its life. How often y'all should give your bombardment an equalize charge depends on the age of the bombardment. Newer batteries should have an equalize accuse every ten charging cycles while older batteries need an equalize charge every fifth charging cycle. Avoid making a habit of giving short charges during your lunch or break time as short charges constitute a "cycle" and will affect battery life and performance over fourth dimension. Avoid interrupting a charge cycle if possible. In one case a charge cycle is started it should be immune to cease.

How often you h2o depends on your bombardment. For the showtime few years, new batteries will require water approximately every x charges while reconditioned batteries may only require water every 5 charges. Whether your bombardment is new or reconditioned, every 5 charges you lot should check ii or iii airplane pilot cells, seeing if the h2o level is above the red perforated plastic Element Protector later it's been charged. Chemical element Protector color varies depending on brand. If the water is low, add only enough that it covers the Chemical element Protector by ane/four inch, leaving space for expansion while gassing at the finish of a charge.

Understanding what'due south necessary to make clean a forklift battery is crucial. If your battery ever overflows, immediately rinse it with water to prevent corrosion both beneath and on meridian of the battery. Dilute the spilled acid with enough water that it'due south not harmful to the surroundings. Spilled acid can generate additional heat during recharging. Clumps of conductive white corrosion can shorten battery life. Exist sure to rinse your forklift batteries every spring and fall to remove acid rest.

Proper care and maintenance will extend your forklift battery's life, helping you to get the almost from your investment.

Exit Comment

23 thoughts on "Charging, Watering and Cleaning a Forklift Bombardment"

i work for a large business and we take many battery powered lifts nosotros always water before charging. we recently had someone come in with a charger other than what we normally use and we were told never to charge before always subsequently where does your company stand up on this
1. There are two schools of thought on this one. The bombardment manufacturers & charger manufacturers will tell y'all to water subsequently the charge. The main reason for this is to allow room for expansion of gases & even the acid itself. However, there is the other school of idea that if the battery is very low on water that you can fire a cell out during charging. Yet, that shouldn't happen if the bombardment is beingness regularly checked. Then, the simple respond is that if in that location is a proper watering schedule, you should simply need to add water afterward the accuse to pinnacle off the minimal amount that has dispersed since the last charge.
  1. well, that's good to hear but will y'all non weak the strength of the bombardment if you water afterward charge?
    however, one of my batteries is working up to only 2 hours instead of the usual 6 or viii hours, what should I practise to regain information technology'southward strength back? I will be glad to hear from y'all.
    1. The acid volition mix with the water quickly and it won't weaken the bombardment. The accuse is between the plates not the acid.
      
      If y'all have a battery that is simply lasting 2 hours and information technology has proper h2o levels, it's probable either only old or has a bad jail cell. You tin can check each jail cell and see what voltage it is holding. Typically y'all'll come across something similar two.03v 2.02v 1.95v 2.04v…. etc. The one showing 1.95v would be the bad ane because there is a big difference between the other cells. Make sure that you lot get a actually good connection with your multimeter when testing, corroded terminals will give bad readings.
      
      Or you can have a bombardment service come out and audit your battery and do some load testing. They can fifty-fifty balance the acid. Commonly, they can refurbish a battery for less than a new battery. All the same, it may non be worth it if the battery is already 5 or more years old because that'south about the expected life of the cells with average usage.
Is 80 percent considered a full charge. Would taking it off the charger once it has reached that point kill bombardment fast. The charger has a light come on at the 80 percent point
1. No, eighty% is just what it says. What you likely accept is an opportunity charger. What is happening is that the charger volition stop charging to allow the battery to cool down. This extends the life of the battery. It will after a catamenia go along to charge to the total 100%. However, 80% is considered a good enough charge to use the lift for a half shift.
I work for a large warehouse equally the bombardment tech. The chargers in the edifice are all set upwardly to equalize all the fourth dimension. Tin this harm the charge capacity?

It is a large warehouse with nigh twoscore 36 volt getting inverse about 3-4 times a shift.
1. Honestly, I've never heard of a situation like this. Still, here's my thought process on the affair.
  
  An equalize charge does two things through what is really just a forced overcharge. Start, it brings all of the cells to a almost equal voltages. 2nd, it helps to shed sulfation that occurs from low charge weather.
  
  Now, I practise come across an issue with method being used by your warehouse mainly because the batteries are constantly being overcharged. This can have a number of repercussions. During overcharging, excessive current causes the oxides on the plates of the bombardment to "shed" and precipitate to the bottom of the jail cell and likewise heat the battery, thus removing water from the electrolyte. In one case removed, this material (which represents chapters) is no longer active in the battery. In addition, the loss of water from the electrolyte may betrayal portions of the plates and cause the exposed areas to oxidize and get inactive, thus reducing additional capacity. On height of all of this, an equalize accuse is typically a longer charge. Then, you need to let the bombardment cool down for the same corporeality of fourth dimension as it has charged. Thus, the batteries will (should) have an extended downward time, which can touch productivity.
  
  For your information, the typical recommended usage of the equalization accuse is every six months or 20 cycles.
Crown lifts…Should they be filled with water before,during or after its fully charged…
1. You should e'er fill after unless the battery is only completely dry.
Should I wait to charge my forklift later adding water? It was bone dry and dead.
1. It doesn't hurt to wait a solar day, simply generally, the charging process itself does a the job of mixing the contents of the cells due to the bubbling rising. Just make sure that you didn't make full them too high or y'all'll have bombardment acid flowing everywhere one-half way through the charge.
Howdy Sir,
How to properly mix the Sulfuric acrid and Distilled water to pour in a completely dry prison cell . i'm request because one of the Forklift bombardment gravity showing around 1125 and 1150 range . And so i can i boost the gravity? should i first completely remove the electrolyte or straight pouring the Sulfuric acid in each cell.
1. We aren't in the business of restoring batteries. Thus, I don't feel that we can give a proper reply to this question. One thing I practice know is that you should add acid to water and not water to acid (when the acrid is in it's pure class and not diluted like in a battery). Otherwise, the acid will react violently with the water and will splatter. Draining the cells seems optimal for the almost accurate mixture, just in one case again, nosotros don't refurbish batteries. Thanks for your question.
I practise thanks Mickey for your answers..
I do thanks Mickey for your answers..
Thnx guys for proficient discussions.
This damage tin can compromise the structural integrity of your bombardment case or even crusade your cables to overheat, melting the insulation and shorting your bombardment connector.
Hello, if doing opportunity charging, does the battery need to be completely dead before eqaliuze charging?
1. No, in fact the concept of opportunity charging is to charge the battery before it is drained.
Hi
Thank you for the attention
I am from Great socialist people's libyan arab jamahiriya
I have experience in the field of maintenance of acid and alkaline batteries .. 12 volts from twoscore ampere to 225 ampere. I tin detach it and install it again. This is for this type of battery
But for forklift batteries, I don't have a consummate idea.
Can you tell me some information on this. Cells. I mean, is it possible that I can repair these cells
And cheers ..
1. They are repairable, however, that isn't a part of the business that we are in. Then, unfortunately, in that location isn't much nosotros tin say on the discipline.
This comment is very greatfull. If doing opportunity charging, does the battery need to be completely dead earlier equalize charging?

But how many times do I have to clean the water? I didn't get the direction section of your content please draw me with full details.
1. The whole thought of opportunity charging is that the battery doesn't demand to exist dead before charging. Equalize charging tin can be done to a battery at about any level. The h2o doesn't need to be cleaned, just added to as noted in the article.