1. Check automatic watering systems.
These systems get clogged during use. They also are in the elevator and not taken out very often, causing them to clog. This often goes unchecked, the clog is not uncovered, and the cell is burned and dried out. This results in costs of $400 to $600 for a cell change, and is a common problem that could be avoided.
2. Clean the tops of batteries of acid and corrosion.
A dirty battery causes many problems. If you place a voltmeter on top, the battery will slowly discharge. If you charge a battery, it will slowly discharge. Corrosion builds up and ruins your cables, which leads to poor battery performance. Cables can cost between $70 and $100 each if you have a lot of batteries, besides degrading the performance of your battery. You can avoid this problem by taking some time to clean the tops of the batteries.
3. Monitor underperforming batteries.
Many companies don’t deal with problem batteries. Batteries that don’t work properly can lead to significant charges on the forklift’s electrical components, which cost a lot of money, several thousand dollars. Damage occurs when the battery is discharged and is still used.
You can tell a battery is underperforming if it doesn’t last a full day’s work. Many batteries only last an hour or two, and drivers don’t know which ones are good and which are bad. They install them and the batteries discharge quickly.
Facilities with malfunctioning batteries can spend thousands of dollars a month replacing electrical components in forklifts. It is possible to identify these batteries, restore them to working order and save these expenses.
When forklifts fail, productivity decreases, we move products less, batteries are replaced more often, and component and labor replacement costs are unnecessary.
4. Use filtered water in batteries.
Having visited many facilities and seen things up close, I can tell you without hesitation that using tap water in your batteries will cause unnecessary problems and expense. I see this all the time. Batteries that use tap water are far worse than any other. They heat more. The minerals in the water build up on the plates and that causes heat. The heat causes the battery to fail prematurely. I estimate you are reducing the life of the battery by 50%. Even if your battery is covered by a warranty, ship it out and wait for it to come back, which costs money. This can be avoided by using filtered water.
5. Use a water de-ionizer.
A cheap and effective solution to the problem of using filtered water. You can attach it to your water line. It is inexpensive and you get the benefits of filtered water. It is easy to use. You don’t need to bother with filtered water bottles. You can use an automatic water gun and a battery fills in seconds instead of the minute or more it takes to pour filtered water from a bottle, which is probably the biggest deterrent to using filtered water. This makes refilling easy and eliminates the minerals that pollute batteries and cause you expense and lost productivity.
6. Do not allow occasional charging.
Do not allow charging during 15-minute breaks and lunch periods. Batteries discharge to 80% and then fully recharge. If you charge by opportunity, you will significantly reduce the life of your battery.
I think this process kicks in when batteries are underperforming, drivers know this and try to get a little extra charge during their breaks.
Opportunity charging speeds up the deterioration of battery performance. If you identify the worst performing batteries, you can avoid this problem.
This can reduce battery life by a year or two, not to mention the cost of electricity for unnecessary charges, labor costs, and lost productivity when a battery needs to be recharged.
7. Do not equalize batteries more than once a month.
Equalizing creates enormous heat, especially when the battery is old. Heat kills batteries. It melts the lead. Equalization may give a temporary boost, but the battery wears out faster. I go into facilities and I literally see batteries smoking from the heat.
The temporary boost you get comes at a high cost: the life of the battery is shorter and the handling and maintenance costs are higher.
8. Batteries need to cool down after charging.
Remember, heat kills batteries. If they are charged and then immediately used, they stay hot much longer. Companies that get the most out of their batteries let them cool down a few hours after charging.
9. Do a quick check of cables and connections every month.
This can easily be overlooked. At first glance, everything may look fine, but a closer inspection may reveal corrosion that won’t allow electricity to flow. Shake out the cables and make sure the connections are solid.
Faulty cables affect the performance of the battery. If electricity isn’t flowing efficiently, your battery won’t discharge or charge fully. You may think your battery is in terrible shape, but in reality, it can’t be fully charged because the cables are bad. So make sure they are not corroded.
10. Schedule your chargers with a 30 minute delay.
One company I work for couldn’t keep their employees from charging during breaks and lunch when they were not being supervised. So they installed a 30-minute delay on the charger.
Employees plug in normally, but they are not charged because of the delay.
The inconvenience and cost of opportunity charging is so great that installing a delay was a very smart decision for this facility. Most of the breaks are 15 or 30 minutes long and this eliminates charging during that time.
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Summary
The batteries will last much longer. A typical warranty is 5 years, but you can get 7 or 8 years of productive use out of a battery. If you don’t do the above, a battery may only be productive for a year or two, and then underperform, with all that implies in terms of time, labor, and unnecessary expense, during the last few years of use. You suffer the consequences of increased expenses, lost productivity, and unnecessary electricity and labor expenses to keep them running.
The labor costs associated with poorly performing batteries are significant. Bad batteries mean people have to change them. There are safety issues. When batteries are changed, there is a risk of injury. With more activity around the battery area, there is a greater risk of injury.
