How Long Does a Forklift Battery Last?
Batteries of electric forklifts are expensive units that need proper maintenance and care to be able to guarantee a long life. These industrial grade batteries are large, heavy and costly. The more efficient the battery, the more effective your equipment operators could be. Extending the life span of the battery is a main concern, not only because of the replacement cost, but also because of the cost of down time associated with battery problems.
Charging Cycles
batteries of forklifts should be recharged just when they are at least 80 percent discharged. The rate of discharge differs depending on different factors such as the average load weight, the number of shifts being worked and how many hours the forklift is being used. For busy operations, charging every night might be needed. Nonetheless, don't forget that charging a battery too often would wear the battery more quickly.
Life Span
Commonly, a new forklift battery will last at least 1,500 charge cycles. Hence, if the battery is being charged every day, the battery would last roughly five years. Nonetheless, this is an average estimate. The life of the battery could be extended significantly beyond the average 1,500 charge cycles with proper maintenance.
Deep Discharge
Make sure that the battery of the forklift is never discharged totally. Not only can damage to the battery result from what is referred to as a "deep discharge", the electrical components and motor of the forklift could sustain damage too. This is because the damaged battery could change the amount of power being supplied to the forklift. The ability of the battery charger to properly communicate with the battery could be compromised too. In a worst-case scenario, the compromised battery charger could not charge the battery fully, resulting in a destructive cycle of incomplete charges. A service technician may be required to return the charger to proper working order.