JP Sanzhez

Periodically cooling off your forklift battery makes it safe and effective for powering your lift truck. If your battery overheats, it could spell trouble. Read to find out the five signs your forklift battery is overheating.

1. You Feel Heat Emitting From the Battery

The most obvious way to tell the battery is overheated is to feel the heat coming off it. When charging and discharging, it’s normal for the battery to get hotter because of the chemical reaction going on.

Manage the temperature by properly charging the battery and keeping the environment cool. In general, you should discharge the battery for eight hours, charge it for eight hours, and let it rest for eight hours. Follow your manufacturer’s instructions.

2. Hot Cables and Connectors

While it’s normal for batteries to heat up during use or while charging, the battery’s cables and connectors should not get hot. Weak contact points at the ends of the connectors can cause overheating. Replace overheating cables and connectors before they melt their insulating outer sheath.

The sulfuric battery acid in an overheated battery can burn through the cable’s insulation and corrode the copper wiring. If this happens, you will see swollen cables. Replace corroded, swollen, and damaged cables and connectors.

3. The Truck Has Intermittent Power Loss

An overheated battery can cause power to your lift truck to cycle on and off. The forklift might sputter or backfire. If you experience this, immediately stop using the forklift. Check the battery as well as the alternator, broken wires, fuel filter, and vacuum hoses.

4. The Forklift Won’t Start

Another sign that you may have an overheated battery is that your forklift won’t start. High temperatures in the battery will heat the electrolyte solution and weaken or ruin the battery.

You can check the voltage of the fully charged battery. If the voltage doesn’t have a full charge after a charging cycle, then it is probably time to replace it.

5. Warning Light

If you see a warning light appear on your lift truck display, don’t ignore it. The light can signal issues with the engine, battery, or fuel tank.

Make sure to schedule ample cooling time for your batteries and keep them properly watered. The forklift battery should operate below 113 degrees Fahrenheit or 45 degrees Celsius.

If you need to replace your faulty battery, shop for electric forklift batteries from Green Power Batteries. Whether you choose new or refurbished, you can rely on these batteries to keep your lift trucks going. Shop with us today.

A lead-acid battery’s power comes from the chemical reaction taking place in each battery cell. Connecting the cells in a series creates the battery’s total voltage.

Better understand the components of your forklift battery with this overview of forklift battery cell arrangements.

Cell Arrangement

Each battery cell contains a set of positive and negative plates, also called electrodes, immersed in an electrolyte. The positive plate is lead dioxide (PbO₂), the negative plate is sponge lead (Pb), and the electrolyte is a diluted sulfuric acid solution (H₂SO₄). The nominal voltage per cell is 2 volts.

The usual cell arrangement for a 12-volt forklift battery contains six cells in a single row. A 24-volt battery has 12 cells in either two rows of six cells or three rows of four cells, while a 32-volt battery has 16 cells arranged in four rows of four cells each. A 36-volt battery has 18 cells arranged in three rows of six cells.

Intercell Connectors

Forklift battery cells are arranged in a series, connected so that each cell can contribute to the total overall voltage of the battery. The positive terminal of one cell is next to the negative terminal of the next cell. The cells are connected by intercell connectors, which are generally lead-coated copper straps or solid lead. The connectors keep the cells together during storage and use.

If the intercell connectors loosen, the electrical resistance between the cells increases—increased electrical resistance raises the temperature in the battery. It’s important to keep intercell connectors tightened to avoid battery failure or damaging equipment that runs on the battery. Test the battery intercell connection resistance periodically to avoid problems.

How To Identify Your Battery

Your essential forklift battery information is either stamped onto an intercell connector or stamped onto a nameplate affixed to the tray. The information generally includes the model number, forklift battery capacity, battery voltage, and serial number. Use this information to maintain, service, and replace your battery.

If you need to replace your battery, Green Power Forklift Batteries can help you save on costs. Our refurbished forklift batteries retain 85 percent of the rated capacity for brand-new forklift batteries, making these batteries an excellent, durable option for your forklift power needs. Shop with us today.

Whether you are a business owner or you drive a forklift for a large company, you might not think about the environmental impact of your business operations very often. However, with the effects of climate change becoming more apparent each year, it has never been more important to audit your carbon footprint.

One of the ways a warehouse owner or employee can benefit the environment is to switch from purchasing new forklift batteries to reconditioned or refurbished units. With that in mind, here are three environmental benefits of reconditioned forklift batteries.

Read more

If you live or work in an area where harsh winters come every year, then you must ensure that the weather doesn’t destroy your forklift batteries. Cold weather causes numerous problems for forklift batteries, including shortening the battery’s life span and reducing its capacity to charge.

Thankfully, you can prevent this from happening by following the proper techniques to winterize your batteries. Here is your guide on how to prepare your forklift batteries for winter.

Read more

Whether your business is in its off-season or you just don’t need a forklift for your current operations, you must ensure you store your forklift correctly. Storing the battery requires more knowledge than simply parking a forklift into its designated area.

Your forklift should be fine wherever you leave it, but the battery needs special care in order for you to store it correctly. With that in mind, here is what to know about forklift battery storage.

Read more