Easy guide to electric forklift maintenance
Electric forklifts are the most energy efficient type of forklift trucks, but only with the right maintenance and care. Used improperly, the battery life of vehicles can be reduced significantly, meaning they need lots of charging and become prone to breakdowns.
Electric forklift maintenance is easy once you know the basics. If everyone makes sure vehicles are charged correctly when required, your vehicles will go the distance.
Battery charging advice for electric forklift maintenance:
DO explain the basics of electric forklift battery care to your operators. If everyone is using the vehicles correctly, they will stay better maintained.
DO stabilize charging after several charges. This helps to balance the charge of the battery, increasing its lifespan.
DO make sure you take note of the heat of the vehicle. Just like a car, electric forklifts can overheat which is damaging to the battery.
DON’T stop charging your battery until it has reached 100%. Disconnecting it before it’s fully charged can reduce the battery’s life.
DON’T run your electric forklift battery totally out. Always connect it to charge when it reaches around 25%.
DON’T leave your forklift with an empty battery for more than a few hours. Charge it up again as soon as possible.
Electric forklift maintenance – cleaning
Electric forklifts aren’t suitable for outdoor use and need indoor, dry conditions to operate safely. But they still gather dirt and grime over time.
Every few weeks, it’s a good idea to clean your forklift battery to remove dirt before it has chance to corrode the battery. Battery corrosion causes problems with operation, not to mention safety risks. Wiping down the surface of your electric forklift and its battery every so often prevents the risk of damage from loose dirt and corrosion.
Topping up the battery fluid levels
This is an essential part of electric forklift maintenance and low fluid levels are a common cause of breakdowns. To keep your forklift running efficiently and performing it’s best, make sure the water is always at the right level.
You also need to top up the battery fluid level around every 10 charges. It drops over time and a forklift running on low battery fluid will be operating inefficiently and could run into difficulty. The fluid should be topped up when the battery is fully charged.
Regular servicing for electric forklifts
The advice above is all easy electric forklift maintenance you can carry out on site. In addition to this, your vehicles must have an annual LOLER inspection – just like a car MOT – to keep them safe and compliant.
It is also advised to have your forklift serviced every six months by an engineer so that they can test the battery, grease, and lubricate all necessary points.
Looking for reliable forklift servicing in Yorkshire? Get in touch with our forklift experts to discuss the problem on 0113 393 2881 or enquiries@moorgateltd.co.uk.
