Free Forklift Battery Servicing & Reconditioning Manual  Servicing a forklift battery is almost identical to servicing a regular 12 volt automotive battery.  These tests should be performed monthly if you want to get the longest possible life from your very expensive electric forklift batteries. You still have to be very careful not to short-circuit any tool, or your body to metal when working on these batteries as the stored voltage is very high and can cause death or severe burns and injuries. Do not wear any metal rings, bracelets or any other metal objects while working on High voltage direct current batteries. If you should ever ground the positive terminal to any part of the metal forklift then you will be severely injured. Always wear eye and face protection and proper clothing to protect yourself from acid spills or splatter. Never smoke or make flames or sparks near batteries and always work in a well ventilated area with a fan blowing if possible to prevent the accumulation of explosive or toxic gases. Place the forklift in a clear area where there is plenty of room to work and good ventilation. Be sure the power key is off so the forklift will not move if anyone accidentally presses the accelerator. Once you expose the battery for service the first thing you do is determining the operating voltage of the battery by counting the cell water filler caps and multiplying the number of filler caps by 2 volts. 12 caps = 24 volts, 18 caps = 36 volts and          24 caps = 48 volts The next thing to do is to take your DC volt meter, set it for the proper voltage to match the battery voltage and measure from the + terminal to the – terminal and record this voltage. It should equal the rated voltage of the battery or possible a little higher if it just came off the charger. If the overall voltage reads lower than the rated voltage, that means you have some weak cells. Each individual cell should read from 2.1 volts to 2.5 volts. If a cell reads lower than 2 volts it will affect the performance of the battery. We will cover this further on in the text.   The next thing to do is to remove all of the cell water filler caps. There may be an automatic watering system attached so try to remove the hose and cap as a unit if you can to save time and labor. See our free training video for this process on this website if you are not sure.   Now it is time to check the individual voltages of each cell in the battery. You are going to need a DC volt meter and the metal probes as shown in the free training video. Be sure to keep the proper polarity when using the test probes. Start off by cleaning off the top the + positive terminal at the top corner of the battery by the filler cap. Using the probes clipped to the volt meter cables,  place the positive probe on the cleaned off + terminal and place the – negative probe into the first cell electrolyte (water). Then read the volt meter making sure you are making good clean contact with the positive battery terminal. Record the voltage on a pad, or test sheet noting the cell number and voltage. It should be 2 volts minimum. Forklift battery terminals like most other batteries are marked Positive + and negative - . Just dip the probes into each cell and read the voltages. Each cell should read from 2.1 volts to 2.5 volts. It is much easier to follow this process on our free training video. http://www.youtube.com/user/chinadepot#p/u/0/7YhfeSOyPAg Be sure to record all of the voltages on a test record sheet. There should be a reading for each cell and these test record sheets should be saved. The next thing we have to do is to use the hydrometer and read the specific gravity of each cell. Please refer to our training video. See it here: http://www.youtube.com/user/chinadepot#p/search/1/ToIL2XZ7EEU Be sure to record the reading for each cell on a test record sheet After you have taken all of the voltage reading and the hydrometer readings it is time to decide whether or not you can recondition the battery. If the hydrometer float readings are very low in the white or red area of the float it is a pretty solid indication that the battery has sulfated from misuse. If the cell test readings are under two volts each it is more of a gamble that the battery will come back at all. These batteries are so expensive to replace that I personally would take the shot even if one of the cells are a low as one volt, but if several were that low I would be very doubtful about rescuing the battery. Again , I have been fooled before so because of the high value of the battery I would take the shot. At this point, if you decide to move forward and add the chemicals make sure that each cell in the battery has distilled water above the plates by at least ¼ inch. Never overfill a battery. Now it is time to add the Battery Chem™. For the forklift batteries we recommend adding 1 full cup to each cell. After the Battery Chem™ is added to all the cells,  you simply replace the filler caps and watering hoses if there are any,  and place the forklift back on the battery charger for a long slow charge. You will find that each day you use the forklift the battery will improve a little more. After about two weeks of steady charging and using and recharging you should achieve excellent results. Important: If you think the performance is borderline you can add another 1/2 cup of Battery Chem™ per cell. New Battery Chem™ Forklift service dealers must be briefed on the keeping of service records, and the marketing of our products including marketing of our monthly service policy. We will provide master copies of the proper service forms and warranty procedures and costs. This is necessary because of the huge amount of employee neglect and mistreatment of forklifts and other material handling equipment.   FAILURE TO PAY THE MONTHLY SERVICE CHARGE CONTRACT WILL VOID THE WARRANTY IMMEDIATELY. Our service people must wear full eye and face protection and protective clothing when working on any batteries or equipment; this is most important. The maintenance and care of your heavy-duty forklift battery is important to keep the machine running avoiding expensive downtime. The few moments that you take to read this short instructions, can be an important part of keeping your forklift running at peak performance for many years to come Forklift Battery Care CHARGING: A key factor in proper care of your forklift battery, is knowing when to charge them. 1. We recommend you use them to a point when the battery reaches 80% depth of discharge near the “red zone” on most discharge meters, and not before! 2. Forklift batteries are different than other types of batteries because they have a much longer life, if you recharge them as necessary, rather than on a daily basis as with other batteries. It is recommended to select weekend, or weekly charge every 5 – 10 cycles this process will keep your battery running at top efficiency. It is possible to shorten or harm the battery if this is not done. An automatic charger with microprocessor control will more than pay for itself by providing a long, useful life for your forklift batteries. A “smart” charger with an equalization phase, and auto switching to float charging would be a wise purchase to keep your battery and forklift in top condition. This will protect against overcharging and damaging the battery. FLUID LEVELS: Because running a battery dry will damage it, always check the water lever in your batteries every five charges, to check to see if the water lever is just high enough to cover the plates within the battery. Always use only distilled water when refilling the battery. This is most important! If your battery is reconditioned with Battery Chem™, it may require water every 5 charges instead of every 10 charges for new batteries. Do not fill above the recommended level because the extra space is  needed for expansion while gassing at the end of a charge. CLEANING: 3. It is important to rinse any overflows from the battery immediately with generous amounts of baking soda and water, this is to prevent corrosion on both the top and bottom of the battery. Make sure to use enough water to dilute the overflow and clean any corrosion or build up on a regular basis and rinse the battery case frequently.  If this is not done, the battery could discharge because of this, while not in use, and cause the battery to generate added heat during the recharge process, and shorten the life of the battery. 4. It is also recommend that the battery should be rinsed every Spring and Fall or more as needed, to remove the acid residue from the battery. DON’TS.   Do not discharge a battery completely . Do not discharge to levels of more than 80% . Do not let a discharged battery sit for more than a day before recharging. (If you need to store a battery, recharge it before hand and also regularly during the storage period). . Never overfill a battery . Never interrupt a charge cycle if possible. . Never continue to use an overheating battery . Never allow flames or sparks near a charging battery.   It is our hope that providing you, our customers,  with information this will prevent problems with your newly reconditioned battery before they occur. Our goal at Battery Chem™ is to extend the life of your battery, and increase the performance of your forklift equipment. We are always here to answer your questions and help in any way we can. Follow Battery Chem™ on Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Battery-Chem Make a new beginning here. http://www.youtube.com/user/chinadepot?feature=mhum#p/u/1/XuZhf2J- NIg  Walt Barrett, inventor of Battery Chem™. www.chinadepot.com/aboutusnew.html

Forklift Battery Care and Maintenance

Battery Maintenance Service Plan (Use this plan when servicing your customer's forklift batteries.)

Copy and print this form for servicing customer's batteries