A Comprehensive Guide To How Do You Maintain Scissor Lift Batteries

A Comprehensive Guide To How Do You Maintain Scissor Lift Batteries

Meta Description: Discover essential tips on maintaining scissor lift batteries for optimal performance. Learn proper cleaning, charging, and storage techniques for longevity.

Proper maintenance is essential to maximize the lifespan of scissor lift batteries. This article provides a step-by-step guide to maintaining batteries through regular cleaning, monitoring fluid levels, avoiding deep discharge, equalizing charging, proper storage, and following manufacturer guidelines.

Learning these best practices will help you keep batteries performing optimally so your scissor lift can power through the job efficiently.

Key Takeaways

• Keep batteries clean through monthly terminal cleaning and compartment wiping.
• Monitor fluid levels and replenish water as needed.
• Avoid deep discharge and fully recharge batteries above 20%.
• Equalize charge batteries every few months for balanced performance.
• Store batteries fully charged in a cool, dry place between uses.
• Inspect batteries regularly for cracks or damage.
• Follow manufacturer guidelines for optimal battery care.

Step-by-step Instructions On How To Maintain Scissor Lift Batteries

One of the most critical maintenance tasks is keeping the batteries clean through regular cleaning. Dirt, debris, and corrosion can negatively impact battery performance over time.

1. Regular Cleaning

It’s recommended that the battery terminals and posts be cleaned at least once a month using a wire brush or baking soda and water solution. This helps remove any excess dirt or corrosion buildup.

Remember to clean the battery compartment, checking for dirt or moisture accumulation, which should be wiped away. Regular cleaning is vital to maintaining well-functioning batteries.

2. Proper Charging

Always use the correct onboard battery charger designed for your specific lift batteries. As the manufacturer outlines, carefully follow any voltage, amps, and time charging guidelines.

Both undercharging and overcharging can reduce battery life. It’s best to avoid leaving batteries on the charger for extended periods once fully charged.

3. Monitoring Fluid Levels

If you have flooded maintenance-free VRLA or lead-acid batteries, periodically inspecting electrolyte fluid levels is essential. Ensure levels are at the recommended specification and replenish with distilled water as needed.

Tap water, due to its higher mineral content, can damage batteries. Maintaining proper acid levels optimizes performance.

4. Equalize Charging

It’s important to periodically perform equalized charging on flooded lead-acid or maintenance-free VRLA batteries. Equalizing charging involves raising the voltage on the batteries for longer to help balance electrolyte levels between cells.

This process helps prevent acid stratification and ensures each cell maintains equal voltage levels. According to manufacturer guidelines, equalization charging should be done at least once every few months. This process helps extend battery life and improves overall performance.

5. Avoid Deep Discharging

It is essential to avoid fully draining or deeply discharging scissor lift batteries. Deep discharging places excessive stress on batteries and can significantly reduce their lifespan. The batteries should be recharged once the voltage reaches the low-level cutoff point, usually around 20% of their total capacity.

This prevents damage and helps batteries maintain their maximum performance. By avoiding deep discharge through regular recharging, batteries can be expected to last much longer and provide reliable power for scissor lifts over an extended period of use.

6. Proper Storage

When storing scissor lift batteries for an extended period, it is essential to fully charge them before disconnecting the onboard charger. The batteries should then be kept in a cool, dry place away from excess dirt, moisture, and temperature extremes.

Properly storing fully charged batteries helps them maintain their fluid and charge levels. During storage, it prevents self-discharge and damage from excess dirt, corrosion, or freezing temperatures. Following proper storage practices can help batteries retain their maximum power battery capacity when the scissor lift is needed again for future use.

7. Battery Inspection

Inspecting scissor lift batteries monthly for cracks, leaks, or bulges that may develop due to damage or deterioration over time and use is essential. Checking for damaged cases, loose connections or low fluid levels helps identify batteries that may need replacement soon.

A prompt replacement of badly damaged or malfunctioning batteries is necessary to ensure the scissor lift continues functioning properly with reliable power and to prevent potential safety issues from arising.

8. Follow the Manufacturer’s Guidelines

It is critical to always refer to the owner’s manual provided by the scissor lift manufacturer for lift battery maintenance and charging guidelines. Different machines may have unique requirements for voltage levels, charging times, fluid specifications, and more.

Following the recommended battery-lift maintenance procedures precisely as the manufacturer specifies helps ensure batteries receive the proper care to achieve their maximum lifespan. This reduces the need for premature replacement and keeps the scissor lift performing at its best.