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Battery Care 101: How to Maintain Your Lead Acid Battery

At The Start Of Each Shift

Check for cracks, damages, or anything unusual like "wet spots", high temperatures and low runtimes. Spot bare cables, clean off excess dirt and look for signs of corrosion. Wet covers can indicate overfilling, leaky seals at posts, or excessive gassing during charging and should be checked and the problem corrected immediately. Make sure the battery cannot move more than a half an inch in any horizontal direction.

At Least Once A Week

Check water levels and fill when necessary. BUT ONLY FILL WHEN THE BATTERY IS FULLY CHARGED.

At Least Once A Month

Check for any damaged fittings, tips, or connections. Use an acid-neutralizing spray to clean the battery if necessary. Always wear protection for eyes, face, and skin.

At Least Semi-Annually

Have a professional battery service dealership perform a planned maintenance inspection on all batteries including specific gravity readings, voltages, safety checks, and topical neutralization. Have them sit down and make recommendations on how to effectively manage and care for your battery fleet.

At Least Once A Year

Go over the battery fuel gauges to ensure proper operation. Have a professional charger service dealership inspect chargers for proper calibration, internal damage to circuitry and boards, and safety checks. ONLY FACTORY TRAINED TECHNICIANS SHOULD OPEN THE CHARGER DOOR. HIGH CURRENT CAN CAUSE INJURY.

A defective gauge or charger can be hard to detect on a daily basis, but can cause thousands of dollars in damage. If there is ever any question about proper operation call your local servicing dealership immediately.

History Records

A system to record each battery and charger's history can reduce slowdowns and help to extend battery life. Record such things as:

  • Overcharging and / or undercharging
  • Excessive water consumption
  • Excessive dirt or corrosion

Other Records

During the Planned Maintenance, it will be helpful to also have completed records of such things as:

  • Battery number, type, serial number, and service dates
  • Specific gravity and voltage readings on EACH cell
  • Condition of connectors, tip, covers, sealing compound and tray
  • General appearance / cleanliness

 

For a comprehensive program, our Battery Planned Maintenance Program will keep your battery in peak condition.

If you're battery needs more help, think about battery reconditioning

© published 2021-05-20 11:23:46 updated 2023-01-26 10:28:16

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