Charging an electric forklift battery is a task some forklift operators are not adequately trained on. Since there is a massive emphasis on promoting greener and more sustainable practices, it is advised that warehousing and transportation business adopt more sustainable methods of operating and this includes having the knowledge of how to charge electric forklift batteries.
In studies dated back in 2010, warehouses in the UK alone were responsible for 10.2 million tonnes of CO2. This figure has caused many warehouses across the UK to review their current ways of operations. For example, businesses have tried to increase investment in more electric powered machinery.
With this in mind, some of you reading may be unaware of how electric forklifts operate, in regards to its charging process, and may need some guidance on how it functions. As such, this blog will answer the question “How to charge an electric forklift?”
How To Charge An Electric Forklift
While we have already listed the electric forklift battery safety tips on our website, it is time to discover how to charge an electric forklift correctly.
First of all, it is important to note that because of the nature of electric forklifts, there is no petrol or diesel cap where you can simply refill your electric forklift battery. Instead, a large cuboid structure which contains the forklift battery is located under the seat of the forklift. To access it, there should be a hook located near the wheel of the forklift which will need to be activated and will then prod the seat to open slightly. simply lift the seat and you will have access to the forklift’s battery.
Next, when discussing how to charge an electric forklift battery, you will need to locate your warehouse’s electric forklift battery charger station. This is where the batteries are left to charge overnight for continued operation.
When this has been located and your electric forklift battery is removed from the forklift, you will notice that there are two connecting adapters that are required to be plugged in. it is absolutely pivotal that when you are charging your forklift, not to connect the main power supply to the forklift. It must go directly into the forklift battery otherwise this could cause major problems for the forklift in the long run.
Now let the battery charge for the appropriate time (approx 8 hours) disconnect the power supply from the battery and connect the battery back up to the forklift. Once this has been achieved, your forklift will be ready to go for continued operation. For more info on electric forklifts, contact one of our friendly team members today who can supply you with all the knowledge you require.
How Easy is it to Charge an Electric Forklift Battery?
While we have provided you with the information on how to charge an electric forklift battery, you may be asking yourself – “how easy is it to charge?”. To answer this question for you, it is incredibly easy to charge an electric forklift battery. As such, we have listed the following steps that should be taken to charge your forklift’s battery:
- Drive to your forklifts charging area
- Locate the forklift’s seat prod to gain access to the forklift battery
- Making sure you have the correct PPE, grab the electric forklift battery charger able from the forklift battery and push it together with the charging station cable
- Leave for 8 hours (if battery is fully drained)
- Disconnect the forklift battery capable from the battery charger station cable and connect it back to the forklift.