The most common types of forklift batteries, Flooded Lead-Acid batteries or Wet Cell batteries are batteries containing charged plates suspended in a mixture of sulfuric acid and water. The battery works by suspending the electrolytes between 2 oppositely charged plates within the water and acid mixture. Evaporation occurs during the operating and charging process. As a result, Wet Cell batteries require more regular maintenance than other battery types to maintain top performance. This comes in the form of regularly adding water to the battery and regular cleaning, which means your business will require a specialized watering system and a trained person with extra safety equipment to ensure the correct level of water in the battery and provide maintenance for it.
The main benefit of the Wet Cell battery is its price. The battery itself costs less compared to other types of batteries, allowing businesses to have multiple batteries per forklift. If your operation requires machines to work around the clock, then multiple batteries will allow one to be recharged or serviced while the forklift is still being used.
There are a few negative aspects with Wet Cell batteries. First, you may need to purchase a special watering system, plus provide training and safety equipment for employees who will maintain the battery’s water levels. Wet Cell batteries also require regular maintenance and cleaning to keep the batteries working at optimal performance. One of the biggest negatives is the required long charging times and cool-down period prior to utilization. Typically, we recommend charging a battery for eight hours and then providing an eight-hour cooling period, leaving you with eight hours of operating time in a 24-hour period. Wet Cell batteries also need a special charging station where your team will physically remove the battery from the forklift and plug it into the charger. This means that you will need a charger for each concurrently charging battery. If you have multiple forklifts in operation, then you will need even more space for charging batteries and cooling them.
With correct maintenance and charging procedure, most Wet Cell batteries will last up to five years or 1,500 charging cycles.