Battery manufacturers will honor warranties on failed batteries. Discharged batteries are not necessarily failed batteries, however, it’s critical that batteries be at a good state of charge before testing. Having a well-organized recharge area allows technicians to recharge batteries quickly. It can also reduce confusion by keeping warranty batteries separate from core batteries.

Sales and Service Engineer Larry Rambeaux says, “A good battery recharge area can save fleets time, money, and batteries by recovering batteries that are simply discharged.” The first step to setting up a recharge room is to:

ORGANIZE

By implementing a uniform system with clear labels, all technicians can follow the same steps to determine if a battery needs to be recharged or not. It is also helpful to post instructions near the recharge area to avoid confusion.

Another thing fleets can do to enhance their recharge area is find the right battery charger.

THE RIGHT CHARGER

The right charger is essential for a successful recharge area. If a fleet is using both AGM and flooded cell batteries, it is important to have a charger that can do both. Not every charger is AGM-compatible, so it may be necessary to have two chargers.

It is also important to have a charger that will shut off automatically. If a battery is overcharged, the heat generated during that process can permanently damage it, causing it to have a much shorter life. By having a charger that shuts off automatically, technicians can also work on other jobs while batteries are charging.

All of these aspects can lead to a well-organized recharge area. Larry says, “If fleets don’t take a battery through all of the steps, the same way, every time it is hard to ensure a quality product in the end.” By instating a set process, fleets can save money by saving batteries that need to be recharged.