Cleaning machines can work efficiently for many years before the battery needs to be replaced, but only if you know how to care effectively for your battery-operated machine. Fortunately, this guide is filled with helpful tips relating to recharging, general maintenance, replacing batteries and safety tips.
Battery Runtimes
Battery operated cleaning machines will require additional care. Ideally, you should begin a full charge cycle when the battery level is down to 10-15%. Across all machines, you can expect to complete a full charge within 10 to 12 hours. With pedestrian and small ride-on battery-powered machines, there is an approximate five-hour runtime. The charging is then performed with an on-board charger that is powered using a 110V or 240V supply. Larger machines with traction packs can potentially run for six to eight hours and are recharged with a standalone 240V or 3-phase charger.
Maintenance Care
Extra care is needed for wet cell batteries, which require the distilled water level to be checked and then topped when required. Quite simply, this is needed to ensure the metal plates are covered and that the battery unit is functioning at peak efficiency.
For a simpler alternative, you can use gel batteries. By design, these are sealed batteries that do not need to be topped up. While they are slightly more expensive, they do not require maintenance and you will avoid such issues.
Ordering Replacements
The lifecycle of a battery is determined by how well they are maintained and how many usage cycles they complete from full charge. For smaller pedestrian and ride-on cleaning machines, it is typically four to five years before a replacement battery is needed. Meanwhile, this can increase to five to 10 years for a larger ride-on model.
Here at SRS, we stock a full range of batteries to ensure customers can seek advice and quotations when they need to order a replacement unit. On hire machines, SRS covers the cost of all replacement batteries provided they have been looked after according to the instructions.
Changing batteries
SRS customer can fit batteries themselves, but we only recommend this if they have the correct installation setup to ensure they are installed safely. The heavy nature of these batteries also means you should seek assistance from others.
Considering that most batteries only need to be replaced every few years, we do advise that you enlist our help. By doing so, you will ensure that the battery is fitted correctly to conform to your cleaning machine.
Health and Safety
When caring for your battery, here are some crucial health and safety tips to remember:
- Recharge as soon as possible after discharge
- Always charge in a well-ventilated area
- Check all connections are tight
- Confirm the charger is functioning properly
- Check wet cell water levels frequently
- Only top up wet cell batteries with distilled water
- Ensure vent plugs and insulators are in place after a recharge
- Read and comply with all instructions from the manufacturer
- Seek assistance if you are ever in doubt
For any further advice on caring for your battery operated cleaning machine, feel free to give us a call on 0330 678 11 22 or drop us a line via our contact form, and we’ll get back to you ASAP!