What You Need to Know About Battery Maintenance for Utility Vehicles

What You Need to Know About Battery Maintenance for Utility Vehicles

By Bridget Haley, Flow-Rite Controls

Utility vehicles are typically powered by flooded lead-acid batteries.  Inside each one of these battery cells contains a mixture of acid and water called electrolyte. The water needs to be replaced when it evaporates over time due to the heat generated by charging, daily use, and ambient temperature.  It sounds simple enough, but certain factors must be taken into account to ensure reliable electrolyte levels, the safety of staff, and avoidance of time consuming steps.

The Perils of Hand Watering

One method for watering batteries is to do so by hand.  Watering by hand requires the user to remove up to 24 caps, peer inside each cell, pour in an estimated amount of water, and then replace the caps.  This process exposes maintenance staff to the corrosive acid inside of the battery, along with the safety concerns that come along with it.  Additionally, the time required to handle caps can add up fast when a company maintains several vehicles. 

Not only is manual watering dangerous and time consuming, but the process results in unreliable electrolyte levels since filling is commonly done in a poorly lit setting.  If not properly watered, a cell will either flood or dry out.  A flooded cell happens when a cell is over watered.  During charge, the electrolyte in the over watered cell will expand beyond the top of the cell and “boil” over the battery top.  Electrolyte is conductive and corrosive, which can endanger staff and harm equipment if boiled over.  Flooded cells also result in an incorrect acid-to-water ratio.  An acid readjustment will cost the operation a few hundred dollars.  Failure to diagnose and treat this problem will lead to a dead battery. Dry cells happen when there is little to no electrolyte in a cell, exposing the lead plates.  Consequently, batteries that go without water dry out, causing permanent damage and requiring replacement.

Utility vehicle batteries are not as expensive as that of industrial forklifts, but costs add up fast when improper watering leads to lost capacity and premature death.  These situations frequently occur since this equipment is often some of the most neglected in the facility.

Single Point Watering Systems

Single point watering systems (SPW), such as the Millennium Plus+ or Pro-Fill systems by Flow-Rite, make battery watering and maintenance faster, safer, and more reliable.  Automatic shut off valves, interconnected with tubing, replace existing vent caps.  A quick coupler allows the system to be connected to a water supply.  When connected, water flows into each cell until it reaches the correct level.
The process takes about 30 seconds per vehicle – drastically faster than manual watering. The simple operation makes training staff to use these systems straightforward.  Personnel are safer as caps are not being removed.  Electrolyte levels are now consistent and correct, preventing prematurely purchasing new batteries that carry a hefty price tag.

Level Lites

If an indicator is desired to notify when a battery needs water, level lites can be a helpful option for maintenance staff.  Typically installed in a central cell where water evaporates quickest, the light changes when the level drops too low. 

The Eagle Eye level lite, by Flow-Rite, monitors and displays the status of cell electrolyte levels with a solid green (full) or flashing red (low) light. Unlike previous indicators, it measures electrolyte levels without using a conductive metal probe. The plastic probe measures levels via the patent pending Capacitive Sensing Technology.  This technology is found in many electronics, such as touch screen monitors and cell phones.  The probe is specially designed to be acid resistant, thereby exempt from corrosion and sulfation. There is a remote option to mount an additional light on the side of the battery for instances when the view of the monitor is obstructed.

Built-In Level Indicators

A popular SPW valve option is the built in level indicator.  These indicators are sometimes used to signal maintenance staff to the electrolyte level in a battery cell.  Visual inspection of level indicators requires good lighting, a trained eye and a clean indicator viewing window.  A false reading can lead to a flooded or dried out cell.

Flow-Rite recommends using the indicator only as a tool to confirm that filling has been completed properly.  Repeated inspection of every cell indicator in a fleet would eliminate the time saving benefits of installing a watering system. The most effective watering procedure is still to water all batteries on a regular schedule and after charge, choose a reliable watering system and water supply, utilize a level lite, and follow instructions.

Some SPW systems combine the float and the indicator.  Since this only signals the position of the float and not necessarily the level of electrolyte, the indicator is useless if the valve is malfunctioning.  In the event a float is stuck closed during filling, the indicator will still read as “full” even though no water was added to the cell.  A float that is stuck in a down/valve-open position will overfill and flood the top of the battery during the watering cycle, even though the indicator signals “needs water”.  An acid readjustment or a ruined battery will be the result. These instances are rare, but can be costly in the event they do occur.  For a true reading of electrolyte levels, the indicator must be separated from the operation of the valve.

Flow-Rite SPW systems offer the only built-in optical level indicator in the industry that is independent of valve operation.  This modification allows the indicator to verify each cell has the correct electrolyte levels and that the system is working correctly.  With no moving parts to break, the unique indicator simply signals the presence of liquid.  The viewing window shows as dark for “full” and clear for “water needed”.
As a vertically integrated company, Flow-Rite Controls designs, manufactures, and markets fluid control devices for lead acid batteries used in an assortment of utility vehicles. The company’s capabilities include a full service engineering department, tool room, molding operation, warehousing, manufacturing, as well as sales and marketing teams.  Robot assisted injection mold machines allow Flow-Rite to operate their molding department “lights out” 24/7. Through this automation, volume requirements are met without the need to go off-shore for parts, as is so often the case. Therefore, their “Made in the U.S.A.” label will continue to be the way Flow-Rite does business.

About the Author:


Bridget Haley graduated with her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. Since February 2011, Haley has been a Marketing Associate for Flow-Rite Controls.