ISSA

Vist the Floor Care Section of ISSA's Online Bookstore!

Want to learn more about floor care? Check out the floor care section of ISSA's online bookstore. You'll find resources on how to care for your machinery, training manuals, and guides on floor care best practices.

Shop Around!
Don't miss ISSA's new, easy-to-use, quick, and secure Self-Serve Web portal for browsing and purchasing valuable educational resources. You'll find training manuals, DVDs, books, and software programs designed to teach you and your staff best practices and techniques for cleaning, and more! Start shopping now! 

During spring and summer seasons, many facilities, especially schools and universities typically refinish their hard surface floors. For this type of floor care, many locations now use battery-powered floor machines because they offer greater flexibility and safety.

However, to maximize the machine’s performance, proper care of its battery is necessary.

For instance, “one of the worst things that can happen to a battery is for it to be discharged too far,” says Daniel Frimml, a service technician with Tornado Industries, a leading manufacturer of floor care equipment. “In response to this specific problem, some manufacturers now offer electronic low-battery cut-out features on new machines.”

The following are some basic, yet routine, battery maintenance tips Frimml suggests to keep floor machine batteries in tip-top condition:

• Check the water level regularly (if applicable).

 

• Check cables and connectors for cleanliness and make sure these parts are tight.

 

• Sealed batteries are commonly called maintenance-free batteries and, as the name implies, are maintenance-free.  However, it is still advisable to check the connections and cables on a regular basis.

 

• Deep-cycle batteries (a more conventional lead-acid battery) will discharge if the unit has not been used for extended periods of time.  To avoid this, charge these batteries periodically. This maintains battery life and ensures the floor machine is ready for use when needed.

 

• Keep all batteries and battery-operated equipment away from heat sources when stored.  Heat can severely damage a battery.

 

• Remember to always wear safety glasses when servicing batteries.

 

“When it comes to batteries, especially deep-cycle batteries, the best advice is to keep them in top condition,” adds Frimml.  “This will save time and can be a major cost savings as well.”