The largest cause of early failure of
lead acid batteries is overtopping or
undertopping them, according
to a free video guide to
battery maintenance
now available from
Hoppecke Industrial
Batteries.

Not only is topping
up one of the biggest
problems with using
batteries but it is also one of
the most common reasons
battery companies will not honour a
warranty, the guide says. Also, forklift
truck users who complain about the
performance of batteries are often
not topping them up properly – they
don’t know that when it comes to
topping up batteries, too little can be
just as bad as too much.

The video guide reveals
how undertopping can
boost acid strength in a
battery which
increases the
corrosion rates on the
plates and reduces the
capacity of the cells.

Conversely, overtopping
can reduce the strength of
the acid and diminish the
performance of the battery.