Most battery, charger or short
run time issues can be diagnosed very easily, and in the majority of cases
can be rectified by following a few short test procedures.
First and foremost is safety. Charging batteries emit fumes which are
explosive. Do not expose to flame, spark or do not smoke. Do not attempt to turn on
the machine while the batteries are being charged. Also make sure there is
sufficient ventilation around the machine and in the area the batteries are
being charged in. Battery acid is corrosive and can cause burns, use
personal protective equipment as prescribed in your owner manual.
Investigate thoroughly before placing the blame on
the battery(s), charger or machine
In the majority of cases (90+%) the problem once investigated
originates from improper charging or use and care procedures. Determine if the
basic battery charging
procedures are being followed: click here
1. In all cases plug the machine into the battery pack
and
let the charge finish before going any further First, please refer to correct charging
procedures on our web site: click here.
In many applications the charge has not been allowed to
fully complete for various reasons. Plug the charger into the battery pack,
watch to see that the amperage needle on the face of the
charger moves to the right, walk away and don't use the machine until the
needle is at "0" or close to it. Only then can testing for other
problems commence. Be aware of multiple users or split shift use during a 24 hour
period. For example, if the machine is used during the day,
then again at night, the battery pack may not have had sufficient time to be
recharged. Discharged wet cell batteries require 12+ hours, gels
16+ hours to fully charge. Not letting the charge finish reduces expected run times
and can prematurely shorten the life of the batteries. 2.
If the charger doesn't shut off It may simply be it needs more
time. Or, the batteries have not been watered or damaged therefore cannot
achieve the rated uppermost voltage
and the charger does not shut off. Damaged or weak cells, old battery
packs, loose terminal connections can cause this situation and the charger is
often blamed in error. Boiling or batteries very warm to the touch are a usual
symptom (see item #3 below). In all cases hydrometer test the batteries
to determine if all the cells are sound. If the cells are sound, the voltage up
to specifications, then have your charger tested for proper operation.
Also, wet cell batteries should be hydrometer tested once per month. A weak cell
in one battery can cause charge/discharge damage to the rest of the
good batteries and to the cleaning machine. 3.
Upper voltage readings A fully charged 12 V battery can be 13 volts or more, X2 in a 24V pack, X3 in a 36V pack. The charger
reads these voltages and when they
are reached, it shuts itself off. What keeps the charger from shutting off is
loose cable connections or batteries that have a weak or bad cell usually
because they have not been maintained or old. When these conditions exist, hot
to the touch battery packs is the usual symptom. Very seldom do
we experience a defective charger that does not shut itself off. When charger
won't shut off after 18 hours or more, take a voltage reading of the
battery pack. If it is low then there is a possible weak or bad cell in a
battery(s) or a loose cable connection. A hydrometer test should reveal any
weak or bad cells in the battery pack. If none are noted, then the charger needs
to be tested to ensure it shuts off at the uppermost voltage limitations. 4. Lower voltage readings
Most Karcher scrubbers and some sweepers have a controller board that starts
shutting the motors down in order to prevent complete discharge of
your deep cycle batteries. Total discharge is the worst thing than can happen to
deep-cycle batteries and this feature prevents such occurrences.
Take a battery pack voltage reading to determine at what voltage the machine
starts shutting itself down to protect the battery pack. This test should
be conducted while the machine is running and shut down should occur around 20 -
21 volts on a 24V battery back. 5. If your charger will not start
The charger requires a specific amount of voltage in the battery pack in order
to activate. If the voltage is not there, it cannot start. This is not
a charger defect. If your batteries have been depleted to the point where the
charger cannot activate then you need to bring the voltage back.
For 12V units a set of booster cables connected to an automobile for 5
minutes, or a 12V automobile charger for a longer period of time
will recover enough to start the charger. In the case of 24V or 36V units, you
need to pull two 6V batteries, wire in series to get 12V, then connect
to a vehicle or an automobile charger . Reinstall into the machine battery pack
and then allow a few minutes for the batteries in the pack to equalize.
This should provide enough voltage for the charger to initiate. Then you need to
determine why the battery pack was allowed to deplete into such a state
and take corrective action to ensure this situation does not reoccur. If a
dealer is called in to perform this service there will be a charge to you as
there are
no defects in the batteries, charger or machine. 6. Other factors to look for Debris wound around brushes or main
brooms causing excessive amperage draw. On BR scrubbers the brush head may
require alignment (front to back, side to side).
Too much front / back or pressure or more pressure on one side than the other
will increase amp draw and cause uneven brush wear. Old battery packs do not yield the
run
times new packs do.
Review with the machine operator(s) and make sure they understand the correct charging
procedures of a battery operated machine click
here.
Is your machine of sufficient size and capacity for the cleaning task? Please
refer to our maximum square ft. per use recommendations for
battery operated sweepers or scrubbers.
Forcing a cleaning machine beyond its design capabilities will lead to
difficulties. Average Run Time Expectations by Battery
Pack Examples: Note: Floor conditions, operating speed,
type of brush or broom, etc. will affect the estimates below, only an onsite
evaluation with the machine
equipped with a fully charged battery pack will reveal actual run times on your
floor:
1x 12V AGM- 1 to 1.25 hours (KSM 690- Up to 30,000 sq. ft. per fully charged
battery)
1 x 12V Type 31 Wet Cells- 2 - 3 hours (KSM 750- Up to 60,000 sq. ft. per fully
charged battery)
2 x 12V Type 31 Wet Cells- 2 to 3.5 hours (BR & BD 40/25, BR BD 530 Models-
Up to 25,000 sq. ft. per fully charged battery pack, deduct approx. 15% for gels)
4 x 6V 244 Amp Wet Cells- 2 to 3.5 hours (BR & BD 55/60, 750 and Trike
Models- Up to 50,000 sq. ft. per fully charged battery pack, deduct approx.15% for
gels) 7. Expected life of batteries
Deep cycle battery life is measured in terms of charge-discharge cycles, not
years like automotive type batteries. 12V wet cells have an expected
charge-discharge life of approximately 300 charge-discharge cycles. 6 Volt 244
amp batteries can have a life of 600+ charge-discharge cycles.
For example, in a machine used 3 times per week with a 2 x12V battery pack, the
expected life of the batteries would be almost 2 years.
If the same machine is used 7 times a week, the battery life would be less than
a year. Gel cell batteries can yield 2 to 3 times more life expectancy
compared to wet cells. Lack of watering, loose or
corroded cables will severely effect the expected life of batteries. Other
factors such as amount
of discharge per use can also effect the life of batteries. For example,
batteries depleted only 60% per use will have a longer life than batteries
which are being depleted 90% per use. (Borderline machine too small for the
application scenario)
8. Call your Karcher Dealer
We can arrive at a solution to your battery/charger
concerns.
