In the competitive cleaning industry, having reliable automatic scrubbers is essential for efficient floor care in large facilities. A key component that determines scrubber runtime, performance and total cost of ownership is the battery system. Choosing the right batteries for your industrial ride-on or walk-behind scrubber optimizes cleaning productivity and significantly impacts your operations.
With advanced battery technologies now available, you can transform your scrubbing machines with longer run times, faster charge cycles, reduced maintenance and lower total cost. Discover how upgrading to lithium-ion, AGM or gel batteries from standard wet lead acid can benefit your cleaning business today.
The Importance of Battery Technology in Scrubbers
The battery pack is the beating heart of an automatic floor scrubber. It provides the power to drive the brush motors, pumps, wheels and all other components. The battery capacity determines total runtime per charge cycle. The battery type affects maintenance needs, charge cycles, performance and safety. Your scrubber can only work as well as the battery inside allows.
Older floor scrubbers built more than 5-10 years ago came equipped with flooded lead acid batteries. While affordable upfront, these primitive batteries require weekly watering, have short run times, and may leak hazardous acid. As you use and recharge them, the lead plates shed material, reducing capacity over time.
Modern lithium-ion and sealed AGM/gel batteries provide major advances. They maximize runtime for cleaning large areas per charge. They recharge far faster than lead acid, minimizing downtime. They require no hazardous fluid maintenance or corrosion prevention. Their stable energy output enhances scrubber performance. And modular designs allow pay-as-you-go upgrades.
Choosing the Right Battery for Your Scrubber
To select the optimal battery for your scrubbing requirements and budgets, here are key factors to consider:
Run Time - The expected runtime per charge based on battery capacity and your scrub deck size. Look for 75 minutes minimum. Lithium batteries can run 2+ hours.
Recharge Rate - How quickly batteries can charge fully. Lead acid needs 6-8+ hours. Lithium and AGM charge in 2-3 hours. Fast charging reduces downtime.
Maintenance - Sealed batteries like lithium and AGM never need watering or corrosion prevention. Flooded lead acid requires weekly maintenance.
Cycle Life - Lithium batteries deliver up to 5 times more charge cycles than lead acid. More cycles equals fewer replacements.
Power Stability - Lithium maintains full voltage during discharge for consistent scrubbing speed. Lead acid slowly drops in voltage as it drains.
Temperature Resilience - Advanced batteries withstand heat far better than lead acid that quickly loses capacity in hot environments.
Safety - Sealed batteries prevent leaks or spills of hazardous acid. Less maintenance also improves safety.
Modularity - Upgrade capacity over time without replacing the whole pack with pay-as-you-go modular batteries like litihum-iron phosphate.
Savings - Although advanced batteries have higher upfront cost, their longer runtime, faster recharging, no maintenance, double the cycles and 7-10 year lifespan provides excellent ROI.
Lithium-ion Battery scrubbers: The New Gold Standard
For the ultimate in scrubber power, performance and convenience with maximum return on investment, lithium-ion battery technology is the new gold standard. With triple the run time of old lead acid packs in the same footprint, lithium batteries turbocharge cleaning productivity.
Here are key advantages lithium-ion batteries offer scrubber operators:
- Ultra long runtimes up to 4+ hours per charge
- No required maintenance ever - just recharge and go
- Fast 2-3 hour full recharge cycles
- 5x more recharge cycles than lead acid
- High energy density stores lots of power in compact size
- No capacity loss from partial recharging
-Voltage remains constant as battery drains for full scrub performance
- Operates at full strength in any climate
- Advanced thermal management systems
- Modular design enables pay-as-you-go upgrades
- Meets all environmental & safety standards
- 5-10 year manufacturer warranties
Lithium battery technology transforms scrubbers into maintenance-free cleaning powerhouses. Worker safety and convenience is improved with no acid fumes or corrosion. The fast charges and long run times allow flexible cleaning at any hour with minimal waiting. Your ROI is excellent with 2-3 times more cleaning coverage per day and over 5 years additional lifespan compared to lead acid batteries.
Gel and AGM Sealed Batteries: Leakproof Reliability
For a solid mid-range solution between old lead acid and lithium-ion, advanced sealed batteries with absorbent glass mat (AGM) or gel technology improve maintenance and performance over traditional flooded cells.
Gel and AGM batteries offer:
- Completely sealed and leakproof construction
- No watering or corrosion prevention needed
- Low self-discharge when not in use
- Decent run times of 60-90 minutes
- Partially rechargeable without damaging cells
- Tolerant to heat, cold and vibration
- Safe spillproof operation
- 5+ year design life
The non-spilling sealed design is a key benefit for safety and convenience. Without corrosive liquid acid, the batteries resist damage from shocks and tilt. Their tighter sealed construction retains energy longer when the scrubber sits unused.
Gel batteries use a silica additive to turn the electrolyte into a jello-like solid that prevents leaks. AGM batteries absorb the electrolyte into a fiberglass mat separator to immobilize it. Both types avoid the voltage drop off and maintenance hassles of flooded lead acid designs.
Sealed batteries recharge faster than lead acid, allowing quick top-ups during short breaks. Their minimal venting resists heat damage and drying out. Since workers never open the caps, the risk of acid contact is eliminated.
For facilities wanting an affordable, low maintenance battery solution without the big price tag of lithium-ion, AGM and gel options strike an excellent balance. You gain huge safety and convenience advantages over old liquid lead acid. Just wipe clean the casing once in awhile and attach the maintenance-free charger.
Choosing the Right Battery Partner
To get the best long-term value from advanced batteries for your scrubber, partner with a reputable supplier offering:
- Industry-leading lithium, AGM and gel battery brands optimized for scrubbers
- Battery sizing guidance and free runtime calculations
- Full installation services by certified technicians
- Ongoing technical support and maintenance training
- Warranty and satisfaction guarantees
- Convenient shipping and delivery
The ideal supplier becomes your trusted battery advisor for the life of your scrubber. They help you select the right chemistry, capacity and voltage to perfectly fit your specific model and application. Their installation team will professionally integrate the batteries with your scrubber's native electronics for seamless plug-and-play operation.
Ongoing support ensures your staff understands proper charging, storage, troubleshooting and safety. Down the road when you need more run time or capacity, your supplier makes upgrades and replacements quick and painless.
Post time: Sep-08-2023
