aforementioned survey, is that the run time can be short. In some situations, cleaning professionals report they need to calculate how much work they can perform before the battery needs to be recharged. If a floor care task requires four hours of time, for example, but the floor machine’s battery lasts only about two hours, they may have to select which area can best be cleaned in one visit and which can be cleaned in a second visit — or after a recharge. Related to this, many cleaning profession-als find the frequent need to recharge the machine a detriment. Obviously, this can slow down worker pro-ductivity considerably. And, a third concern is that battery-pow-ered machines can cost more. The good news is that all three of these concerns are being addressed. Some of the recently introduced bat-tery-powered machines have a longer run time, which means they do not have to be recharged as frequently, and they are becoming more cost effective. Several manufacturers are investing heavily in trying to develop rechargeable batteries that last even longer than those we have today. Because of this, we can expect all of these issues to be less problematic in years to come. used for a week or longer, remove the battery and store it safely ■ When servicing batteries, always wear safety glasses. As mentioned earlier, battery-powered machines with rechargeable power sources offer a number of benefits. And, in the poll, the overwhelming majority of the respondents said they believe battery-powered cleaning equipment is the wave of the future. This is the view of many manufacturers as well and why some of the battery-pow-ered machines available today are far more advanced than those on the market a few years back, with more technological advance-ments expected around the corner. CM Daniel Frimml is technical service coordinator at Tornado Industries Inc., manufacturers of profes-sional cleaning equipment. He may be reached thru his company’s website at www.TornadoVac.com. Battery Maintenance Sometimes overlooked is the fact that rechargeable batteries, no matter which type is installed, do need to be properly maintained. For instance, in most cases, the battery should not be fully discharged before need-ing a charge. Some manufacturers even have a “low bat-tery cutoff system,” which turns the machine off before the battery is completely discharged. Other maintenance concerns to be aware of include: ■ Do not store the battery in unusually cold or unusually hot areas ■ If the battery requires water in order to operate, check water levels frequently ■ Make sure cables and connections are clean and tight ■ Recharge the battery when not in use ■ Some batteries, such as deep-cycle batteries, should not be left in the equipment for prolonged periods of time and, if the machine will not be Product Information no. 215 on page 24 www.cmmonline.com 37
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