All You Need To Know About Propane for Forklifts
Forklifts are some of the most important equipment in warehouses and industrial facilities, many of them powered by propane. In fact, over 670,000 forklifts used in construction, manufacturing, and industrial businesses in the United States are propane-powered. These businesses understand the benefits of propane when it comes to savings and reducing their carbon footprint to help the environment.
Propane has notable advantages over gasoline, diesel, and electric forklifts. A propane-powered forklift will run longer before it needs to be refueled. Propane can be used to operate a forklift for up to eight hours depending on the tank size and fuel efficiency, while electric forklifts are only able to work from three to six hours before a lengthy recharge time.
It is easier to refill a propane forklift. You simply need to replace the cylinder, which can be accomplished in about five minutes. This feature is important for businesses that have shifting schedules. Your operators can quickly switch the cylinders at the end or beginning of a shift to reduce downtime. Moreover, propane is a low-maintenance fuel due to minimal engine deposits. Hence, the forklift can run longer without any problems while requiring less maintenance.
The Clean Air Act of 1990 listed propane as a green, clean burning fuel due to its low carbon monoxide emissions. A forklift running on propane can be run safely in an enclosed area like a factory or warehouse with a lower risk of carbon monoxide exposure. Propane is a clean and approved fuel listed in the Energy Policy Act of 1992. The US Environmental protection Agency tested it and found that vehicles running on propane produce 30 percent to 90 percent less carbon monoxide than gasoline-powered vehicles.
Propane can make your forklift more versatile for indoor and outdoor use, and it will continue to provide consistent speed and power. The fuel cylinders can be stored or moved anywhere in your job site as well. Propane can provide more power for forklifts, regardless of the task. This way, you can continue to rely on the propane-powered forklift when handling heavy loads or moving materials down or up inclines.
Forklifts can endure long hours on the job while ensuring a safer workplace, especially when used indoors. The fuel lines, carburetor components, and tanks, of propane forklifts exceed or meet strict specifications, and the vehicle itself has built-in safety devices to automatically turn the fuel flow off in case of an accident.
About the Author:
This article was written by ThompsonGas. The 16th largest retail propane company in the U.S., ThompsonGas has been family owned and operated since 1946. The propane gas dealer provides cheap propane for residential and commercial propane gas service to customers across 10 states in the East and Southeast.