If you own a power wheel chair, the battery is one of the most components of the chair. The best way to ensure that your mobility is not interfered with is to ensure that you charge your batteries daily. If you neglect to take care of your batteries, you may find yourself in need of replacement batteries.
Protecting New Batteries
Whether your chair is new or if you have new batteries as a result of replacing your old batteries, you need to inquire about whether or not they are fully charged. This is because deep cycle batteries require a full charge prior to their initial use.
If you opt to use these types of batteries without them being fully charged, there is a chance that you will cause damage to them. The end result is that the batteries may never be capable of fully charging. So, if the supplier or manufacturer does not provide fully charged batteries, it will be your responsibility to charge them fully prior to using them.
Chargers
Using the wrong charger for your chair can also affect batteries negatively. It may be tempting to use someone else's charger or even buy a replacement charger that is not made by your manufacturer, but it really is not worth it when you consider that if the batteries get damaged in the process, you will need to replace them.
The charger rule applies even if someone has a chair that looks identical to yours. There is a possibility that they could still be different models, and the differences may not be easy to discern.
Also, keep in mind that using the wrong charger could damage the charger. If it is not the right charger for the chair, the connectors could break, bend or otherwise become damaged. If you are far away from home, contact your chair manufacturer to determine which chargers are compatible with your wheelchair.
Charge Depletion
Avoid over-draining your deep cycle batteries by monitoring the charge percentage. This is particularly important when your batteries are new. If you use your chair frequently and for long trips, it may be inevitable to avoid draining the batteries to a low percentage.
In this instance, be prepared to have to replace them sooner than if you did not deplete the charge to the batteries regularly. This is due to capacity of the batteries which is measured by the depth of the battery discharges and the amount of charges and discharge cycles it can withstand. A wheelchair parts provider (such as Southwest Medical & Rehab) is a good resource to use to learn more about taking care of your wheelchair's batteries and replacing them.
Share2 February 2015
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