Having a power wheelchair comes with some additional responsibilities. It isn’t like a regular wheelchair which you can use without any extra work. However, they can’t give you some great benefits that you can get from an electric wheelchair carrier. Among some responsibilities charging the power chair has to be on top. Because you can’t even use your wheelchair without charging it, don’t you have any idea how to charge an power chair battery? Well, I am here to help you with that. You will get to know everything you need to know about using and maintaining an electric wheelchair.
Let’s get this started right away.
How To Charge A Power Wheelchair Battery?
Before I take you into all those details, there is something you should always remember. Always use the power wheelchair battery chargers that come along with it. Going for a third-party charger may affect the lifespan of your battery.
So, let’s get through the procedure of charging your wheelchair battery.
- First off, take your wheelchair near an electric outlet where you can plug the power chair charger. Keep it close to the outlet, so there is less chance of anything going wrong with the wires.
- You should see a charging port on the bottom part of the controller. Before you connect this to the charger, make sure to turn off the controller power. Also, for any motorized wheelchair, you have to keep the chair in drive mode.
- Plug in the charger to the charging socket of the chair.
- Now, plug in the charger to the electric outlet. Once you plug them in, you should see the light on when the wheelchair is charging.
- That’s it. All you have to do now is wait for it to get fully charged.
So, how long will the battery take to charge? Well, it takes roughly 8 to 10 hours to charge an electric wheelchair battery fully. You can’t possibly wait for your wheelchair to get charged fully. It’s a good idea to charge the battery while you sleep.
And as you can see, having just an electric outlet and a charger is enough. So, it doesn’t matter; even if you get a wheelchair DUI you can still charge your wheelchair anywhere.
How To Charge A Dead Wheelchair Battery
Another question that comes into mind how to charge a dead wheelchair battery? Is it possible? The answer is yes, it’s possible, but it’s quite tricky. You can either use another battery or use a pulse charger to charge the dead battery. However, if none of these works out, your best bet would be to charge the battery completely. Don’t know how to do it? Well, here’s how you do it.
What Types of Batteries are used in Electric Wheelchairs and Mobility Scooters?
When it comes to electric wheelchair batteries, you will end up with two different types. You will either get an AGM or absorbent glass mat battery or get a GEL battery. Both of them have a Lead Acid-base for them.
Now, comparing these two electric wheelchair battery types is a bit hard. Because they both have their merits and demerits, it all comes down to what you consider a major advantage and major disadvantage. Let’s check out both types.
- AGM: These batteries come in at a cheaper cost. And they produce fewer cycles, so they don’t last very long. Due to that, it’s a good match for people who use the wheelchair occasionally. Also, the fact that the price is so low is great for saving up money and have good performance at the same time.
- GEL: Anyone who needs to use their wheelchair daily has no option but this one. It comes with more cycles, and due to that, it can last a lot longer. Because of all the good stuff, it features this is the best wheelchair battery you can get for yourself. However, good things come at a good price. So, you have to pay a good amount of money to get this one.
As you can tell from the discussion, choosing a battery type isn’t that hard for anyone. If you use your wheelchair occasionally, then there is no point in spending extra money on them. So, your choice would be the AGM battery. And if you are a regular user, your choice should be GEL; there is no alternative way to this.
Once you get a battery, you have to give it a test. Don’t know how to do it? I am here for that. Let’s check out how you can test your wheelchair battery.
How To Test Power Wheels Battery?
You can very easily test the battery of a power wheelchair or a mobility scooter. All you need is a voltmeter. So, how do you do it?
First of all, take the controller of your wheelchair. Then look for the charger connecting the port of the battery. Now, you have to turn the knob of the voltmeter to the DC volts. The DC volts are usually shown with a “V” with straight lines on top of it.
After you do that, take the two probes of the voltmeter and connect them to the charging ports. Connect one on the left port and the other one on the right port. Keep in mind you won’t use the middle port for any purpose here.
Once you connect the probes, you should see at least 24 Volts on the voltmeter’s display. Given that the battery is fully charged, it can go higher than that. But if it’s lower, then there are some issues with your battery. And that’s how you test it.
Electric Wheelchair Battery Replacement
Changing the batteries of an electric wheelchair or scooter isn’t that difficult. You can do it yourself. Let’s check out how.
- First, you will need to find the two batteries usually placed on the back of your wheelchair.
- There you will see a red connector that connects the batteries with the controller. Disconnect the red connectors.
- Then there is another black battery connector; you have to disconnect that too. Then remove both the batteries.
- You will see two different cases for batteries. They are attached locked with clips. Disconnect the clips to open the cases.
- When you open the cases, you will see the actual batteries. Remove them. Then put the new batteries inside the cases.
- Then do everything in reverse, clip the cases, connect the red and black connectors. Make sure to do that after you have placed the batteries in their significant places.
That’s it; you have successfully changed your wheelchair batteries. However, you can easily avoid electric wheelchair battery replacement. That will help you save up some money, and you won’t have to go through all that trouble either. All you have to do is follow some tips and tricks.
Some Maintenance Tips And Tricks You Should Know
To make sure that your battery has a longer life cycle and lasts for a long time, you have to keep it under maintenance. However, here maintenance doesn’t mean you have to clean your batteries now and then.
By maintenance, I mean you have to avoid doing some things that harm your wheelchair batteries. Here are some things you need to know –
- Recharge your batteries every day: It doesn’t matter if you have used your wheelchair or not; you should charge the batteries every day. And don’t worry about overcharging. As long as you use the electric wheelchair battery charger that comes along with the chair, you will be fine.
- Don’t meddle into a full charge cycle: Always let your batteries get fully charged. The more you meddle into their charging cycle, the more damage you are causing to the batteries. In this way, the batteries tend to die sooner than you can expect.
- Don’t pull the cable; pull the connectors: This is a common mistake that people make. It would help if you never pulled the cables to disconnect the battery from charging. Always pull the connectors to disconnect.
- Always use the package charger: The best way to ensure longer battery life is to use the charger that comes along with it. If you use a third-party charger after one point, the wheelchair battery won’t charge.
- Keep your wheelchair in check: You should always try to go through some checkups on your wheelchair. Through any electric wheelchair troubleshooting, you can find out any minor problems. This helps in solving them before they cause any major issues.
Just keeping these facts in mind and following them will surely help you save some money and effort. You might not even need to change a battery forever. You would want to get the best electric wheelchair cost, so following these can never hurt you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s):
Here are some common questions that pop up on how you can charge an power wheelchair-
How Long Does It Take To Charge An Electric Wheelchair And Scooter?
Usually, it takes 8 to 14 hours to charge an electric wheelchair completely. However, that also depends on the batteries you are using. For the most part, charging a battery for 8 to 12 hours will do that job.
How Much Does It Cost To Charge An Electric Wheelchair?
The cost will vary depending on your locality. It mostly depends on the per-unit cost of electricity for your home. Typically, an electric wheelchair will take up around 1.2 units of electricity for a full charge per day. So, you have to multiply this by the per-unit cost of electricity at your place.
How Often Should I Charge My Electric Wheelchair Batteries?
If you are a regular user of the wheelchair, you should charge your wheelchair batteries every day. This is for the best of your battery health and your wheelchair. You can also charge them every day even if you don’t use them. However, it’s not necessary to do so. If you are not using them regularly, then charging them for 8 to 14 hours twice a week will be enough.
How Long Does Electric Wheelchair And Mobility Scooter Battery Last?
Depending on your usage and maintenance, the number can vary. If you are taking good care of the batteries and maintaining them properly, a quality battery can last up to three years. But with proper maintenance, the least they will last for is 2 years.
How Long Does It Take To Charge A Mobility Scooter?
To charge a mobility scooter completely, you will need to give it at least 8 to 12 hours without interruption.
How Do You Charge A Mobility Scooter Battery?
It’s effortless to charge a mobility scooter battery. All you have to do is plug the charging cable into the charging port of the battery. Then plug the charger into an electric outlet.
Can I Leave My Mobility Scooter On Charge All The Time?
Yes, you can leave your mobility scooter on charge all the time. But you have to keep in mind that you have to use it regularly or at least 3 times a week. If you use it less than that, you shouldn’t leave it on charge all the time.
Can You Overcharge A Wheelchair Battery?
No, as long as you use the original charger that came with the battery, you can’t overcharge a wheelchair.
Last Words
I hope all this information settles the question of how to charge and maintain a power chair battery. I tried to give you all the different information revolving around this issue. Now, you know all about electric wheelchair batteries and how to keep them healthy for a long time.
It’s not just about charging the battery on this one; it’s also a bit of wheelchair assistance from my side. I hope this helps you in keeping your wheelchair and the batteries better for a longer time.
