Nation Association of Physically Handicapped - Keeping the Electricity in Your Relationship With Your Scooter & Power Wheel

It’s really not difficult to keep the charge in the relationship. A few simple precautions and maintenance steps will ensure the longest life for your batteries.

CHARRRRGE! If you use your machine, charge it. The bad old days when you had to avoid creating a “charge memory” in your batteries are (thankfully) over, if they ever existed at all. Modern gel, sealed lead-acid, and even wet cell batteries will not develop any memory. Modern battery chargers won’t overcharge or overheat your batteries. If a battery ever feels more than slightly warm during charging, something is wrong! Contact your service technician right away.

CHECK UP, CLEAN UP, FIX UP! Check or have someone check your connections regularly. Once a month is not too often. Make sure the connectors are clean and tight. Loose or dirty connections won’t let your battery charge correctly and surely will shorte n your charge and battery life.

STOP. LOOK. LISTEN! Stop your chair or scooter occasionally and let the charge meter settle down. Look at your charge indicator: If you see yellow, charge your batteries as soon as possible. If you see red, charge NOW! Even half an hour will help. Listen to your machine. If it sounds “rough” or like it is straining to keep up speed, check your charge. If your batteries just won’t charge or run the machine as long as they should or once did, see your technician. That’s about it. Batteries and battery care aren’t rocket science, (They’re not even battery science.) but they do take a little thought and attention. And thoughtfulness and attentiveness, as we all know, are the keys to a good relationship.

Did You Know If Medicare or in some cases other insurances paid for your power wheelchair or scooter you may be eligible to receive batteries yearly at little or no cost to you. Repairs and maintenance may also be covered.