How often should I charge?

• Daily Users: Charge daily. This applies to anyone who actually uses his or her equipment outside of the home.
• Occasional Users: Always be sure to charge before an outing and always after active use. The ideal recharge point is about50% on a scooter or wheelchair gauge.

How do I charge my batteries correctly?
To properly charge your mobility battery, follow these simple procedures:

• Use the manufacturer's automatic charger for all routine charging.
• Never use an automotive or wet-type charger on gel/sealed batteries. (They'll quickly ruin your battery).
• Never run your battery completely flat.
• Don't “top off” the battery with frequent charging.

How should a battery be stored?

• Always store your batteries FULLY CHARGED.
• Check all batteries once a month and recharge as needed.
• Wet batteries can hold their charge up to 3 months.
• Sealed batteries can hold a charge for up to 6 months.
• When storing a chair or scooter for more than 2 weeks,charge the batteries and then disconnect them.
• Avoid hot and cold extremes when storing.

What is the proper way to store batteries for the Winter?
Store batteries fully charged. Check them once a month and recharge as needed. Sealed batteries can hold their charge from 6 to 12 months. Remember,if storing your chair for longer than a couple of weeks, it's best to charge the batteries and then disconnect them.

I want to store my Gel batteries outside for the winter. At what temperature do the batteries freeze at?
Gel batteries can be stored in sub-freezing temperatures as low as -25ºF Without freezing as long as they are fully charged prior to storage. The self-discharge rate of fully-charged batteries is so low in these conditions that they will not require charging for many months; however, if your gel batteries are frozen … they will not always recover.

To attempt recovery the following is the best plan of action:

1. Bring them inside and let them sit at room temperature for two days. (They must reach 60ºF).
2. Charge the batteries normally. (Follow standard safety procedures).
3. Run a capacity check either through a quality discharge tester or by operating your power wheelchair in a controlled environment.
4. If you don't get enough run time then repeat steps2 and 3.

Do I have a battery problem or a charging problem?
The Digital Voltmeter is still the most valuable tool in the Mobility Technician's arsenal for sealed batteries. The starting point for checking batteries is always the charge voltage. In 24-volt systems we know the chances for two bad batteries are less than 1 in 10,000. So what we need to determine is WHICH battery is bad or if either battery is bad. This is accomplished by checking the voltage of each battery separately.

The voltage for a pair of batteries can read in excess of 24-volts which can incorrectly be assumed to be a good set. However, you must check the batteries individually.

Two batteries in a 24-volt system charge and discharge together almost as one 24-volt battery. A wide voltage separation between two batteries indicates that you may need to replace both batteries. If both batteries read similar voltage, they should be fully charged before doing any further testing.