How often should I charge?

• Daily Users: Charge daily. This applies to anyone who actually uses his or her equipmentoutside of the home.
• Occasional Users: Always be sure to chargebefore 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:

• Usethe manufacturer's automatic charger for all routine charging.
• Never use an automotive or wet-type charger on gel/sealedbatteries. (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.

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

I want to store my Gel batteries outside forthe winter. At what temperature do the batteries freeze at?
Gel batteries can be stored in sub-freezing temperatures as low as -25ºFWithout freezing as long as they are fully charged prior to storage. The self-dischargerate of fully-charged batteries is so low in these conditions that they willnot require charging for many months; however, if your gel batteries are frozen … theywill not always recover.

To attempt recovery the following is the best plan ofaction:

1. Bring them inside and let them sit at room temperaturefor two days. (They must reach 60ºF).
2. Charge the batteries normally. (Follow standard safetyprocedures).
3. Run a capacity check either through a quality dischargetester 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?
TheDigital Voltmeter is still the most valuable tool in the Mobility Technician'sarsenal for sealed batteries. The starting point for checking batteries is alwaysthe charge voltage. In 24-volt systems we know the chances for two bad batteriesare less than 1 in 10,000. So what we need to determine is WHICH battery is bador if either battery is bad. This is accomplished by checking the voltage ofeach battery separately.

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

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