Battery Care Guide
Maintaining your mobility scooter, power wheelchair or other mobility device battery is crucial for keeping your mobility device running smoothly and safely.
Regular battery care can help prevent potential issues and extend the life of your scooter, wheelchair or mobility device. As an owner, it’s important to follow certain safety points to care for your battery, including charging it regularly and avoiding overcharging. Using the correct charger and storing the battery properly are also essential for the longevity and performance of your battery.
Always read the manual upon receipt of your new device and get to know your new device with small uses / trips before relying on them for long trips. If you find your batteries struggling to last as long as they used to, replace them before it gets to the stage that you could be left stranded due to reduced battery life.
Here are the main safety points to keep in mind for proper mobility scooter battery care:
- Charge the battery regularly to prevent it from losing power.
- If your battery is having trouble holding a charge, or if you’re noticing performance sputters or reduced range, it may need to be replaced.
- Avoid overcharging the battery, as this can damage it. Unplug the charger once the battery is fully charged.
- Never allow your battery to fully discharge to the point of completely empty as this will reduce its life and capacity.
- Use the charger that came with your mobility scooter, or one recommended by the manufacturer.
- Keep your mobility scooter away from extreme temperatures and direct sunlight, as these can affect the performance of the battery.
- Store the battery in a cool, dry place if you’re not using for an extended period of time. Make sure to charge the battery before storing it, and recharge it every 2 weeks while it is in storage.
- If
your battery is looking swollen or cracked or you find a buildup of
corrosion on its terminals that’s a good sign that it has been regularly
overcharged. Swollen batteries have already been damaged and will need
to be replaced as soon as possible
- For Lithium Ion Batteries, Li-Ion cells will become compromised if stored below 0 degrees. We do not therefore recommend storing in a shed or garage over winter as temperatures in these areas can drop below zero. Equally, avoid a storage area with direct sunlight as higher temperatures can equally accelerate the battery's ageing.
By following these safety points, you can help ensure that your mobility scooter battery lasts as long as possible and performs at its best. In addition, scheduling yearly checkups with a trusted mobility shop like TheMobilityShop.ie is recommended to ensure that your mobility scooter is in top condition and the battery is well-maintained.
We recommend changing lead acid batteries every 12 - 18 months depending on usage and how well the batteries have been maintained. However we have seen batteries needing to be replaced after six months in scenarios of heavy use. You can expect 500+ cycles for a correctly maintained lead acid battery. Lithium batteries given reasonable use and reasonable care, lithium mobility scooter battery life is 13 years.
Its worth noting here is that the range and battery life is dependent on a number of factors such as the way you drive a mobility scooter for example, bursts of acceleration will drain the batteries quicker. Size and weight of load, including driver and luggage/shopping are also a factor, as is the terrain where you will be driving the mobility scooter – uneven ground and driving at an incline will wear the batteries quicker.
If you believe your battery that we supplied may have issues, please return it to us and we have equipment to inspect if the battery is functioning at reduced capacity or faulty.
Contact TheMobilityShop.ie to schedule a checkup by calling 057 86 66730 or emailing [email protected]. Prioritizing regular battery care and maintenance will not only ensure the safety and reliability of your mobility scooter or other mobility device but also give you peace of mind while using it.