How long and how often should you charge your stairlift, scooter/wheelchair or mobility device?

Battery care and maintenance is very important. As a rule, a lead-acid battery should be charged after each usage but there is more to it. Here are some helpful tips to understand and extend your device's battery life.

For new devices, it is recommended the batteries are charged for twelve (12) hours prior to initial use to condition the batteries for maximum performance. This is particularly important for scooters and wheelchairs even if the battery gauge shows a full charge.

The amount of charge time required can be influenced by several factors:

• Percentage (%) of discharge
• Ambient temperature
• Voltage
• Output of charger
• Age of battery
• Condition of battery

The American National Standards Institute/Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (ANSI/RESNA) standard states that 80% of capacity of charge should be achieved with eight (8) hours. Smaller current output chargers may make it necessary to charge for a longer period than other industry-standard equipment.

In general, it takes about 60% of the total charging time to bring a battery from 0% to 90%. However, the remaining 40% of the charging time is needed to complete the remaining 10% charge back into the battery.

Think of a battery as your fuel tank. The more fuel in the tank the more miles/kilometers you can travel. Similarly, more battery charge yields more distance. It is recommended that users recharge nightly for a minimum of eight (8) hours to ensure a full charge.

To further enhance battery life, it is recommended that a twelve (12) hour charge is performed at least twice a month. Consistently undercharging a set of batteries can cause sulfation, a build-up of lead sulfate crystals which is the number one cause of early failures of lead-acid, thereby experiencing longer charge times, shortening runtime and reducing battery life.

Always use the products' automatic charger for all standard routine charging. If storing batteries, be sure they are stored fully charged and disconnected. Avoid extreme hot and cold temperatures when storing, and periodically check the voltage and recharge as needed.

References:

1. American National Standards Institute
2. Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America
3. Battery University, BU-804b: Sulfation and How to Prevent It (2016) [https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/sulfation_and_how_to_prevent_it]
4. Golden Path, Maximize Battery Charging Time (2018) - MK Battery

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