People often tend to lose and forget about the wheelchair’s battery system and charger. This often leads them to wonder whether a car charger will be able to charge their wheelchair’s battery?
The answer to this is yes, you can charge your wheelchair with your car battery. It is safe and is also very convenient. The process takes almost the same amount of time and is easy to carry out.
It is highly recommended that your wheelchair should be kept charged at all times and should be ready to travel whenever the need is felt.
In my opinion, battery maintenance and its services should be performed every week. The power of the wheelchair’s battery should not go unnoticed or should not be overlooked for more than a month.
To know more about the type of battery you should buy for your electric wheelchair and more information on the charging and the battery enhancement, stay hooked to the article till the very end!
Battery Chargers Required for Wheelchairs
Whenever you buy a battery charger for your wheelchair you should look out for the details and instructions as to how the wheelchair has to be charged.
You must choose the battery carefully and correctly, as it will lead your wheelchair to a good and improved performance. Right after you’ve used your wheelchair, you should put it on charge.
Charging your wheelchair’s battery right after you’ve used it will not only provide it with a life extension but will also enhance the potential of the battery which will lead to better performance.
Can a Wheelchair Battery Be Charged With a Car Charger?
To answer this question, which arises in the minds of many wheelchairs owners, yes you can charge your wheelchair with a car charger.
But make sure that you set your battery to the deep cycle or commonly known as the AGM position. This can be done only when your charger has a battery-type switch.
How to Charge an Electric Wheelchair?
If you are an electric wheelchair user, then you should know the tactics by which you can obtain the maximum performance of your electric wheelchair.
Batteries of electric wheelchairs are designed in a way that they can handle a deeper and longer discharge. However, as it is noted by experienced persons, it is not good to use a vehicle charger instead of a wheelchair charger.
The reason is that the vehicle batteries are not designed in a manner that will prevent the batteries from a deep discharge, rather it might deteriorate the battery’s performance.
However, if you have the right charger, you can charge your electric wheelchair batteries by following the below-mentioned steps:
- First, place your wheelchair near the electrical outlet.
- Ensure that your wheelchair’s controller power is kept off. The electric wheelchair should also be in power mode.
- Next, insert the off-board charger into the programming socket on the controller.
- Then, plug the charger into an electrical outlet.
- Once the batteries are fully charged, unplug the offboard charger from the electrical outlet first followed by the outlet.
How Often Should Electric Wheelchairs Be Charged?
The number of times you use the electric wheelchair determines how often you should charge your electric wheelchair battery.
If the wheelchair at your residence is put to use daily, then make sure that you charge it up at the end of the day. I used to follow the same method which resulted in the enhancement of my wheelchair battery.
It not only enhanced the battery but also improved its performance and gave a huge boost to its potential which resulted in impeccable charge results.
But if your wheelchair is put to use rarely or is used less frequently then in that case you should charge your electric wheelchair battery for approximately eight to fourteen hours.
It should be charged only twice a week for a period of eight to fourteen hours, this will help in the maintenance of the motorized electric wheelchair.
How Long Does It Take to Charge an Electric Wheelchair?
The time required to charge up your motorized wheelchair battery will be determined by the amperes (amps) of the battery charger you use.
The capacity of any battery is largely estimated by the Amp-hours (Ah). If the capacity of a battery is 70 Ah and it is being charged with a charge of 8 amp, in that case, it will take around 8-9 hours for the charging process.
However, if the charger has a high amp count then it is likely to charge at a higher speed. Hence, it is advised that one must read the battery specifications carefully.
In my opinion, before using your car charger in place of the wheelchair charger, you should go through the specifications and instructions mentioned in the guide.
This will ensure that you follow the correct steps and do not end up damaging your very own electric wheelchair or its battery performance.
Is Your Charger Consuming More Hours?
If the charger of your motorized electric wheelchair is unable to fill a battery of 12 volts even after 9 hours, then you should consider changing your battery.
You should check out for faults in the connection of the battery with the charger and confirm that it is okay and set to launch. Moreover, you should even consider changing your charger, it might be a possibility that it is not compatible with the electric wheelchair.
The battery charger you receive with your electric wheelchair is essential as it provides a long life to the battery and brings an improvement in its performance.
Final Thoughts
So, as far as the question addressed in this article, whether one can use a car charger in place of a wheelchair charger, the answer to this is yes.
But, it is considered to be dangerous and harmful for the battery of the motorized wheelchair as it does not help in battery enhancement, nor does it help in the long run.
It is recommended that you should charge the battery of your electric wheelchair depending upon the number of times you put it to use.