Power Wheelchair Battery?

[msde302]

A questions for you PALS/CALS with power wheelchairs.

I have a power chair (Quantum 600) that belonged to my mom. I went away for two weeks and when I came home, the battery was not only dead, but it won't charge. It's less than a year old. Did I really botch this? Any of you users/experts have any insight? Or should I get on the phone and start looking for a new battery?

Thanks!

[Mike27]

Hi there
I had a similar problem with my Jazzy 1170. Turned out that I had a short in the charger.

I'd have a medical equipment shop look at it. Most (that I've dealt with) will come to you to do a check.

Cheers!

[Al]

It should still be under warranty. Check that first.

AL.

[ZenArcher]

I haven't experienced this personally but when I bought the Q6000 recently I was told that if the gel batteries go dead that's the end of them.

I found this on the web:

Gel batteries avoid many of the problems of wet batteries. They never need water. They eliminate corrosion problems. They are much easier to take on an airplane trip because airlines require wet batteries to be removed from the wheelchair and placed in a sealed container. The main disadvantage of gel batteries is that they have about 10 to 20% less capacity than comparable wet batteries. This is usually important only for users who travel long distances. They cost more and MediCare will not reimburse us for the full price, but this is not the user's problem. If you want to switch battery types, make sure that the battery charger is suitable for the type of battery. Many old chargers will not charge a gel battery properly. Most new chargers have a switch to select either type of battery.

Many chargers will not charge a completely dead battery. Some have a button that will allow manually starting the charge cycle. In other cases, a different charger must be used. Charging a battery that has been dead for several months is very difficult and requires several days of charging. The battery may be permanently damaged. So it is best to keep batteries charged, even if they are not being used.

[msde302]

Thanks Folks!

I think I'm doomed. We're trying to sell the darn chair and now I get to go buy nearly $500 in batteries. Not fantastic.

Kaija

[Al]

Jeff's post reminded me of what the tech told me about my batteries. If you run them right flat you have to call them to bring a special device that fools the battery into thinking it still has a charge and only then will it start to charge. That' on a TDX5 by Invacare. Might be the same for your gel cells too.

AL.

[msde302]

Thanks Al, Mike and Jeff-

You know, when I was reading the manual when it happened, it said to "Call a technician" if the battery is allowed to die for an extended period of time. So I think I'll call them tomorrow morning. A house call can't be more than the $500 worth of batteries?

Kaija

[Al]

Geez I would hope not. Play dumb. Maybe they will warranty the service call.

AL.