How to maintain the battery of the electric wheelchair to extend its service life as much as possible?
The two most commonly used batteries for electric wheelchairs on the market are lithium batteries and lead-acid batteries.The service life of lead-acid batteries is relatively short, and the service life with normal maintenance is about two years. At present, most lead-acid batteries are maintenance-free lead-acid batteries. As the use time increases, the battery will gradually lose water, resulting in a decrease in storage capacity. Lithium batteries are more common. Currently, most mobile phones on the market use lithium batteries. Lithium batteries are more durable than lead-acid batteries. Although they will be consumed as the use time increases, the consumption is slow, and the service life with normal maintenance can be as long as 3 to 5 years.
Whether it is a lithium battery or a lead-acid battery, it is normal for its storage capacity to gradually decrease with the use time. Users should learn the correct maintenance methods to extend the battery life as much as possible.
1. Do not charge immediately after long-term use. When the electric wheelchair is in motion, the battery will heat up. If it happens to be hot in summer, the battery temperature can even reach 70°C. Direct charging at this time will aggravate the battery's lack of liquid and water loss, reduce the battery's service life, and increase the risk of battery bulging. Therefore, it is recommended to park the electric wheelchair for half an hour after long-term use, and then charge it after the battery has fully cooled down automatically. If the battery or motor is abnormally hot during the driving of the electric wheelchair, please contact the after-sales service or go to a professional electric wheelchair maintenance department to apply for inspection and maintenance.
2. Do not charge in the sun. The battery will heat up when charging. If you charge it in direct sunlight, it will damage the battery and increase the risk of battery water loss and battery swelling. Charging should be done in the shade or in the evening when there is no sunlight.
3. Do not mix chargers. The charger should be original or matched. Do not mix chargers randomly. Using unmatched chargers to charge may cause damage to the charger or battery. For example, using a charger with a large output current to charge a small battery is likely to cause the battery to swell.
4. Do not charge for a long time or even overnight. Many electric wheelchair users charge for a long time or overnight for convenience or laziness, which may exceed 12 hours or even 20 hours. This will inevitably cause great damage to the battery. If the battery is charged for a long time many times without being unplugged, it is easy to cause the battery to swell due to overcharging. Under normal circumstances, it is sufficient to charge for 8 hours using a matching charger.
5. Do not use fast charging stations frequently. For ease of use, many cities have fast charging stations. Fast charging stations are designed to deal with emergencies. Frequent use is not recommended unless there are special circumstances. Fast charging stations usually charge with high currents. Frequent use will cause the battery to lose water and swell, thus affecting the battery life. When driving an electric wheelchair, you should check whether the wheelchair has sufficient power and try to reduce the number of times you use fast charging stations to charge. If you are going out for a long distance, you should choose other means of transportation.
Only reasonable and correct maintenance can extend the service life of the electric wheelchair as much as possible.