Product Information
Product Information
Batteries and Charging
Batteries are a pretty important part of any electrically powered equipment such as powerchairs, scooters, electric wheelchairs and even golf buggies and caddies, properly looked after these batteries should last a reasonable lengh of time though they are a perishable item and will loose power and eventually stop working. Taking proper care of your batteries will certainly help in ensuring you get the longest possible life from them.
DM Servicing offer battery and charger testing facilities using manufacturers recomended test equipment to ensure proper test results for the performance of your batteries. The most important point in keeping your batteries in good condition is proper charging procedure as laid out below.
- Always use the charger provided with your product
- Never allow your Batteries to become completely drained
- Do not carry out frequent short top up charges
- Never use a charger designed for use in cars
- Charge your batteries for a minimum of 8hours
Modern SLA and GEL batteries do not suffer from memory problems and therefor do not have to be completely drained before re-charging, allowing your batteries to stay on charge after the green light comes on is good, this part of the charge cycle uses very little electricity as the chargers automatically drop down to a very low trickle charge, this is good for your batteries.
A couple of other points regarding batteries, most mobility products use 12volt batteries these should not be confused with 12volt batteries used in the motor trade THEY ARE DIFFERENT and as such car batteries should not be used! even more importantly a charger designed for use on car batteries should never be used on batteries used in mobility products this can lead to batteries becoming badly damaged ,misshaped and possible explosion! It should also be noted that not all chargers for mobility products are suitable with any other mobility product, although most use a combination of 12volt batteries they are not all the same and can range from small 12volt 7amp batteries to 12volt 75amp or more batteries chargers for these larger batteries are not suitable for use on the smaller ones. Another important point that many users don't realise is that many of these products such as scooters and powerchairs run on a 24volt system and not 12volt as many people may beleive. trying to add things to your scooter or powerchairs electrical system can lead to very expensive repair bills!
When your equipment is not going to be used for an extended period of time it is important not to neglect your batteries, it is a good idea to still give them a full charge cycle every week to insure when you want to use it again the batteries are still in working condition.
Which Mobility Scooter
As you are no doubt aware there are hundreds of mobility scooters on the market and a fair number of manufacturers producing them, so where do you start? Here at DMServicing we are here to help and advise you in choosing the best product for your needs.
What do you require from your scooter? A small easily transportable scooter is great for short flat journeys, getting around shopping malls etc but will not last long or may not even be capable of going longer distances over bumpy uneven road surfaces, hills can quickly drain power from the smaller batteries and put quite a strain on the smaller motors. It is easy to think along the lines of price but this is not always the best option, mid range and larger scooters may be considerably more expensive than the smaller transportable scooters but they are more exensive because they are capable of much more, they have bigger motors, larger capacity batteries can take the rider considerably longer distances, more comfort with suspension and larger diameter pneumatic tyres, more comfortable seating, higher ground clearance and heavier weight carrying capacity. Considering all the above it shouldn't be to surprising that they cost more.
A small cheaper scooter may seem like a bargain but if it does not meet your demands then it could be money wasted, please take time to discuss your requirements with a member of our staff to ensure you get the best value and the best product for you.
There are many companies selling mobility scooters and there are a number of manufacturers providing them, do your homework! ensure the scooter you are buying has readily available parts, for extra peice of mind try and identify who the manufacturer is preferably a recognisable company with outlets in the UK.
At DM Servicing we only sell Scooters that come from UK Based Companies such as Pride Mobility, ElectricMobility, Sunrise Medical, TGA, Roma Medical, Days Healthcare, Drive Medical and Freerider, this helps to insure manufacturer back up and spare parts availability.