Batteries and battery packs generally come fully or nearly fully charged and ready for use.
These are the best practices you should follow to make your batteries last as long as possible and get maximum range from each use:
1. Scooter batteries should be kept away from sources of extreme temperature. Exposure to temperatures over 90 degrees and below 50 degrees for longer than a day or two will shorten the life of the battery.
2. Scooter batteries do not develop a memory like old-style batteries used to.
3. Scooter batteries should not be allowed to become deeply discharged as this will drastically reduce the life of the battery.
4. Best charging practice is to not allow the battery to be not more than 50% depleted and then to charge it until the charging indicator on the battery chargers shows fully charged.
5. Once the charge indicator on your battery chargers shows fully charged, it may be disconnected from the battery charger. If your charger is defective, it is possible, though unlikely that it could overcharge your battery.
6. If your scooter is used most days, connect the battery pack to the charger until the battery charger indicator shows fully charged.
7. If your scooter will not be used for a week or longer, it should be connected to the charger at least once a week until the charger indicator shows fully charged and then disconnected from the charger.
Scooter weight capacity and battery range
A key factor in determining how far your scooter batteries will last ("range") is the total weight of the rider and cargo. For best results, scooters should not be loaded beyond 85% of their maximum weight capacity. So for a scooter with a 300 lb weight capacity, the rider weight plus cargo should not exceed 255 lbs. The closer you get to that 300 lb weight capacity, the shorter the range of your scooter will be.
If your power mobility device is not delivering its rated range or is experiencing other abnormal behaviors and the battery pack is new, the problem does not likely originate with the battery pack. It's more likely that your device has other mechanical or electrical problems and should be serviced by a qualified professional.
A fully charged battery pack left uncharged for more than approximately one year will discharge on its own. Batteries left discharged for 18 months or longer may not be able to be recharged. The battery and scooter warranty does not cover batteries that are not properly maintained and regularly charged.
Testing a scooter battery
It's very difficult to test the condition of a scooter battery. It should be tested under appropriate load. Most households and very few scooter and battery shops have the proper tester. You cannot test a scooter battery with an automotive battery tester.
Using a voltmeter or “battery tester”, power mobility device batteries will almost always measure around 12V, “full”, “max”, etc., even when nearly discharged. In order to properly test these batteries, a specialized load test analyzer must be used to simulate measuring AH output over an extended period.
Click this link for list of scooter batteries that Living Well Stores offers
Comments
1 comment
Nice article! Thank you!
When we bought our first scooter, the consultant gave this information about batteries.
I think it's important information for people who use mobility scooters.
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