Battery maintenance
Maintaining your mobility scooter battery is essential for maintaining optimal performance and longer life, both for everyday use and for special outings like going to Beekse Bergen. At Scootpallet, we stress the importance of battery maintenance to ensure you can always rely on your mobility scooter.
Battery installation
- Always have a battery installed by a properly trained mobility scooter mechanic. This will have the necessary qualification and tools to carry out the installation safely and correctly.
- Scooters normally require two batteries with 24-volt series connection. Never use batteries from different manufacturers or with different technologies at the same time, or batteries whose date codes do not match. Also never use gel batteries in combination with AGM batteries.
- Always fully charge batteries prior to use.
- Observe the fitting and commissioning instructions from the manufacturer of your mobility scooter.
Run-in period
Active users of mobility scooters charge and discharge their batteries daily (deep discharge). This rigorous application requires a unique battery design, which offers a longer life for any low initial capacity.
The performance of a gel battery improves once the battery is discharged 15 to 20 times and then recharged again. This running-in period is necessary to fully activate the battery for maximum performance and longer life. Thus, the range and duration of use of your mobility scooter may increase initially with its use.
When should batteries be charged?
Charge the batteries daily. Using the charger supplied with your mobility scooter, the batteries can be fully charged overnight. Thanks to today's intelligent chargers, overcharging the batteries is no longer a problem, as the chargers are equipped with a voltage limiter, which automatically switches the chargers off. With insured gel batteries and AGM batteries, there is no "Use It Or Lose It" effect (also called memory), where capacity decreases when the battery is not used for an extended period of time.
Guidelines for correct battery charging/maintenance
- Use the scooter manufacturer's automatic charger for routine charging.
- Never use a charger intended for car batteries or wet batteries for sealed gel and AGM batteries. This may damage them.
- The depth of discharge affects the number of possible charge cycles. The harder a battery has to work, the shorter its lifespan is.
- Avoid very deep discharges and never fully discharge your batteries.
- Never leave your batteries in a discharged state for long periods of time.
- Charge a discharged battery as soon as possible!
- Do not use your batteries at low charge levels without fully charging them regularly.
Battery storage and maintenance
- Save your batteries ALWAYS in FULLY CHARGED STATE.
- Check all stored batteries once a month and recharge if necessary.
- Fully charged gel batteries and AGM batteries can hold their charge for up to six months, but should always be charged prior to use.
- If a mobility scooter is not used for more than two weeks, the batteries should first be charged and then disconnected for storage purposes.
- When storing, avoid extremely high and low temperatures.
- Closed gel batteries and AGM batteries do not require water to be topped up. Any performance issues should be remedied with a properly trained mobility scooter mechanic.
Safety of maintenance battery
- BATTERIES CAN BE DANGEROUS! Dropping tools on battery terminals or touching battery terminals with a watch or bracelet can result in electric shock, sparks, smoke, fire and even an explosion! SO BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL ABOUT BEING NEAR EXPOSED BATTERY TERMINALS!
- Battery connectors, terminals and related accessories contain lead and lead compounds as well as other chemicals, known in the state of California (USA) to be carcinogenic and to cause birth defects and other reproductive harm. So always wash your hands thoroughly after contact with these parts.
- DO NOT TRY TO OPEN THE SEALING CAPS (VALVES)!
- Be careful! Batteries produce explosive gases. Always keep sparks, flames and cigarettes away from batteries. Always wear safety glasses and face protection when working on or near batteries. Ensure adequate ventilation and do not mount batteries in an airtight sealed container.
- Old batteries are considered "hazardous chemical waste" and should be recycled through an official collection point to avoid burdening the environment. Lead batteries are almost completely recyclable. Return your old lead-acid batteries to your supplier. In most countries, it is forbidden to dispose of such batteries via normal household waste.