Batteries and charging
General information
Batteries are the power source for almost all of the modern mobility products available today. The design of batteries used in mobility products is significantly different to the batteries used to start a car for example. Car batteries are designed to release a large amount of power over a short period of time, whilst mobility batteries (commonly called deep cycle batteries) release their power evenly, over a long period of time. Therefore, due to the lower production volumes and increased technological requirements, mobility batteries are typically more expensive.
Commonly two 12 volt batteries are used together in a mobility product, giving a total voltage of 24 volts. The size of the battery, (e.g. its available power) is expressed in amps per hour e.g. 30 amp/hr. The higher the number, the bigger the battery size and weight then potentially, the greater the distance you can travel.
Sunrise Medical only fit as standard maintenance free batteries into this type of wheelchair.
Maintenance free batteries
This type of battery uses a method of carrying the electrolyte commonly referred to as ‘gel’, that is held within the battery case. As the name implies, no maintenance is required other than regular charging. You can safely transport this type of battery without fear of acid spilling.
Furthermore, they are approved for transportation on aircraft.
Battery care
Pages 54 - 59 set out a battery care plan for maintenance free batteries. This has been agreed between Sunrise Medical and the battery manufacturers, to enable you to get the best out of your batteries. If a different care plan is followed, this may result in lower than expected performance from your mobility vehicle.
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