Charging your chair’s battery is a simple, yet crucial process for maintaining the life span of the battery. Discover some common myths about batteries, our maintenance recommendations and instructional videos on how to properly maintain them.

Battery Myths and Facts

Myth: Lead acid batteries develop a memory.

Facts:

  • These batteries do NOT have a memory
  • You can plug it in at any time — green, yellow or red
  • You shouldn’t wait for it to be completely dead before you plug it in
  • You should plug it in whenever possible

Myth: You can overcharge these batteries.

Facts:

  • As long as you use the provided charger, you CANNOT overcharge these batteries
  • The provided charger has a built-in safety feature that prevents overcharging

Myth: You cannot fly these wheelchairs on an airplane.

  • You CAN fly these wheelchairs on a plane
  • These are valve regulated, lead-acid batteries
  • They are maintenance free and spill-proof
  • The FAA states that these chairs and batteries are acceptable to fly on an airplane

Recommendations

  • Once the charge reaches 100%, we recommend you continue to let it charge for up to two more hours. This allows you to get into the “float stage” and equalize the individual battery voltages.
  • Proper charging leads to a longer battery life
  • If you can — charge all night, every night

Battery and Charging FAQs

 
How often should I charge my wheelchair, and why is it important?

You should charge your chair as often as possible while avoiding overcharge. This is a complicated subject, but can be easily addressed by “charging all night, every night." For more specific information consult your local Numotion location and “charging card”.
 
How do I know my charger is working?

Completely read the operating manual before using your charger to identify the status lights and what they mean. Don’t rely on the hand control or joystick to tell you if the batteries are charging, as they are only looking to confirm that the charger is securely plugged into itself. Always look for the status lights on the charger itself.
 
What should I do if I’m going to put my power wheelchair in storage?

Batteries are affected by their surroundings. That being said, the ideal location to store your power chair is in a temperature-controlled room, such as an extra bedroom. Before putting the chair into storage, you must fully charge the batteries. Depending on the length of time the device will be stored, it would be ideal to again fully charge the batteries once a month. This will allow the longest possible life for your stored batteries.
 
Is it okay to allow my batteries to completely die?

Allowing your batteries to completely die is detrimental to the batteries health and could hinder their long-term performance. Your power wheelchair batteries don’t develop a “memory” but this outcome could lead to over-sulfation and limit the battery’s capacity.
 
Is it safe to fly with my batteries?

Yes, according to the FAA, you are allowed to check any non-spillable wet battery, such as an AGM or Gel cell battery as long as, “The batteries are protected from damage and short circuit or installed in a device”. Compliant devices, such as your power chair battery box or removable scooter battery box, protect the batteries from “short circuiting”.
 
How long will my batteries last each day?

There are many variables that come into play when it comes to daily battery life. The two most important variables are speed and terrain. The faster you travel and the steeper the terrain, the faster your batteries will deplete. The best advice to improve your daily battery life is travel at moderate speeds when possible.
 
Can I smoke in my power chair or scooter?

You should not smoke in or near your power chair while charging your batteries. Batteries release fumes that could ignite and create a fire hazard.