When purchasing a mobility scooter, you will eliminate many costs that you had to carry when owning a car, such as petrol, costly insurances and maintenance. However a scooter is still a mode of transport, and it is important to treat it the same as you did your car, ensure your service it regularly, fix any issues you notice as soon as possible and ensure you look after your battery. The battery is the heart of every scooter if the battery fails your mobility-scooter will stop. If the battery is not looked after properly it will need replacing and out of all expenses this will be the highest one. Battery costs can vary anywhere from $110 to over $800 for some Lithium Batteries and many times to batteries are required, so replacing your batteries could easily cost you around $600.

I have spent a lot of time with our technicians, and we have put together some handy hints & Tips and best practices to ensure you get the most out of your battery!

BATTERY “BREAK-IN” CHARGING
For maximum battery, efficiency follow these simple guidelines with regards to initial usage.
1. Fully recharge any new battery before first or initial use. Ideally 8-14 hours or overnight.
2. Run your Power Chair / Scooter in house and about the yard, getting comfortable with it and the controls. This will help “break-in” the batteries to do what they are meant to do, CYCLE.
3. When finished with your Power Chair / Scooter for the day, fully recharge the batteries again overnight 8-14 hours. This should bring the batteries to about 90% of their capacity.
4. After the first 4-5 charging cycles your battery should be at 100% charge and last you an extended period.

BATTERY CHARGING
These recommendations are in general should be followed along with the owner’s manual for your particular unit.
1. Keep your Scooter/Power Chair clean, dry and in a cool place when possible.
2. Only use battery charger supplied with your mobility equipment. Keep the battery charger clean, dry and in a cool place when possible.
3. The battery charger supplied will shut off automatically when the batteries have been fully charged. Even if you leave the charger plugged in this will not harm your batteries.
4. Avoid deep discharging the batteries by running them into the bottom of your battery meter/gauge.
5. Keep your batteries fully charged as much as possible.

REGULAR USAGE (Using your Scooter/Power Chair unit daily for mobility purposes)
If you use your mobility equipment on a regular basis, charge your batteries every evening after usage for 8-14 hours. This will ensure that the unit will be fully charged for the following day.

OCCASIONAL USAGE (Sporadic use, 2-3 times a week for grocery store, shopping, etc.)
Casual users should always charge their batteries before use. Ideal charging for this type of use is 8-14 hours before and after use.
If you use your power unit once a week or less, charge your batteries at least once a week to keep them fully charged.

SAFE STORAGE OF BATTERIES
1. If you are going for a holiday, always charge the batteries before leaving. If you are away for more than one month, please ask someone to come to your house and charge your mobility equipment batteries at least once, this could be the same person that you task with bringing in your mail and watering your plants.
2. If you do not use your Scooter/Power Chair often, you should still charge the batteries at least once a week. This can be easy to forget so it might be the easiest to combine this with another task that you do on a weekly basis or to set a weekly alarm.
3. Always avoid HOT or COLD environments when storing your
Scooter/Power Chair. It is not recommended to store your mobility equipment outside.

BATTERY INFORMATION
A fully charged deep cycle battery provides reliable performance and extended battery life.
Keep your batteries fully charged whenever possible. Batteries that are deeply discharged, stored without a full charge or improperly charged may result in permanent damage resulting in reduced reliability and limited life expectancy.

POWER CHAIR / SCOOTER “RANGE” PERFORMANCE
Range – The distance or time that the manufacturer states that the unit can travel with premium conditions:
Although your machine may be rated at an “up-to” range, there are many variables to consider.
Rarely will you find ideal conditions – smooth, flat, hard driving surfaces with no wind or curves. Because of this, always plan your outing and fully charge your batteries. Keep your tires properly inflated if applicable and try not to carry any
excess baggage, this only adds more weight to the unit and will limit your “range”.
Having your mobility equipment regularly serviced by our friendly staff will extend the life and reliability of your Mobility Scooter/Power Chair.

If you have any queries, please feel free to contact Bluesky Healthcare for any additional questions.
Enjoy your freedom!
www.blueskyhealthcare.com.au
08 9242 7333