How Long Does a Power Wheelchair Take to Charge?

Technology allows those of us with limited mobility to be independent and active, thanks to power wheelchairs and convenient mobility scooters. These mobility devices completely depend on their  batteries in order to function, however, and when the charger isn’t working right, it can completely upend our plans.

Nightly Charges Are Best

Are you having some trouble with your electric wheelchair’s charging capabilities? The most common problem we see with these machines is that they never have the opportunity to be charged completely. Impatient to get a move on, you may unplug them and head out before the battery is full. This is fine once or twice, but if you do it day after day, it can take a toll on the performance of the battery. In order to keep your motorized scooter operating effectively, it’s wise to charge it every night as you sleep. Optimal charge time is at least eight hours, periodically leaving the charger on for 12 hours will enhance performance.

However, if your sleeping schedule is irregular, or you need to charge your scooter or wheelchair at random intervals, it’s nice to know how long your battery charger will take to do its job.

How Long Does Charging Take?

The time required to charge your electric wheelchair’s batteries will depend on the amps of your charger. The capacity of the battery is usually calculated by Amp hours (Ah). A battery with 70 Ah being charged by an 8 amp charger will take 8-9 hours to fill to capacity. A charger with higher amps can go faster. However, it’s important to always check the specifications of your battery and its charging needs before connecting it to something that didn’t come with it. Gel batteries especially can be sensitive to mishandled recharging.

Is Your Charger Taking Too Long?

If your charger isn’t filling a 12 volt wheelchair battery after 9 hours, it could be that there’s a problem with the connection. Here at MK Battery, we sell battery chargers suitable for power wheelchairs and scooters produced by Invacare, Shoprider and Sunrise, among others. Our high-quality chargers are available for immediate shipment from any of our warehouse locations. Learn more on our battery chargers page, or contact us with any questions.