Gel Battery Advantages:
• Totally maintenance free
• Air transportable
• No corrosion
• Spill proof/leak proof
• Installs upright or on its side
• Superior deep cycle life
• Very low to no gassing (unless overcharged)
• Compatible with sensitive electronic equipment
• Superior shelf life
• Rugged and vibration resistant
• Very safe at sea with no chlorine gas in bulge (due to sulfuric acid and salt water mixing)
• Will not freeze to -20°F
• Lowest cost per month (cost / months of life)
• Lowest cost per cycle (cost/ life cycles)

Gel Battery Disadvantages:
• Higher initial cost
• Heavier weight
• Water can not be replaced if continually overcharged
• Automatic temperature sensing, voltage- regulated chargers must be used
• Charge voltage must be limited to extend life
(14.4 to 14.6 volts maximum at 68°F)

Absorbed Electrolyte Advantage:
• Totally maintenance free
• Spill proof/ leak proof
• No corrosion
• Installs upright or on its side
• Lower initial cost than gel batteries
• Compatible with sensitive electronic equipment
• Very low to no gassing (unless overcharged)
• Excellent for starting and stationary applications
• Will accept a higher charging voltage than gel batteries

Absorbed Electrolyte Disadvantages:
• Shorter life cycle than gel in deep cycle applications
• Automatic temperature sensing, voltage regulated chargers must be used
• Water can not be replaced if continually overcharged
• Charge voltage must be limited to 14.4 to 14.6 volts maximum at 68°F

Charge voltage is critical on these types of batteries because they both are recombinant batteries. This means that the oxygen that is normally produced on the positive plate in all lead acid batteries recombines with the hydrogen given off by the negative plate. The “recombination” of hydrogen and oxygen produces water, which replaces the moisture in the battery. Therefore the battery is maintenance free and never needs watering.

The sealing vent is critical to the performance of a sealed battery. The cell must maintain a positive internal pressure, otherwise the recombination of the gasses will not take place and the cell will dry out and not perform.

In addition, the valve must safely release any excess pressure that may be produced during overcharging, otherwise the cell would be irreparably damaged. It is because of the safety mechanism of the valve that overcharging hurts a sealed battery.
The excessive pressure that the valve is releasing is both hydrogen and oxygen. The more you overcharge a battery, there is less oxygen and hydrogen left inside the battery to recombine and create water. In essence, the battery dries out.

It’s important to note that a sealed battery must never be opened once it leaves the factory. If opened, the cell loses its pressure, and the outside air will “poison” the plates and cause an imbalance that destroys the recombination chemistry.

Hence the name: Sealed, Valve Regulated (SVR) Battery.

The correct charging voltage for a Gel battery is 14.4 to 14.6 volts maximum at 68°F. The correct charging voltage for our Absorbed lead acid battery is 14.4 to 14.6 volts maximum at 68°F.

Both are recombinant batteries; both are sealed valve regulated.

The major difference is that the “starved” or “absorbed electrolyte” battery contains an amount of liquid electrolyte added at the factory that soaks into the special separators. Therefore, it is non-spillable because all of the liquid electrolyte is trapped in the sponge like separator material. There is no “free” electrolyte to spill if tipped or punctured.

Both types of our sealed batteries can be stored in temperatures as low as -20°F without freezing provided the batteries are fully charged.

Yes. Most gel batteries are approved for air transport by the F.A.A., I.A.T.A. and the D.O.T. This information is stated on a label located on the battery.

Most gel batteries do not have a memory. This is only true of ni-cad batteries.

Many people have the impression that when batteries sit on concrete, energy “leaks out” or they are ruined. The short answer is that letting modern batteries sit on concrete does not harm or discharge them in any way.

However, this legend is historically based in fact. The first lead-acid batteries consisted of glass cells that were enclosed in tar-lined wooden boxes. A damp concrete floor could cause the wood to swell, breaking the glass inside.

The Edison cell (i.e. the nickel-iron battery) that preceded the rubber-cased battery was encased in steel. Those that weren’t isolated in crates would discharge into concrete quite easily. Later battery cases used primitive hardened rubber, which was somewhat porous and could contain lots of carbon. A moist concrete floor combined with the carbon in the battery cases could create electrical current between the cells, discharging them.

None of this is a problem with modern batteries in their hard plastic shells. In fact, concrete is generally an excellent surface on which to place a battery. The electrolyte in a battery sitting on an extremely cold floor with very hot air around it could stratify, causing damage from sulfation; whereas concrete provides good thermal mass to buffer any temporarily extreme temperatures in the battery compartment.

Daily Users:
Charge daily. This applies to anyone who actually uses his or her equipment outside of the home.

Occasional Users:
Always be sure to charge before an outing and always after active use. The ideal recharge point is about 50% on a scooter or wheelchair gauge.

To properly charge your mobility battery, follow these simple procedures:
– Use the manufacturer’s automatic charger for all routine charging.
– Never use an automotive or wet-type charger on gel/sealed batteries. (They’ll quickly ruin your battery).
– Never run your battery completely flat.
– Don’t “top off” the battery with frequent charging.

• Always store your batteries FULLY CHARGED.
• Check all batteries once a month and recharge as needed.
• Wet batteries can hold their charge up to 3 months.
• Sealed batteries can hold a charge for up to 6 months.
• When storing a chair or scooter for more than 2 weeks, charge the batteries and then disconnect them.
• Avoid hot and cold extremes when storing.

Store batteries fully charged. Check them once a month and recharge as needed. Sealed batteries can hold their charge from 6 to 12 months. Remember, if storing your chair for longer than a couple of weeks, it’s best to charge the batteries and then disconnect them.

Gel batteries can be stored in sub-freezing temperatures as low as -25°F without freezing as long as they are fully charged prior to storage. The self-discharge rate of fully-charged batteries is so low in these conditions that they will not require charging for many months; however, if your gel batteries are frozen … they will not always recover.

To attempt recovery the following is the best plan of action:

1) Bring them inside and let them sit at room temperature for two days. (They must reach 60°F).
2) Charge the batteries normally. (Follow standard safety procedures).
3) Run a capacity check either through a quality discharge tester or by operating your power wheelchair in a controlled environment.
4) If you don’t get enough run time then repeat steps 2 and 3.

Gel batteries can be stored in sub-freezing temperatures as low as -25°F without freezing as long as they are fully charged prior to storage. The self-discharge rate of fully-charged batteries is so low in these conditions that they will not require charging for many months; however, if your gel batteries are frozen … they will not always recover.

To attempt recovery the following is the best plan of action:

1) Bring them inside and let them sit at room temperature for two days. (They must reach 60°F).
2) Charge the batteries normally. (Follow standard safety procedures).
3) Run a capacity check either through a quality discharge tester or by operating your power wheelchair in a controlled environment.
4) If you don’t get enough run time then repeat steps 2 and 3.

Have you ever had a customer state that their batteries will not take a charge even though the charger was plugged in overnight? When you checked their batteries, you found that they both read 9 volts? This is usually due to a light or a brake being left on for an extended period of time, which drains the batteries.

The reason why the charger is not working is that most wheelchair battery chargers need to read at least 21-22 volts in order to begin charging. This is how the polarity protection system of many chargers works. If the user were to hook up the positive and negative backwards, nothing would happen to the charger or the batteries because the batteries never read any voltage so it never started.

The drawback to this polarity protection design is when a user over-discharges their batteries below the 21-22 volt cutoff. Although the charger is connected, it does not receive the signal to begin the charging process so the batteries never get charged.

The best way to solve this problem is to remove the batteries from the wheelchair and charge each battery separately with a 12-volt battery charger. When each battery is fully charged, they can then be reinstalled in the chair and returned to service. Note: It may take the batteries up to 15 cycles to return to their former capacity if they have been severely discharged.