Wondering how to make an electric wheelchair faster? It is not as hard as it seems. In fact, there are many ways of doing this, so you can pick the one that best suits your needs. Here are a few of the methods:
- Braking. One of the main reasons why an electric wheelchair slows down is because it does not have enough braking power. This is not surprising, seeing as how the rider is not using his or her legs. All the efforts would be spent sitting in the chair while riding. So to help improve this, the electric motor has to be made slightly powerful. This way, the rider will have more braking power and be able to move faster.
- Deceleration. The other way to make the wheelchair move faster is by ‘decelerating’ it. Just as in moving forward, the wheels will be working harder to give traction and drag the wheelchair along. This should be done deliberately, to allow the wheelchair to move at a much smoother pace. However, this method is not very convenient. It can be dangerous, for one.
- Power Steering. Again, this is done deliberately to help a wheelchair move much faster. Instead of letting the wheelchair driver do all the work, the power steering wheel turns the chair with the help of a gear and pedal system. These are very helpful when a person is far away from the source of power. As such, this is probably the easiest and safest way of how to make an electric wheelchair faster.
- Stabilization. Another of the ways of how to make an electric wheelchair faster is by making it more stable. This can be done by fitting a stability unit, often known as an EZ-ACE stabilizer, to the chair. These are custom-made units that fit the exact measurements and specifications of a particular wheelchair, to make it much easier for the wheelchair owner to find a suitable unit. A stabilizer can also help to keep the wheelchair well-balanced, even if it is pushing a considerable amount of force from the rider’s own body.
- Adjustability. The design of many electric wheelchairs has led to their loss of some of their stability. This is not only dangerous for a rider, but also very inconvenient. A great way of preventing this from happening is by making them more adjustable. As such, some manufacturers have gone to great lengths in making their products adjustable, so that the user may choose the perfect level of adjustability for him or her.
How to charge an electric wheelchair?
Learning how to charge an electric wheelchair is essential to ensuring you get the maximum amount of mobility and use out of your wheelchair. Many people buy their own electric wheelchair, or are given one by a friend or loved one as a gift. There are some basic points that need to be known about charging an electric wheelchair. This will make it easier for you to learn how to charge an electric wheelchair so that you can use it whenever and wherever you wish.
An electric wheelchair is charged with the help of a power supply, usually an electric motor. The motor is what provides the power to move the wheelchair around, and also keeps it charged. If your battery power lasts for a few minutes, then the wheelchair is charged. The lifespan of a battery will depend greatly on the quality of the battery and the current charging rate, but most batteries can last a year or two.
When you first purchase your electric wheelchair, you may find that it does not have a charging socket. This is fine – you can use any outlet for charging your wheelchair. If your electrical system is not working, however, you will need to find a source of power for your wheelchair. You can either look in a phone directory, or call around to local wheelchair dealers to see who has a socket that is suitable for your wheelchair. Some places that sell wheelchairs will even include the charger in the package.
Another point that needs to be understood about how to charge an electric wheelchair is that the speed at which the wheelchair charges will largely depend on the speed of the motor that is in the wheelchair. If you are going downhill very fast (which is often the case if you are traveling long distances), you should consider slowing down to allow the motor to catch up with the charge. On the other hand, if you are traveling at a moderate speed, then you can let the motor take care of charging as long as you do not exceed the maximum speed that the wheelchair is capable of moving at. To get an estimate on how long the charge will last, you can use an LCD screen that you can attach to the charging socket. Many electric wheelchair companies will supply this screen, and it can be rather helpful to have one.
One final thing that needs to be mentioned is that it is important to know how long you should charge the battery before you plan on ending your journey. Many people will simply plug the battery into their cigarette lighter and “set it and forget” ( forgetting, actually), but charging the battery to the maximum capacity will not only use more energy, but it also reduces the battery’s lifespan. So, make sure that you set aside enough time for charging the battery.
Learning how to charge an electric wheelchair can be a little bit overwhelming at first. However, once you get the hang of it, you will quickly find that this is not such a difficult task. It is important to know the basics, though. Once you know how long the battery will last, you will be able to determine what you need to purchase in order to fully charge the unit. Learn how to read the markings on the manual so that you will know when to make a charge change.
