Worried about your stairlift battery? Leave the testing and maintenance to the professionals!
The only true way of testing stairlift batteries is by means of a dedicated battery tester which places the battery under test load conditions and measures the remaining Amps.
When testing stairlift batteries simply placing a volt meter across the terminals will not suffice as a reading of 12V could be obtained and for the untrained or persons with limited knowledge on this subject, this may indicate that the battery is in good condition.
The voltage alone is not a good indicator when testing stairlift batteries and one should be looking at the Ah AMPS which are critical to correct operation, a reading of 12 volts does not mean the batteries are in good condition.
Testing stairlift batteries should be left to the professionals as it’s highly unlikely the average person would own a sealed lead acid battery tester.
The simplest way to work out if the batteries are the root of the problem why the stairlift is faulty not working would be to simply replace the batteries. The most common type of stairlift batteries used in most straight and curved stairlifts are normally sealed lead acid batteries.
Stairlifts require two 12V 7ah batteries, they are wired in series to produce 24 Volts to drive the stairlift motor. The batteries are accessible from within the carriage stairlift-body, but we stress this should be left to the professionals.
What are signs of faulty stairlift batteries?
The first tell tale signs of batteries degrading would be the noticeable speed of the stairlift, IE running a lot slower than usual or the stairlift stop starting every few inch’s of travel or failing to move or start completely.
Stairlift batteries should only be replaced by a trained engineer
We highly recommend you get a trained engineer to exchange the batteries if and when required. One should avoid DIY battery replacement unless the person is a competent trained engineer.
Just removing and refitting the Stairlift carriage covers can be troublesome without the required experience and knowledge certain techniques are required on some models to gain access to the stairlift batteries you could damage the covers and safety edges leading to further problems and expense if not removed and refitted correctly.
Buying chairlift batteries
Chairlift batteries can be sourced obtained from many online battery stores but beware of cheaper none brand names. They contain less lead content and will degrade a lot faster than a good quality named battery.
We always recommend replacing both batteries at the same time replacing only one battery could cause the new battery to degrade a lot faster than its expected life span.
Certain models have dedicated power packs that can only be obtained from an authorised dealer and will require a specialist tool to reprogram the stairlift after battery replacement.
If you’re noticing a persistent problem with power levels replacing the batteries might only be a temporary solution. If within a few days you notice the stairlift is running slow or stop starting when traversing up and down the rail the stairlift could have a charger fault requiring a thorough inspection by an engineer
A good engineer will check the charger unit and circuits before and after replacement of the batteries, ensuring the charger and PCB charger circuitry are working correctly to ensure the stairlift is charging the batteries
Stairlift Trader is a local Tameside Stairlift company serving all of Greater Manchester with decades of experience and 5 Star Stairlift Reviews contact us today for a free no obligation home survey Stairlift quote
0161 370 6999
We hope you enjoyed this small article “Testing Stairlift Batteries”
Check out our Stairlift Buyers guide FAQ packed with answers to the most related questions asked about stairlifts and stairlift batteries.