This was installed for my partners use, before she passed away. Now,
whilst it has no use, I am reluctant to remove it, but....

I was wrongly informed by the installer, that the large switch on the
rear of the bit you sit on, isolates the battery. In fact it doesn't,
because the battery inside it still goes flat if it is left without
mains power for any length of time.

I cannot see an obvious way to get inside, to disconnect the battery.
It seems silly to have it permanently on charge, so switching it off
and isolating the battery seems the sensible way to go.

On Sat, 02 Jul 2016 19:26:15 +0100, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

This was installed for my partners use, before she passed away. Now,
whilst it has no use, I am reluctant to remove it, but....

I was wrongly informed by the installer, that the large switch on the
rear of the bit you sit on, isolates the battery. In fact it doesn't,
because the battery inside it still goes flat if it is left without
mains power for any length of time.

I cannot see an obvious way to get inside, to disconnect the battery.
It seems silly to have it permanently on charge, so switching it off
and isolating the battery seems the sensible way to go.

'Most' batteries will go flat if left uncharged for some time (the
time being a function of the battery chemistry, the temperature,
condition etc), even with no load.

Is there any indication on the outside what the voltage is and / or
the battery model? If it mentions say 12 or 24V the chances are it /
they will be sealed lead acid and can be dead if left unattended under
a year, even under good conditions.

Do you have an owners handbook or a model number?

Cheers, T i m

On Sat, 02 Jul 2016 19:26:15 +0100, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:


I cannot see an obvious way to get inside, to disconnect the battery.
It seems silly to have it permanently on charge, so switching it off
and isolating the battery seems the sensible way to go.

Sealed Lead Acid batteries self discharge. if they are allowed to
discharge to more or less zero they are usually damaged beyond
redemption.

Getting inside usually involves separating the side panels which cover
the gubbinry. This is held on by a few self tapping screws or just
clipped together. Once you get inside the two batteries should be
obvious. Fully charge them before disconnecting them and, if you want
to have them have any chance of survival, reconnect and charge them
every month or so. If they have been allowed to fully discharge they
are probably pretty useless in which case simply disconnect them and
buy a new set if you want to restore it to working condition later.

Peter Parry a écrit :
Sealed Lead Acid batteries self discharge. if they are allowed to
discharge to more or less zero they are usually damaged beyond
redemption.

I'm well versed in batteries and their care, which is why I don't want
them left on permanent charge unused. I just cannot see an obvious way
to gain access to the internals below the seat, to disconnect it /them.

Its a recent unit, so almost certainly will be a gell cell(s).

On Sat, 02 Jul 2016 22:35:33 +0100, Peter Parry
wrote:

On Sat, 02 Jul 2016 19:26:15 +0100, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:


I cannot see an obvious way to get inside, to disconnect the battery.
It seems silly to have it permanently on charge, so switching it off
and isolating the battery seems the sensible way to go.

Sealed Lead Acid batteries self discharge. if they are allowed to
discharge to more or less zero they are usually damaged beyond
redemption.

IMHO, even going much below 2V /cell (so 12 or 24V) isn't a good idea,
especially when measured off load and left like that un-attended.

Getting inside usually involves separating the side panels which cover
the gubbinry. This is held on by a few self tapping screws or just
clipped together. Once you get inside the two batteries should be
obvious. Fully charge them before disconnecting them and, if you want
to have them have any chance of survival, reconnect and charge them
every month or so.

Or if two batteries, maybe charge them on a suitable (low capacity /
motorbike) external charger and see how each responds?

If they have been allowed to fully discharge they
are probably pretty useless in which case simply disconnect them and
buy a new set if you want to restore it to working condition later.

+1.

Cheers, T i m

On Sat, 02 Jul 2016 19:26:15 +0100
Harry Bloomfield wrote:

This was installed for my partners use, before she passed away. Now,
whilst it has no use, I am reluctant to remove it, but....

I was wrongly informed by the installer, that the large switch on the
rear of the bit you sit on, isolates the battery. In fact it doesn't,
because the battery inside it still goes flat if it is left without
mains power for any length of time.

I cannot see an obvious way to get inside, to disconnect the battery.
It seems silly to have it permanently on charge, so switching it off
and isolating the battery seems the sensible way to go.

Have you asked Stannah? They give contact info. on their website:
http://www.stannahhomelifts.co.uk/

(Upper right of page).

--
Davey.

Davey a écrit :
Have you asked Stannah? They give contact info. on their website:
http://www.stannahhomelifts.co.uk/

I'm reluctant to ask them, as it is still on a guarantee/ maintainance
contract. I did ask the guy who comes to service it - it was he
suggested that the big switch around the back of the seat isolated the
battery. That information was obviously wrong, because with the 240v
PSU turned off and that switch, the battery went flat.

On Sun, 03 Jul 2016 09:04:31 +0100, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

Davey a écrit :
Have you asked Stannah? They give contact info. on their website:
http://www.stannahhomelifts.co.uk/

I'm reluctant to ask them, as it is still on a guarantee/ maintainance
contract. I did ask the guy who comes to service it - it was he
suggested that the big switch around the back of the seat isolated the
battery. That information was obviously wrong,

Until you prove him wrong I think we should assume he could be right.

because with the 240v
PSU turned off and that switch, the battery went flat.

As batteries will, dependent on the timescales and other variables
involved?

Cheers, T i m

On Sun, 03 Jul 2016 09:04:31 +0100
Harry Bloomfield wrote:

Davey a écrit :
Have you asked Stannah? They give contact info. on their website:
http://www.stannahhomelifts.co.uk/

I'm reluctant to ask them, as it is still on a guarantee/
maintainance contract. I did ask the guy who comes to service it - it
was he suggested that the big switch around the back of the seat
isolated the battery. That information was obviously wrong, because
with the 240v PSU turned off and that switch, the battery went flat.

How long does it take to discharge if 'Switched off'?

If it's say four weeks, then why not just recharge it after every two,
or whatever?

The guy who services it should be able to answer your questions,
methinks. If not, then ask Stannah, and say you don't like the service
you're getting form their agent.

--
Davey.

On Sat, 02 Jul 2016 19:26:15 +0100, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

This was installed for my partners use, before she passed away. Now,
whilst it has no use, I am reluctant to remove it, but....

I was wrongly informed by the installer, that the large switch on the
rear of the bit you sit on, isolates the battery. In fact it doesn't,
because the battery inside it still goes flat if it is left without
mains power for any length of time.

I cannot see an obvious way to get inside, to disconnect the battery.
It seems silly to have it permanently on charge, so switching it off
and isolating the battery seems the sensible way to go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHbYWVhUYIU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9SrIlje4vY

show getting access to and changing batteries on two Stannah models.

On 7/2/2016 10:35 PM, Peter Parry wrote:
On Sat, 02 Jul 2016 19:26:15 +0100, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:


I cannot see an obvious way to get inside, to disconnect the battery.
It seems silly to have it permanently on charge, so switching it off
and isolating the battery seems the sensible way to go.

Sealed Lead Acid batteries self discharge. if they are allowed to
discharge to more or less zero they are usually damaged beyond
redemption.

Getting inside usually involves separating the side panels which cover
the gubbinry. This is held on by a few self tapping screws or just
clipped together. Once you get inside the two batteries should be
obvious. Fully charge them before disconnecting them and, if you want
to have them have any chance of survival, reconnect and charge them
every month or so. If they have been allowed to fully discharge they
are probably pretty useless in which case simply disconnect them and
buy a new set if you want to restore it to working condition later.

They deliberately don't make it easy to get at the batteries. First time
I removed all the obvious screws and still couldn't find my way inside
and gave up. I subsequently needed to remove the chair altogether, can't
remember the details but there is some sort of cover held on with a
concealed spring, you need to push or pull it the right way and then it
unclips. Incidentally, to remove the chair you need to take off the stop
at the top and motor it up and off. Don't even think about trying to do
it with the handwind. Even with an adaptor fixed to a cordless drill it
was pretty hopeless. In the end (after I had exposed the batteries) I
hooked it up to a jump start battery, then it motored up fine.