Maintenance for wheelchairs

If you are using a wheelchair every day, then the chances are good that at some point it will break down, require some maintenance, suffer a little wear and tear, or just need a little tweak.

Depending on the level of intervention required, wheelchairs can often be maintained by the user. However, due to issues of wheelchair safety, there are some things which can only be repaired or upgraded by a professional.

Whether you decide that it is worth finding someone locally who is capable of performing preventative maintenance on wheelchairs or not, at some point corrective maintenance will be required, so it is a good idea to find out where the nearest qualified individual is.

The level of maintenance required will also differ depending on whether you own a powered or manual wheel chair. Obviously, the more mechanically complex a device is, the more chances there are that something will go wrong, but even manual wheelchairs can benefit from the odd tweak here and there.

      Parts of the Wheelchair

Firstly, both manual and powered wheelchairs share some common components which might either need preventative or corrective maintenance at some point.

These are the wheels, brakes, seat, and frame. Wheels have spokes which can break or need to be replaced, rims which can become dented or otherwise compromised and tires which ear out. In fact, they are very much like bicycle wheels.

There are also a couple of small wheels on the front of wheelchairs which provide additional stability, called caster wheels. These are usually solid, but can also suffer from knocks or wear and tear. Part of the problem is that they pivot, and so have an additional set of bearings which can sometimes need repair or replacing.

Powered wheelchairs have the additional complication that they have an electric motor and battery. This adds an additional set of mechanical and electrical parts which can go wrong, not to mention the possibility of electric brakes as opposed to the regular ones shared  with manual wheelchairs.

      Mechanical Problems

The parts of the chair most likely to show signs of needing maintenance are the caster wheels. They are usually first in the line of fire when moving around, and can become dirty very easily, or even lose bearings. Once the wheels start to make noises, then the bearings need to be replaced by a qualified technician.

Caster wheels are also held in forks which are also susceptible to being damaged. If they do become bent, they will need to be replaced. The pivot that holds them to the chair also has bearings which might need to be replaced so that the wheels retain the ability to pivot easily.

Manual wheelchairs need to glide smoothly along in a straight line, otherwise they will become difficult to use, and might even cause undue strain on the user. To verify this, you will need to get the help of a third party to push the chair along a smooth surface.

As pointed out above, the bearings should be silent, and not rattle, and the chair should roll in a straight line, so long as the caster wheels have the correct amount of pivot freedom, and the rear axle is not bent in any way. If the caster wheels move too freely, they can be tightened, and the test repeated. If they need to be tightened too much then the rear wheels need to be realigned by a service technician.

      Comfort Problems

Depending on the comfort features installed on the wheelchair, there are a few things that need to be done periodically to ensure that the user is as comfortable in use as possible.

The cushions need to be regularly inspected; air cushions will need to be pumped up from time to time, and gel based cushions might need reshaping. A gentle massage should suffice. The foot rests might need to be adjusted, as might any on-board trays or mobility aids that help the user when stationary.

      Electrical Care

Powered wheel chairs come with their own set of possible problems, starting with the control interface. Usually the joystick control will have a set of lights which can be used to diagnose a specific electrical problem. The user guide will have a list of codes which are represented by the lights, and will also indicate what corrective action to take.

Over time, the motor might start to emit noises, usually accompanied by a less smooth movement of the chair. If this should occur, there is usually very little that the user can do to repair it, but regularly inspecting the drive belts for wear can help to reduce the impact, and warn of, a gradually degrading motor.

The other possible area of performance degradation is in the battery, which needs to be kept charged in order to extend it’s lifespan. Over time, if it is allowed to run down on a regular basis, the operating time may be reduced. This differs from most other rechargeable batteries which usually need to run down before being charged.

New batteries take some time to be conditioned for heavy use, so allow them to charge and discharge a few times before attempting to travel long distances, or expect high performance for a few days after installation.

      Tire Maintenance

Not surprisingly maintaining wheelchair tires is much the same as for other tires, such as car or bicycle tires. Wheelchair safety dictates, that as much care be taken with their tires as with car tires.

For example, the pressure should always be maintained, as this will extend the life of the tire, and also provide the safest ride possible. In addition, the tread should be inspected regularly, and immediately replaced : this is especially important for powered chairs to avoid unduly straining the motor.

Upon checking tires, if you should find a hole, then it will need to be replaced. If, on the other hand, there is something stuck in the tire that is causing a puncture, then it should be left in place to seal the hole until such a time as it can be replaced.

Poor tire maintenance can not only damage the motor, but it is also dangerous, as wheel brakes and locks are much less effective with poorly maintained tires.