How often does a wheelchair need servicing?

Apr 22

Wheelchair maintenance – an overview.

Most wheelchairs chairs are designed to be low maintenance, but that doesn’t mean no maintenance. Regular upkeep is important, and the fundamental tasks are easily done by a user or a carer.

Like any mechanical appliance, components and trims of your wheelchair can wear out, come loose, get jammed, break, or just get the random not-working-today thingy. Regular maintenance will ensure your chair remains operationally safe and working at optimal levels.

Of course, many components are not user serviceable (especially in powered wheelchairs) and require a specialist.

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Why you need to look after your wheelchair.

At the end of this blog we could share eye-popping wheelchair failure stories, but pretty much you want to keep your wheelchair in good condition, because;

· You need it to be safe.

· You need it to work well.

· You want it to have a long service life.

· Wheelchair failure sucks.

· Personal pride.

More simply - look after your chair and it’ll look after you.

So, how often does a wheelchair need servicing?

· Maintenance should be done weekly.

· Servicing should be done annually (or when a noticeable change occurs).

· Repairs as needed – but hopefully avoided through pro-active servicing.

Notice that we are making a distinction between maintenance, servicing and repairs.

Maintenance describes the regular things you do to ‘maintain’ your chair.

E.g. keeping it clean, ensuring the tyres are properly inflated, checking nuts and bolts are secure and lubricating working components if necessary.

Servicing is all of the above, and also extends to things that are not typically user serviceable:

swapping out wheel bearings for example or dealing with controls on a powered chair.

Repairs, well that’s self-explanatory.

A sense-able approach to wheelchair care.

Good wheelchair maintenance starts with: look, listen and feel.

Use your senses to get to know your chair. The better you know your wheelchair the more readily you will recognise changes, and this is the basis of good maintenance.

· Know the look of the frame (is it getting dirty in an unusual spot?).

· Know the feel of how much effort it takes to get rolling.

· If it’s powered, then know the sound it makes as its whirrs along easily. (Has there recently been a change in that sound?)

· Know the feel of the joystick.

· Know the click, clunk of the seatbelt clasp.

Small changes in any of these cues are a signal that you need to recognise. This is the fundamental skill of wheelchair ownership and maintenance. If you sense a change, recognise it. Is there a rattle that wasn’t there yesterday? Big problems usually start small, so the sooner any changes are looked at, the better the outcome.

Weekly maintenance.

· Wipe it clean (Use our top-to-bottom method).

· Check the tyres.

That’s it: and this leads to the simple tools you need.

A simple wheelchair maintenance tool kit.

1. Two microfibre cleaning cloths.

2. A good quality air pump with an accurate pressure gauge.

How to check the tyres on your wheelchair.

The single task you’ll need to do most often with your wheelchair is ensuring the tyres are in good condition and have the correct air pressure. To properly check the tyres, you’ll need to be able to completely rotate the tyre a full 360º, either by rolling the chair along the ground, or by tilting the chair so the wheel can rotate freely.

When inspecting a tyre you’ll need to look at two areas: the tread area or contact patch, and secondly the tyre sidewalls.

When inspecting the tread area you’re looking for things like worn tread, slices in the rubber, or items that may have pierced the tyre. A discarded screw or in Australia a nasty prickle called a Bindi or a Double G which can quickly result in a flat tyre.

Next, check the tyre walls (being sure that inspect both sides of each tyre). Look for changes in shape (does it have any sort of bulge?) and look for changes in the surface texture. Check the tyres by hand - how pliable is the rubber? They can become stiffer over time, and this affects their grip, comfort and safety.

Once you’ve finished looking them over, it’s time to check the air pressure. We recommend owning a good quality, powered tyre pump with an accurate pressure gauge.

How much air pressure should your wheelchair tyres have?

One of the simplest ‘performance controls’ you have is tyre pressure. Higher tyre pressure means a lower rolling resistance – so it’s easier to get rolling and you can travel faster. But if you make the tyres too hard or push the limits of what your tyres are capable of – you’ll more easily get a flat, and in a wheelchair that’s something you really DO NOT want. So, unless you’re an elite athlete with a support crew – stick to the specified range of your tyres – usually printed on the tyre’s sidewall.

Lower pressure can provide a smoother ride, but it requires more energy to get it rolling and keep it rolling. You get tired faster, or your batteries get used-up faster. Again, stick close the specified pressure on the tyre’s sidewall.

Cleaning your manual or electric wheelchair.

Wipe the chair clean with a damp (not wet) microfibre cloth. Then, immediately dry it with the second cloth. Start at the handgrips and work your way down to the stabilizer wheels. Follow the directions on our diagram (consider a video). This keeps your chair hygienic and looking its best, but more importantly it makes you really look-over the entire chair once a week. This is the basis of good maintenance.

If it’s especially grubby.

Wiping the grubby patch over two or three times with a damp microfibre cloth should be enough to clean most things off. Dampen the cloth with warm water, if the dirt is especially stubborn try including a good quality car-wash liquid in your warm water. Household detergents should be avoided as they can be harmful to some components. Some people use a weak vinegar solution, and we’ve even heard of carers using a bleach solution. We do not recommend this but if you choose to do it, then we do recommend wiping it over again with damp cloth – removing any traces of bleach to prevent material or component degradation.

Top-to-bottom cleaning.

As with cleaning anything, starting at the top helps, as any dirt you dislodge will obey gravity and head downwards. But more importantly if you follow the pattern we suggest, it is not only an efficient cleaning process it ensures that you have checked over all the major components.

When cleaning your manual wheelchair from top-to-bottom, be sure to pay attention to the

Handgrips
Cushions
Armrests
Seatbelt
Tyres
Handrims
Frame
Brakes
Spindle Wheels
Footrests

When cleaning your powered wheelchair from top-to-bottom, be sure to pay attention to the

Handgrips
Cushions
Armrests
Shroud
Tyres
Battery
Joystick
Brakes
Spindle Wheels
Footrests

Stop squeaking.

It’s a good idea to have a silicone lubricant spray handy to ensure that all components can swivel, pivot and fold as they are supposed to. Avoid oil or WD40 style products as these can coat surfaces and affect performance – especially brakes!

Cushions.

Because they are not ‘mechanical’, cushions are an often-overlooked component in maintenance guides. This is a mistake as cushions are critical, as they provide comfort, support and stability for the user. Cushions in poor condition can increase the risk of pressure sores. Cushions should be firm and supportive, and the material covers should have no rips, tears or worn sections. Well-chosen contemporary upholstery materials should have service life of at least 5 years. Glide chairs have a10 year warranty on the upholstery.

Batteries.

Modern batteries and battery management systems are vastly different to what they were even 5 years ago, and require no maintenance beyond ensuring they are, ideally, brought up to full charge before each use. You should get around X hours of use from a fully charged powered wheelchair battery.

Motor.

Electrical motors are heart of any powered wheelchair but typically have no user / carer serviceable parts. The best thing you can do is know the sound and feel of the motor when it is functioning optimally, and recognise and changes in power, sound, or reaction times. If you do, get in touch with qualified service agent immediately.

Where can I have my wheelchair serviced.

For Glide wheelchairs click on <this link> and we’ll show you your nearest authorised Glide service agents. Most of them service other brands too. We do recommend that you try to find a wheelchair service person that is close to you, or perhaps consider a mobile service, as this tends to just make things easier. Your OT may be able to recommend some local options.

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