Hoist failure

[steves1977uk]

The datecode on the batteries I'm currently testing is 201008, which can be read either 2020 or 2008! I'm assuming it's 2020, so they're EOL for hoist use.

Steve

[shirley_hkg]

https://www.wheelchairdriver.com/board/ ... 85#p196785

[steves1977uk]

The "tech guy" came this evening, never seen a Chiltern hoist before. Melissa explained the issue with it and asked if he could swap the batteries over (the ones I've been charging). He said I don't know how it comes apart.... Melissa was like "Really... I've taken these apart before!". He went on and said he'd do it if we guided him, Melissa said, "Don't bother mate, I'll do it myself! Do your report and go.".

She swapped over the batteries, same issue to start with. Then she fiddled with the lifting tape in case that had jammed, same thing. Now she pushed the airline cord in further into the hoist unit and presto!, working hoist!

We're not going to bother calling the "tech guys" again because it's apparent they have no clue on how to fix things!

Steve

[Burgerman]

What a surprise.

[Burgerman]

Just had the carpet washing thing fixed under warranty. Engineer came. Spent 2 hours taking it all apart, couldnt find the fault (stops delivering water after about 2 mins) and he gave up. Is sending a replacement.

Once he was gone I fixed it myself literally in 5 minutes flat. By spotting the problem and heating and bending a part with the kettle.
Didnt even take it apart. What is the point of these people?

[steves1977uk]

It's so frustrating not being able to fix things myself BM.

I've been in contact with Chiltern Invadex who makes the Wispa 100 Plus hoists that I have. They said they are unable to help because it would cost them too much to come to my location, although the lady that responded sent me the charging setup which I've attached.

Also looking for the charger listed in the PDF, I found this... https://www.stairlift-spares.co.uk/shop ... ispa-plus/

Seems the charging brick should be 30v and not 27v like the ones I have. Is there a similar charger that doesn't cost £109 (excl. VAT)?

Steve

[Burgerman]

30V doesent sound right...
What are the batteries?

That looks like a laptop power supply. About. 15 quid.

You want probably a 3 stage AGM charger, about 1A. If the batts are 3Ah. And AGM...

27V sounds fine as long as it plugged in all the time as long as you are not using it. Its a float charger. Will take 3 days to actually charge a dead battery. And is fine to be left on continuously. Perfect for that in fact.

If the volts are higher then it must be multi stage and that will charge faster then go to 27 to 27.2V indefinitely.

30V? Is too much. For any lead battery I ever saw. With AGM you CAN do that as long as it stops as soon as its charged. But how does it know? Time? Or Current? Seems stupid to me.

My van is sat on a 13.35V DC supply (a wall wart + a voltage regulator chip) on the end of a long cable all winter. The battery is happy. But that would take 2 weeks to fully charge. It a long term float voltage.

[woodygb]

The multimeter pictured in the pdf shows 36.1 volts.

[Burgerman]

So it does.
So that means that the multimeter is wrong, or the charger/power supply as they call it is wrong, or:

Since no battery I know of could be charged with 36V (3 in series would need 14.4 x 3 = 43.2V and even 40.8 on float.)
So 36V is way too high for 2 batteries in series. So its neither correct for 24 or 36 volt battery systems.

So it COULD be that the thing IS a power supply and the lift itself has the charging circuit that drops the voltage to float charge the battery.
Or
The power supply is just a transformer/diodes and that its off load voltage is high because of this. Maybe unregulated... Not good.

So it may want a little investigation.

[woodygb]

Manual ... may or may not be useful.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/15128 ... =16#manual

[Burgerman]

From what I see online 36V is normal.
E.G.
https://www.stairlift-spares.co.uk/shop ... er-supply/

So the power supply is NOT the charger. That must live inside wherever the battery is. It seems that 30 or more volts like the 36V one above is normal. It probably has to have a voltage a few volts ABOVE the charging voltage so that the on board charger can reduce this to the correct level.

So theres that!

[woodygb]

Hmmmm ...page 10 off the manual mentions a change to the battery charger type!

Important Information - Battery Powered Models
Where this hoist is to be a replacement unit on an existing track
installation, the charging unit included in the box MUST be used.
This hoist is NOT compatible with the old RED charging unit.
Use of this hoist with the old RED charger may result in damage
to the PCB and WILL invalidate the product warranty.

[Burgerman]

Well. If it were mine I would take it apart, see how the charging works and then go from there.
If its charging is regulated or controlled by on board electronics then feed it the 30V the manufacturer says.
If its charged directly at whatever voltage the supply gives then I would find one that is suitable for the battery type. In reality that would mean a 13.6V x2 supply of an amp.

Without a look inside, nobody knows!