Odd battery pack ?

[Jethro_uk]

SWMBO uses an "AquaJoy" bath lift. This is powered from a hand control unit, which contains the batteries.

Looks suspicious like batteries are dying, so I thought I would Google for "AquaJoy battery pack/replacement". The returned results as so suspiciously not what I asked for, that I'm betting it's "you have to buy something a lot bigger".

Opening the hand control reveals:

which looks very much like someone has taped 11 1.2V NiMh batterys together ...

Does anyone know of a possible source for replacements ?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Check the dimensions of a cell. It's quite likely they are simply several standard cells held together with some shrink wrap sleeving. It's not recommended to solder direct to a cell as the heat can damage them, so it's usual to buy ones with solder tags welded on - which you can solder. There are also companies who fit new cells to say drill battery packs who might weld up a set for you.

However, I have soldered direct to a re-chargeable cell and got away with it. Hot iron and do it quickly.

[Peter Parry]

You might need a seat and a large glass of Gin handy before asking the price.

[Brian Gaff]

Yes most devices for 'the disabled' tend to double the price then ad another 80 percent for fitting them.

I can remember a ballast for a cctv for the visually impaird that ran the lights was quoted at around 100 quid fitted. On opening up the device, a standard electronic ballast ws in there on special offer locally from a wholesaler for around a tenner. As far as I know its still working. Brian

[ARW]

A ballast or a balun?

[Graham.]

A balun that ran the lights? I think not.

[Jethro_uk]

Hours of scouring have resulted in stuff all :( The official policy of the distributors is the whole hand control has to be replaced, since it's "sealed" ;) . At a cost of £110.

The unit was supplied through social services, but (as you can tell) I'd rather pay myself, than deal with that bunch of useless fuckwits. Sadly yesterday SWMBO, upon hearing that it was "tricky" took it upon herself to call them, and (rather too smugly) tell me that they were sending a replacement out today ...

It's now 5:40, with no replacement. SWMBO is trying to dodge me by calling the office, which (naturally) has closed for the day. I look forward to the call she makes tomorrow, where they have no record of her call, nor indeed that we have any equipment from them etc etc.

We've got a sodding electric wheelchair they have no record of (and therefore won't service). I bet if I put it on eBay, they'd suddenly discover their records of it.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Wouldn't bet on it.

A single pal died last year so his friends all had to do the clearing out of his council flat. Among the bits and pieces were a wheelchair, crutches and zimmer frame - all like brand new. Contacted the hospital who he'd been attending about returning them, and they didn't want to know.

[newshound]

Heat shrink rather than tape, but looks like that to me. Google should give you many suppliers of tagged batteries, the problem is packing them quite as tightly as the original if you don't have a spot welder. The tags can be soldered, but it is not all that easy. For a nominally 12 volt horse clippers, I ended up using a small lead acid battery instead of 10 cells and ditching the original container. I'd guess there is a good chance that yours would work on "12 volt" lead acid too, and these are generally more robust and long-lived, in my experience.

General advice for cell replacement is to avoid the very cheapest, look for mid range suppliers with good feedback.

[meow2222]

1.2v NiMH in AAA, AA, 2/3C, C D are as common as muck. Tagged ones are quit e common too.

NT

[fred]

ISTR Zimmer frames and crutches are use once only.(i.e.) Once the original recipient has finished with them they are binned. Its madness but what can you do

[Andy Burns]

Offer them to the Red Cross, who have a mobility aids loan scheme ...

[docholliday93]

Not my experience - when my mother passed away this January one phone call to the council was all I needed to get everything (zimmer frames, assisted bathing devices, bed frames and a whole lot of other stuff) taken away. The only thing they left was a trolley with handles that was supplied many yea rs ago before my father died. I wasn't pushing too much about that since it 's actually quite useful. As far as I can tell most of the stuff, even if recommended/ordered by the hospital, was actually supplied by the council - about the only free things my mother got, as just about everything else (meals on wheels, home help.. .) had to be paid for.

--

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Must admit I wasn't much involved with trying to sort this out, so am just reporting what I was told. I think they did eventually go to a charity.

I was more into sorting the disposal of three motorbikes and dozens of Dinky toys. ;-)

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

This scandalous waste of resourced happens all over the place. After my knee op, I contacted the local HA and they told me to bring them in. I discovered they would only be scrapped, so kept them. There are wheelchairs sitting in sheds and garages for the same reason. Shit-scared of re-using old stuff in case the lawyer bastards sniff a compen claim (or some of the scumbag users, if they suss it's a re-issued item).

[Huge]

My MIL is waiting for a zimmer. The care home she was in was doing some work in the car park, so had that area cordoned off with stripey tape strung between ... zimmer frames. Sigh.

[dennis]

Well buy her one then, they only cost £25!