Maintenance; The Tires; Air Tires; Pu Tires - Excel G-Modular User Manual

8

Maintenance

Your Excel G-Modular wheelchair needs periodical maintenance. This is necessary for long and optimum comfort
for the user of the wheelchair. A badly maintained wheelchair will give you more technical problems, make it
harder to steer and it won't be covered by the warranty. Preventative maintenance is very important. We advise
your wheelchair is checked by a qualified Van Os Medical dealer at least once a year. This dealer will replace where
necessary only Excel parts. These annual inspections will make sure your wheelchair will function correctly for years.
There are a lot of things you can do yourself to keep your wheelchair in optimum condition. If you regularly check
the wheelchair and perform (small) maintenance tasks, this will extend the lifetime of your chair and increase the
ease of use. In the following paragraphs these steps maintenance are further described.
8.1

The tires

You need to check the tyres of the wheelchair regularly, because the tyres will wear out. If the wear is at an
advanced stage, then you should replace the tyres.
8.1.1

Air tires

Air tyres should be checked weekly for correct tyre pressure. You will find the recommended tyre pressure on the
rear wheels and, you can check it with a standard car or bicycle tyre pressure gauge. If the tyres of the wheelchair
do not have the correct pressure it will lean to the side where the lower pressure is. It will also affect the ride and it
will mean you have to exert more effort to move the wheelchair.
8.1.2

PU tires

More and more we use PU tyres (polyurethane or puncture-free tyres) on our wheelchairs. You can easily recognise
these tyres as they do not have a valve. PU tyres have the advantage that they do not need to be pumped up and
cannot be punctured. The PU tyre tread can wear out just as an air tyre can. Check periodically to see if the tread is
still deep enough.
8.2

The brakes

Before you can check the brakes, you need to make sure the tyre pressure is correct, see chapter 7.1.
Inspect both brakes for sharp edges. If there are sharp edges on the brakes we advise you to replace them. Ensure
that all the parts of the brake are in the right position and fastened secure;
Make sure that the mechanism is functioning smoothly. If it is not functioning smoothly apply some oil to the
moving parts with one or two drips of WD40 or Teflon. Remove surplus oil and dirt. Also, make sure the brakes do
not come into contact with the wheels as you are moving.
Koperslagerij 3 | 4651 SK Steenbergen | The Netherlands | T: +31 (0)167-573020 | E: info@vanosmedical.nl | W: www.vanosmedical.com
User Manual | Excel G-Modular
© 2015 Excel, part of Van Os Medical B.V.
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