Handset Charge vs Dock Charge vs Continuous Charge – Which Ceiling Hoist Charging Method is Best for me?

Easy way to Charge a Hoist – When care staff finish using the hoist, they need to do something with the handset, so they are more likely to put it in the charging station to keep it charged.

Flexible for Rooms with Obstacles in the Corner – The charging station can be mounted on any wall, it doesn’t need to be in a corner of the room (like it would need to be for the dock charge method). This is useful if there are obstacles to consider. As the charging station can be mounted virtually anywhere in the room, it can be positioned in a convenient position (e.g. near the door) to make it easier for staff to put on charge again, when they leave the room.

Easy to see if it’s on Charge – The wall charger can be mounted at a user-friendly height ensuring staff can visibly see the LED charge lights, to check whether it’s on charge.

Cost Effective Solution – Handset charge hoists are one of the most cost effective charging methods for ceiling hoists

Easy to Repair – If there is a problem with the charging station, Medaco can send a new one directly to you for your maintenance team or caretaker to replace. This reduces call out charges and labour costs of an engineer.

A Common Cause of Breakdowns – Handsets are used to operate the hoist as well as to charge the hoist. Unfortunately, in some facilities, staff misuse the handset by using it to pull the hoist unit along the rail. This is not what the handset is designed for, so this misuse can break the cables within the handset wire, stopping it from charging. You must use the lift tape to move the hoist along the rail. Staff may not realise it has suffered damage, as the operational functions (up/down) may still work, but the charging method no longer works – until the hoist unit runs out completely and becomes unusable. You can resolve this issue through staff awareness and training.

Cost Effective Solution – Dock charge hoists are one of the more cost effective charging methods for ceiling hoists

Easy to Repair (if there is space at the end of the rail or if the dock clips to the outside) – If there is a problem with the dock charge unit and there is space to remove it from the end of the rail, then an engineer can repair it fairly easily. Some ceiling hoist systems (e.g. Liko) have charging docks that clip to the outside of the rail, making any repairs/replacements very easy. This is an important point to consider when buying a ceiling hoist.

Difficult to Repair (if there isn’t space at the end of the rail, or if the charging dock is inside the rail)  – In contrast to the advantage above. If there isn’t space at the end of the rail to remove the dock charge, or the charging dock is inside the rail, then the whole track might need to come down to repair it. This not only costs more to repair but also increases the downtime and disruption of the equipment. Make sure you ask your supplier about this if considering a dock charge ceiling hoist.

A Common Cause of Breakdowns – Dock charge hoists have common issues with not charging correctly. Staff can forget to move them to the end of the rail or corner of the room to charge them. Alternatively, they might push the hoist towards the end of the rail without checking it has connected properly, as charge lights are not always as visible with this type of charging method. This causes issues with the batteries depleting. You can reduce this by providing staff training on how to use and charge the hoist correctly, as well as signs or posters to remind them.

Limited Layout Options  – Dock charge systems have to charge at the end of the rail. This means with a single rail, it has to be at one end, and with an H system, it has to be in one of the four corners. This means you can’t always position the charger in the most user-friendly position in the room. If staff have to walk to the opposite end of the room, to charge the hoist before leaving, they might forget, which is one reason they don’t always get left on charge.

Saves Time for Care Staff – As you can continuously charge the ceiling hoist anywhere along the rail, care staff don’t have to take the hoist to a charging station, which is at the end of the rail or on the wall for the other methods.

Prolongs the Lifespan of the Batteries – Because of the continuous charge, the batteries don’t suffer as much failure through lack of charging or someone accidentally taking it off charge. Although, whilst continuous charge keeps batteries working for longer than the other two methods, it doesn’t eliminate the need for changing batteries over the lifespan of the hoist unit.

Fewer Breakdowns – The nature of the charge method means the batteries last longer and so this causes fewer breakdowns because of battery related issues.

More Expensive Solution – Because of the components needed and the more advanced manufacturing process, this is the most costly option out of these charging methods. Medaco can help you assess if this is the best solution for your needs and budget.

Takes Longer to Repair if Something goes Wrong – If there is a charging issue, such as a break in the ‘charger pickup’, or there is a problem with the charging contacts in the rail, the whole or majority of the system may need to be taken down to access the fault. This means your hoist might be out of action for a long duration whilst an engineer diagnoses the fault and fixes it.

Higher Costs if Something goes Wrong – If the rails need to be taken down, this almost always means a second visit, and could take a couple of engineers up to a full day to repair, which increases the labour costs you’ll pay.