A home hospital bed is an essential tool in the care of a patient at his/her home when the patient is no longer able to use a regular bed due to incapacity reasons. This is especially important for families using hospital bed rental Bolton services or looking for a hospital bed for rent. So when the bed won’t adjust up and down anymore, that can get annoying—and even dangerous. Happily, there are plenty of problems that can be solved quickly and easily by entering the DIY fray—before bringing it in for repairs.
Here are the most common reasons your hospital bed might not be functioning properly, along with the solutions you can implement.
Always check the power source first.
Electric and semi-electric beds: Most electric hospital beds will require grounded outlets. The bed won’t respond. Bed has not responded. Power loss may be to blame.
What to check:
- Verify that the power cord is securely plugged into the wall and bed control box.
- Test if the socket is still working by trying another object.
- Inspect for loose plugs and frayed or damaged cords.
Do not use them unless you have medical-grade extension cords.
If the bed includes a backup battery, verify that it is fully charged and in place.
Verify the Hand Control (Remote).
Failure is the hand controller.
Troubleshooting steps:
- See if there are any buttons that are dead or stuck.
- Look for obvious damage to the cord and the connectors.
- If your bed is an integral model by reset (you cannot apply for a new one), the remote may be defective.
- The remote may be defective; please consider replacing it before Monday, as some companies offer overnight delivery.
Verify the lockout or safety feature.
The inpatient hospital beds are provided with lift-lockout to prevent unauthorized transport. If the lockout is active, pressing a button will not result in the bed responding or moving.
What to do:
- Look for a key lock symbol or key lock switch on the remote or side boards of the monitor.
- Turn off child locks or locks for caregivers.
Verify the cables and connections.
The bed won’t shift if some cords are disconnected or broken.
Look for:
- Check for unplugged cables under the bed.
- Connectors with bent or corroded pins
- Cables caught between moving parts
Make sure to unmake the bed before you go there. You could hurt yourself.
Listen for motor activity.
If the bed isn’t moving and you hear motor sounds, your issue is probably mechanical, not electrical.
Possible causes:
- Bent or jammed lifting mechanisms
- Gearbox failure
- Broken actuator
- These typically require professional service.
Consider weight-limit issues.
Weight-bearing restrictions for SBPT and SGD in hospital beds: The maximum safe weight on a bed is… Overcurrent protection: when the load is higher than its rated value, some of the fan models will stop running automatically to protect motors.
Consult your bed’s user manual for its weight capacity. These guidelines apply whether you own your bed or are using a hospital bed rental Bolton service or another hospital bed for rent arrangement.