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Your power recliner has a wide range of features that facilitates its comfy motions. The motor is the sole source of power for these features to function, allowing the adjustment and reclining of your chair without manual help. Hence, a motor is a very vital part of your recliner. Isn’t it?
So, how long do power recliner motors last?
Power recliner motors last between 10 to 20 years on average, depending on how well you handle them. Their lifespan also depends on how often you use them, especially when adjusting the settings and position. Also important is the weight your recliner carries regularly. Heavyweights can affect the motor.
This article provides sufficient information to help you enjoy the comfort of your power recliner for a longer time. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
How Long Do Power Recliner Motors Last?
How long your recliner motor lasts depends mainly on the regular maintenance you offer your chair’s electrical parts. Failure to take care of them shorten your motor’s lifespan, and so is your recliner’s.
Additionally, how often you use your power recliner and the weight it regularly carries also affect its longevity. Hence, you need to ensure that you have the suitable weight for your chair, and reduce the wear and tear-causing actions to the barest minimum.
How Do You Offer Quality Maintenance To Your Power Recliner Motor?
You can offer quality maintenance to your power recliner motor by following the essential tips below.
- Connect to a direct power source
- Regularly clean underneath recliner’s base
- Always inspect cord and wires
- Keep the recliner in a dry and warm room
Read on to under how each of the tips works.
1. Connect To A Direct Power Source
Always plug-in your power recliner into the main outlet whenever possible. Avoid using extensions as they expose your recliner to power overload during voltage jumps or power spikes. That may consequently lead to the damage of your recliner’s electric system. And, repairing a motor can dig a hole in your pocket.
2. Regularly Clean Underneath Recliner’s Base
The base of your recliner is the home to the electric motor. Therefore, it’s crucial to clean the area regularly to enhance the smooth functioning of your recliner chair. Get rid of any debris clogging at that part and clear any blockage present to keep your motor off overheating.
3. Always Inspect Cord And Wires
Have a regular check-up of each unit cord and wires of the motor system. Weekly or bi-weekly inspections allow you to detect those in need of repair, and thus, you can prepare in advance. Also, you may notice potential breakage points preventing future tears.
4. Keep The Recliner In A Dry And Warm Room
Electrical parts and moisture don’t get along. And a power recliner has many electrical components. Therefore, ensure you don’t keep your chair in a dump surrounding to minimize the risk of getting damaged.
Although having refreshments on your recliner makes it more enjoyable, take extra care of your drinks. Accidental spills may lead to electric shocks!
It’s also worth noting that your power recliner isn’t an outdoor chair. Hence, you should always have it indoors to increase its lifespan.
External Factors Are Equally Important
While the above tips focus on maintaining your power recliner’s internal functioning, the external parts also require your attention. Even if some may not be purely electrical, lack of the necessary care may cause damage to your recliner over time. Therefore you should:
- Mind your recliner’s upholstery
- Restrict forceful or sharp movements
- Use your recliner responsibly
- Use compatible cleaning sprays
How do you increase your power recliner’s longevity by employing these tips? Keep reading.
1. Mind Your Recliner’s Upholstery
If you take care of your recliner chair’s covers and fabrics, you minimize the risk of wear and tear, and the opposite is true! Also, a stain-full and shabby recliner isn’t good-looking and, therefore, encourages proper chair handling by all.
2. Restrict Forceful Or Sharp Movements
Regular maintenance includes limiting too much force on your recliner chair. When kids can get overexcited on this comfy furniture, don’t allow bouncing and jumping on your chair.
Also, remember that this chair is electricity-powered to work, so don’t apply force on it to function. That way, you avoid framework breakdown as well as parts loosening.
3. Use Your Recliner Responsibly
Just use your recliner for relaxation and comfort! Avoid foods and drinks while sitting in your chair as much as possible. Water and crumble-prone foods can mess with your recliner’s cover and padding.
4. Use Compatible Cleaning Sprays
Ensure you get a suitable spray for your recliner’s upholstery. Non-toxic and bleach-free cleaning products are safe for your chair. You could also consider covering your recliner with a washable material for extra safety.
Maintenance Through General Cleaning
Give your recliner a daily routine touch! To tidy up your chair requires more than detergent products. Use a vacuum cleaner or a soft, slightly wet cloth to remove any soils on your chair.
You need a special gadget to collect all debris and crumbs from the recliner’s narrow crevices for the vacuuming option. Make sure you also vacuum-clean the underside of your chair, between the armrest, and beneath the cushion.
Certain types of upholstery, like natural leather, require steam for their cleaning to maintain them. These materials are delicate and inappropriate handling can lead to cracking. Steaming increase’s your recliner’s lifespan and safeguard the soft fabrics.
Can Your Power Recliner Fail?
Yes, power recliners can fail. Although the chair’s longevity is unquestionable, it can break years down the line if it lacks the necessary care. From the motor to the electrical plug, the transformer, and pinched wires, the parts of your recliner can eventually break down. Let’s launch deeper.
1. Electrical failures
Electrical failure is the most common cause of your recliner’s breakdown. Power surge (accidental oversupply of voltage from a power company) can burn out transformers. That may happen due to lightning, kicking off new appliances, or shutting down some electrical areas by the supplying company. You can protect your recliner from power surges by installing a surge protector.
Your power recliner motor overload or underload may also cause your chair’s failure. When a motor breaks down, replacing it is the ideal solution. It’s a bit expensive, though. We’ll look into how you can replace your motor in our next section.
Pinched wires are the other source of damage. If wires get pinched in any part of your recliner, they eventually get detached, leading to an incomplete circuit, and your chair won’t function properly.
2. Mechanical Failures
Your recliner’s parts can disconnect and misalign, causing the chair’s failure to open or close correctly. Worse still, that can put holes in your recliner.
Malfunctioning of your chair may also result from worn-out gears. Their replacement is the obvious remedy.
3. Accidental Breakdown
Although power recliners boast of their longevity, they do break down someday! The numerous moveable, electric parts of your recliner fail at some point depending on various factors like handling. When that happens, seek help from a technician.
How Do You Replace A Power Recliner Motor?
You can replace a power recliner motor by following some 12 easy steps as discussed below. The motor is the backbone of every power recliner chair! And drawing from our previous section, the breakdown of your recliner’s motor is one of the causes of the malfunctioning of your chair.
Hence, replacing this part is way cheaper than buying a new recliner. So how do you go about the task? Read on.
Sequential Tips On How To Replace Your Power Recliner Motor
- Disconnect your recliner from the power supply.
- Flip the chair to the side to allow access to the motor.
- Locate the main power cord of the motor and unplug it.
- Unplug the DIY connector located on one of the motor’s sides.
- Once the motor is off the power, detach the electrical unit from the frame. Start by removing the rue ring on the clevis pin on the top end of the bearing. You then move to the bottom end and detach the rue ring and clevis pin holding the rest of the bracket.
- You can now remove the failed motor easily.
- Position your new motor where the old one was, put the bracket beneath your recliner, and secure the bracket’s bottom end with clevis pins. Fasten the rue ring to prevent slipperiness.
- Ensure the wires don’t grip the bearings or the motor unit when mounting the motor. That may cause operational problems.
- Use clevis pins and the corresponding rue ring to the bracket’s top-end holding the motor.
- Plugin the DIN connector and reconnect the main power cord to your new motor.
- Connect your chair back to the main power supply.
- Get your recliner upright and test if the new motor is well installed. A smooth recline indicates correct installation.
How Do You Get The Right Power Recliner Motor For Your Chair?
You can get the right power motor for your recliner by including the ID number of your chair in your order. Although you may find the number tag on various places (depending on the model and the brand) on your recliner, the most common points include:
- Beneath the arm and seat frames
- Behind and below the footrest, when open
- The underside of the footrest
The ID number makes it easy for the dealer or the manufacturer to get a motor that precisely suits your recliner. Sadly, most manufacturers don’t sell replacement parts to customers. So, you may have to contact quite a number of them to get a suitable motor.
There are no ID tags for imported recliners, for they’ve no warranties. Therefore, you’ll have to visit the manufacturer’s official website for assistance on how you can get a new motor.
Do You Have To Plug In Your Power Recliners?
Yes, you have to plug in your power recliner unless you’re operating under the cordless lithium-ion battery pack system. The battery can serve you for five days while in its total capacity. However, the charge length depends on the usage, weight of the user, model, and how long you use the USB port.
You may have the regular power batteries, which you dispose off after complete power depletion or rechargeable ones, which can replenish power after drainage.
Even so, most power recliners are motor-driven and thus, have to be plugged into the main power outlet. The recliners’ adjustable parts rely on electricity to function. These chairs are more flexible and accommodating as you can control their mechanism using a remote control or button on the side of your chair.
Furthermore, electricity-powered recliners offer simple relaxation and therapeutic touch to those in need. Restricted mobility individuals and physically challenged individuals are also main beneficiaries with less effort.
How Does A Power Recliner Compare To A Manual Recliner?
A power recliner compares to a manual recliner in how the user reclines and adjusts the chair. While the power recliner is fitted with a motor for its functionality, its manual counterpart adjusts with a release lever, motion, and the user’s body weight. Additionally, the former has benefits as well as drawbacks over the latter. Follow as we look into each category.
Benefits Of Power Recliners Over Manual Recliners
- Power recliners have more settings and positions than manual ones. Hence, you can adjust the different parts of a power recliner independently.
- Since the power recliners need no physical effort, they are more suitable for the elderly and the physically impaired.
- Wear and tear is less for the power recliners, and thus, they last longer than manual recliners.
- Insurance companies cover power recliners for users who can’t use manual recliners for valid reasons.
Drawbacks Of Power Recliners
- Power recliners are heavy due to the presence of motor and mechanical parts. It’s therefore tedious to take them apart or move your chair when need be.
- These recliners are more expensive than manual recliners. They’re also costly to repair.
- Since these chairs must connect to a direct power source, they’ve limited placing positions in your home.
FAQ
Can Power Recliner Motors Be Operated Manually?
No, power recliners can’t be operated manually. It’s fitted with a motor that allows you to recline and adjust parts accordingly using a remote control or a power button. In the event of a power shortage, the chair has a backup battery that allows you to return your recliner to its usual position.
Do Power Recliners Use A Lot Of Electricity?
No, power recliners don’t use a lot of electricity. These chairs use approximately 14W on standby and 58W on a standard motion. Your chair’s energy consumption depends on how long you use it, the model, and its mechanical condition.
How Do You Get Out Of A Power Recliner When The Power Goes Out?
You can get out of a power recliner when the power goes off with the help of a battery backup. The battery gives you enough time to get out and return the recliner to its original position. Consider installing a backup battery pack if your chair doesn’t have one. Alternatively, you can buy a battery backup fitted recliner.
Do Electric Recliners Come Apart?
Yes, electric recliners come apart. That allows stress-free transportation. Most models have detachable seat backs secured by locking levers. Hence, you only need to release the levers and remove your seats by feeling in between the rear seams or lifting the back fabric panel.
Are Power Recliners Safe?
Yes, power recliners are safe. Nonetheless, you should consult a technician about your power outlet’s ability to handle the chair’s power output due to its electrical components. Also, don’t allow kids to play around or on the chair. Its strong mechanism can be fatal.
Conclusion
An electric motor is the heartbeat of your power recliner. How long it lasts, determines the longevity of your recliner. The motor enables a power recline to serve you longer than its manual counterpart. And as they say, garbage in garbage out!
Therefore, how you take care of your power recliner determines its lifespan. Connect your chair to the main power supply, keep it in a dry and warm environment, clean its underneath, and regularly inspect wires and the motor.
That way, you minimize the chances of wear and tear of your chair.
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