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Pump Battery help needed please!!

A

Alison204

Well-Known Member
Messages
52
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hello, I have only had my pump for around 3 months so please bear with me if I seem to ask any daft questions...!

So I just did a set change (insulin and infusion set) and got a LOW BATTERY warning. (Scary!) On the pump screen it says I still have 2/3 bars of battery life left.

So my questions are:

Will I get an alert when I definitely need to change my battery? Or will I just need to change it when, say I get down to 1 bar on the screen?

How long after the LOW BATTERY warning do I have left roughly? A few hours/days? (I don't have any spare batteries indoors, do I need to rush out and get some???)

According to the manual I need to change the battery at the SAME time as I do set change (insulin and infusion set), is that right? Or can I change the battery without having to change the insulin?

I'm used to the basics with the pump now I've had it a few months and am used to doing the basics that I need for my personal use but this is a new task that I haven't yet encountered so am a little apprehensive! Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you
Alison x

ImageUploadedByDCUK Forum1418243342.623045.jpg
 
If you have had a low battery alert change it now or you will lose all your setting.
Take note of your IOB as suspect that might not show in calculations after battery change.
You will be told to prime the pump etc so disconnect and go through the whole refile prime thingy but just leave the cartridge in place as you see what I mean don't even undo the cartridge cap.
 
So I don't have any batteries indoors, do you think I will be ok to change it tmrw?
 
Alison204 said:
So I don't have any batteries indoors, do you think I will be ok to change it tmrw?
Click to expand...
no you will have a dead pump and no insulin delivery.
Why oh why have you not got a spare battery?
I hope you have all your settings written down as you are going to need them.
Any AA battery will do as long as it's not rechargeable.
 
Animas provide the batteries free so ask for some when you next order your supplies. In the meantime you need to get a new battery right now. When my alarm goes I have about an hour max before the pump dies. You need your settings written down for back-up but the pump only actually loses IOB data if battery is changed quickly.
 
When lithium batteries decide to die, they do so very quickly. Don't rely on the two bar symbol on the front of the pump; my last one used to show a full battery on that screen up till it would run out. It is SO important to have spare batteries!
 
Ive had the low battery alert come up as 2 bsrs one day alternating with 3 bars and then just 2 bsrs showing. I phoned Animas and was told not to worry as the 2 bar alert will stay for about 4 days and then go 1 bar. This info has been correct and I just change the battery when the 1 bar is showing and dont worry about set change or IOB. I just chrck bg levels and either eat some carb if a bit low or do a correction if too high.
 
@iHs Alison204 was given a low battery warning. This has to be acted on within an hour as stated in the manual. It sure aint worth the risk of not doing so.:)
 
Hi Alison, My pump gives me a low battery warning about 9 hours before I need to actually replace it I think (have always done it pretty quickly rather than waiting) so lots of time to put a new one in.Good luck.Rx

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RHNtype1 said:
Hi Alison, My pump gives me a low battery warning about 9 hours before I need to actually replace it I think (have always done it pretty quickly rather than waiting) so lots of time to put a new one in.Good luck.Rx

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Click to expand...
Hi RH, it does depend on which pump you have for warnings of a low battery.
Animas only gives 1 warning of a low battery and you have to change it within an hour according to the manual. :(
 
Doesn't sound too great although I always have one in with my Blood test meter just in case.All the bestRx

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Alison204 said:
Hello, I have only had my pump for around 3 months so please bear with me if I seem to ask any daft questions...!

So I just did a set change (insulin and infusion set) and got a LOW BATTERY warning. (Scary!) On the pump screen it says I still have 2/3 bars of battery life left.

So my questions are:

Will I get an alert when I definitely need to change my battery? Or will I just need to change it when, say I get down to 1 bar on the screen?

How long after the LOW BATTERY warning do I have left roughly? A few hours/days? (I don't have any spare batteries indoors, do I need to rush out and get some???)

According to the manual I need to change the battery at the SAME time as I do set change (insulin and infusion set), is that right? Or can I change the battery without having to change the insulin?

I'm used to the basics with the pump now I've had it a few months and am used to doing the basics that I need for my personal use but this is a new task that I haven't yet encountered so am a little apprehensive! Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you
Alison x

View attachment 9224
Click to expand...

Hi @Alison204 ,

Battery life will vary greatly during colder weather - especially if you're outside in the cold for any length of time; therefore, once you see the bars dropping you should get some spares in and be ready to change the battery with a day or two.

Usually, it's best to change the battery at the same time as a set change, but not essential. It's just that the Vibe does not retain 'unsaved' data regarding quantity of insulin in the cartridge, date, time, battery type, IOB etc. So, if you've changed set the day before and then need to change the battery, you will find all such info back to zero; you will then need to "rewind", "load", "prime" and "Fill" the relatively new cartridge as if it was just put in. (It gets to be a bit tedious!)

As @MushyPeaBrain says, Animas do supply the batteries (FOC to me and you); you can email them: [email protected]

You can also order their Insulin Pump Daily Journal (each one lasts about one month), and it's definitely worth diarising your life to help you and your HCP team get to grips with your control.
 
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