Comparing Home Elevators and Stair Lifts For Selection

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We are here to resolve all your mobility-related issues if you are a wheelchair user and elderly or a person with a disability. These mobility-related issues reveal more in our homes, as moving from one floor to another is tough in multi-floor properties. In these situations, home elevators, wheelchair platform lifts, and stair lifts become very useful. The main competition is between the stair lift and home elevators, and people find it difficult to figure out which is the most beneficial. This can be determined easily by comparing these two options. This comparison is present in this blog post, and the first thing we compare is the cost.

COST COMPARISON BETWEEN STAIR LIFTS AND HOME LIFT ELEVATORS

Home elevators are undoubtedly more expensive than wheelchair platform lift and stair lifts for the elderly. Even when you include the installation cost of lifts for older people, the total expenditure will not equal the machine's price only of the wheelchair platform lift. Apart from the cost and installation cost, the annual maintenance cost is also considered and calculated while determining the overall expenses of operating a platform lift or stair lift for older people.

WHICH ONE CONSUMES MORE SPACE?

Wheelchair platform lifts, home elevators and stair lifts for the elderly are all available in different sizes, and they consume different amounts of space. The size is compact enough to fit into any property's interiors or exteriors. Depending on the size, they will require different spaces inside your home. The size of stair lifts for older people can accommodate various stairways, but home elevators require a dedicated space above, behind, and below to accommodate additional components, machines, motors, and elevator shafts. Stair lifts for older adults are compact, and you can fold them when not in use, but this is not the case with home lifts and elevators.

WHICH ONE LOOKS BETTER IN APPEARANCE?

Yes, folding stair lifts for older people is an option, but several factors will have to be considered, like the railing, platform and some not easy-to-hide parts. These stair lifts are available in different finishes and colours to complement the staircase or the entire property's interiors. Similarly, the appearance of the home elevator relies on the type of elevator you are purchasing. You can choose a glass or plastic tube lift, as they are much better looking.

INSTALLATION TIME

Stair lifts for elderly people are less time-consuming to install, taking only 3 to 4 hours. Home elevators, on the other hand, take a couple of days to a week to install and function properly.

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Features and Benefits of Elevator Annual Maintenance Contract or AMC

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Elevator maintenance is very important and AMC or an annual maintenance contract, is as vital as getting maintenance done by one of the best lift companies. Experts tag AMC as an assurance of a long-term service that will ensure your lift or elevator performs better for extended periods. You will experience less common breakdowns, and the best part of AMC is that it will cover all parts of the elevator, mainly those wearing out quickly.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ANNUAL MAINTENANCE CONTRACT FOR LIFTS AND ELEVATORS?

INCREASE THE LIFE OF YOUR MACHINE

One of the best features of an annual maintenance contract for a lift or elevator is that it will increase the elevator's life significantly. Timely maintenance and lookafter guarantees that your lift will work fine for more than 20 years. However, it is a fact that AMC can enhance its life by five years. Remember, preventive maintenance is the key to a nicely performing lift, and this is where skilled technicians come in very practical. In the AMC contract, they will visit your facility several times a year for inspection and to ensure that the machine is operating at its peak.

CHANCES OF THE ELEVATOR COLLAPSING AND BREAKDOWN ARE ELIMINATED

Annual maintenance contracts offered by lift companies are very instrumental in keeping all kinds of lifts and elevators, including wheelchair platform lifts, in perfect condition. This contract also promises that the chances of elevator breakdown and collapsing will be meagre compared to a lift that is not maintained annually. The professionals will inspect your elevator's significant components, including the braking magnet coil and all other essential parts required to operate flawlessly. They will assess the condition of several crucial parts like hoist ropes, drive motors, brake magnet coil, etc. As a part of an annual maintenance contract, these professionals will also repair and replace several parts of your elevator.

This will include the following steps. 

MONTHLY ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

• Checking the controller accessories 
• Cleaning adjustment and replacement of necessary items
• Checking the car and hall buttons
• Checking indicators and their replacement
• Checking safety points, such as emergency switch, emergency alarm bell, safety show
• Car gate, switch break tapes, switch safety operation and landing gate locks. 
• Checking the levelling, and it should be adjusted to 0mm
• Checking the gear oil level and lubricant of the main motor bearing motor
• Checking the brake spending and brake drum
• Lubricating the governor's pulley
• Checking the car gate and landing gate
• Cleaning of the primary motor
• Checking of leakage of oil
• Checking of elevators on UPS mode

QUARTERLY MAINTENANCE

• Lubricating the deflector pulley, selector pulley, and supporting bearing of the primary pulley
• Cleaning and adjusting carbon brushes of the generator and the primary motor
• Cleaning the ventilating dust
• Checking work gear alignment
• Adjusting the speed of the door operator motor
• Checking the main ropes, governor ropes, selector tape and landing and car gate ropes
• Checking the brake lining
• Adjusting the car gate and landing gate safety shoes
• Checking the over-speed switch of the governor
• Lubricating guide rails and guide shoes and adjusting the guide shoes
• Checking the emergency key
• Checking the slowing switches and final switches
• Lubricating the lowers of the break assemble

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How Low Rise Lifts Are Different From High Rise Elevators?

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Buildings are built with different heights, and to accommodate different lifts and elevators and manufacturers recommend different types of lifts for this. There are high-rise lifts, medium-rise lifts and low rise lifts for people with disabilities and older people. The main difference between them is the distance they travel, and when we talk about low rise lifts, the performance and functionality are completely identical, but they travel a very short distance. Let us learn more about these low rise lifts and their benefits.

WHAT ARE LOW RISE LIFTS?

The broad definition is that this lift moves passengers to a low height. They have the same functionality and performance and hence, are given the name of ‘small scale vertical transportation system’. They are usually installed in buildings with very few floors, typically 2 to 4. According to lift manufacturers, these elevators are ideal for low-rise residential, commercial and industrial buildings and buildings where space and budget constraints are present.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN DESIGN AND OPERATION?

Comparing high-rise, mid-rise, and low rise lifts will reveal a significant difference in how they function and their performance. According to the vendors of inclined wheelchair lifts, high-rise elevators transport people and goods to great heights. They are more powerful and manufactured using better and more advanced technology. On the other hand, there are mid-rise lifts that operate at a moderate speed and can be used in buildings up to 12 storeys high. Finally, the low rise lifts are ideal for buildings up to 4 storeys.

WHAT IS THE COST AND MAINTENANCE DIFFERENCE?

The cost of low rise lifts and inclined platform lifts costs are significantly identical, but there is a huge difference in the cost and maintenance-related topics between mid-rise, high-rise and low rise lifts.

High-rise elevators are the most expensive to install and maintain. The reason is that they are made using advanced technology, and stronger infrastructure requirements are there, and so are the maintenance steps. On the other hand, we have mid-rise elevators that are not as expensive as the high-rise ones but more expensive than low rise lifts. The reason cited by the manufacturers is the higher capacity and moderate speed that requires more advanced technology than the one used in low rise lifts. Next, we have low rise elevators that are the least expensive to install and maintain. In most cases, it will only require essential maintenance and repairs annually.

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What Is the Cost of Different Types of Lifts and Elevators?

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 Limited mobility is a curse for anyone, and people with disabilities have it attached to their lives forever. They find it impossible to access areas with stairs, and situations become even worse when no arrangements are there to mitigate the problem. In this situation, platform lifts and other kinds of lifts can be very useful. Before getting one installed at your home or office, it is vital to be aware of the options available in the markets along with their cost. This is what we have come up with in this blog post.

HOW MANY TYPES OF LIFTS AND ELEVATORS ARE THERE?

These lifts and elevators are divided into three categories – home elevators, vertical platform lifts and stair lifts.

WHAT ARE HOME ELEVATORS?

Compared to hydraulic platform lifts that we see at shopping malls and commercial complexes, home elevators are small and installed at your home or a small office to enhance accessibility. They are further divided into three different types.

HYDRAULIC ELEVATORS 

They require more space for operation, hence ideal for homes that are being constructed as a dedicated space can be allotted for installation. 

The next is the traction elevator, which uses steel ropes and a pulley system. The benefit is that it can be retrofitted into your home very quickly. 

The last name of the pneumatic residential elevators that use air pressure and lower the elevator.

WHAT IS THE COST OF HOME ELEVATOR INSTALLATION?

The primary residential elevator cost can be between $15000 and $25000, apart from the cost to build a shaft or a machine room and any other renovation. A fancy or custom-designed home elevator can cost up to $100,000.

WHAT ARE VERTICAL PLATFORM LIFTS?

These lifts are also called wheelchair platform lifts or porch lifts. They are designed to give independence to wheelchair users to move from one level to another. According to the vendors of hydraulic lift table trolley systems, they allow users to easily roll into the lift before ascending or descending.

WHAT IS THE COST OF VERTICAL PLATFORM LIFT INSTALLATION?

Some structural modification will be required, but it is less expensive than residential elevators. Any company offering lift installation services will install them for anywhere between $10000 and $15000, apart from renovation costs.

WHAT ARE CHAIR LIFTS?

Apart from platform lifts, one of the most versatile solutions is the stair lifts that allow people with mobility issues to move up and down the stairs quickly. They are also called chair lifts, as a chair is installed on a track that runs along the stairs to move up and down. No additional renovation or remodelling is required, and no separate equipment will be needed. You can plug in to keep the battery charged, and even if the power outage is there, you can use these lifts easily.

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Top Features That You Need To Look For While Getting Mobility Lifts

As far as mobility lifts are concerned, there are a number of things you take note of to make sure that you get the best performance out of them. Here in this post, we have discussed several points that will help you invest in the right manner and get the best out of it. As far as the mobility lifts are concerned, they will also save you on space as well as the running cost and not to mention, reduce the energy consumption. They are self-sufficient and super-easy for everyone to operate. 

Here are some features you should look for while looking for mobility lifts – 

• They are Suitable for Residential and Commercial purposes
• They Are Fully Compliant With Disabled Standards
• They are Available in Platform Lift or Full Cabin Options
• They Are Low On Maintenance, Running Costs And Energy Consumption
• There Are Disruption-Free Installation And Maintenance
• They Can Be Designed In Any Configuration

Design Features

• The companies engaged in designing these mobility lifts say that they can custom-design them and even platform lifts based on the specifications.
• With whatever design you get, they make sure that you get plenty of headroom as well as moving space to move around.
• The mobility lifts, as well as platform lifts, can be offered in a wide range of sizes to match your requirements and budget and for accommodating different mobility aid devices.
• The experts from the company chosen by you will help you choose the right kind of lift or inclined wheelchair lift based on the needs.
• At the same time, it would be possible for you to choose the right colour and design to match your decor.

Here are some technical features that you need to have at the time of selection – 

• Maximum Number Of Stops – 8
• Lifting Capacity 400kg – 630kg – 1000kg
• Maximum Lifting Travel – 15,000mm
• Pit Depth Minimum – 50mm

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The Most Suitable Mobility Lifts for Your Office Environment

Different kinds of mobility lifts can be used as an office, but in actual terms, only two of them are designed for use in the office. One of them is the stair lifts while the other is platform lift and this means that the selection for your office would come down to these two names. In this post, we will try and find out with one would be better for your office and for this, we will mull upon different factors.

Stair Lift

• According to the sellers of mobility lifts, one of the top features of stair lifts is that it allows PwDs to move up and down without any aid.
• This lift travels along with the length of the staircase, where the lift is actually mounted on a wall or stanchion posts and this feature makes for the speedy installation in the outdoors.
• The most significant advantage of stair lifts is that it takes up minimal space and moreover, it can be removed folded and stored away when not required.
• This will leave the staircase open for people to use.
• One more thing to know is that stair lifts are available with many different features for different requirements. 
• At the same time, you will find many designs that can be used in the indoors as well as outdoors, both.
• Lastly, this version is an ideal solution for areas, where it is impossible to build a ramp. 

Platform Lift

• According to the vendors of inclined wheelchair lifts the top feature associated with this version of mobility lifts is that it is suitable for premises where stairs aren’t available or it is not suitable for a stair lift. 
• This version can be placed between two levels and allows users to travel up and down like an elevator.
• Just like the one discussed above, this version too is very easy to install and maintain as you will simply have to call in the experts for the same.
• They can be used indoors or outdoors and a wide range of finishes means you can find one that blends in with its surroundings. 

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Types of Wheelchair Lifts And When They Require Lift Maintenance Sydney

Wheelchairs are like a life and soul for those having any kind of locomotor disability that restricts them from moving using their lower limbs. The problem with wheelchairs is that their movements gets restricted till the stairs, but thankfully, we have wheelchair lifts that help disabled people live their life without boundaries. As far as these wheelchair lifts are concerned, they too need maintenance and if you have this lift, you will definitely have to call in lift maintenance Sydney company for this. In this post, we take a look at different kinds of wheelchair lifts and their major attributes.

Basically, there are Two kinds of Wheelchair Lifts used across the Globe and their names are – 

• The electronic lift
• The hydraulic lift

Let us have a Brief Introduction of Both of Them.

The Electronic Elevator

• As the name signifies, this version works after being powered by electricity and using this version, wheelchair users can get an easy access to the places that they would not have accessed because of the presence of height.

The Hydraulic Elevator

• According to the experts’ of lift modernisation, this version functions after being powered through the hydraulics and with this version, the process of lifting the wheelchair into the van becomes much easier.

Some Facts Related to These Two Types

• However, the good thing about these two versions is that both of them are not just used in the automobiles.
• The fact is that with the help of lift maintenance Sydney guys, you can even get them installed in residential areas and public buildings.
• Amongst both of them, the electric version is more preferred because it consumes lesser space and moreover, it is not as expensive as people often anticipate.
• However, the drawback is that in case of power cut, this version would become totally useless and the same would be the case in case of any fault.
• In that case, you will need the services of lift maintenance Sydney team to visit your place and rectify the issue.

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