FAQ – All Your Lift Questions

This page is designed to help you with any access lift requirement, and if you are seeking advice or answers before making any further plans. If you do not find the information you are looking for here or elsewhere on our website please send us your question using the form on the Contact Us page. Thank you.

We are not sure what we need. Do you offer free advice and quotation?

Yes – please call us on 0843 216 0226 (Local call charge rate) and we shall arrange a survey and quote without obligation or just a chat on the phone .

Will you provide service assistance even if I don't have a service contract?

Yes, one of our engineers will respond to a breakdown, even if you don’t have a service contract. In this event you will be advised of the approximate cost prior to attendance.

How long does it take to install a domestic lift? And how disruptive is it?

That obviously depends on the type of lift. We will advise you of the estimated installation time when we give you our written quotation. We always endeavour to keep disruption to a minimum. Before our engineers leave they will tidy up behind them, test the lift thoroughly and show you exactly how to operate it. As a guide, to install a domestic lift usually takes less than a week.

How do I open the lift door from a wheelchair?

Where appropriate our lifts can be fitted with fully automatic doors that open when they arrive at any given stop.

What about building and electrical work?

We can offer a full turnkey service.  Our carefully selected technicians and artisans will complete all aspects of the project to the highest standard; alternatively we can offer assistance to your preferred contractor during the project.

Where can you put a home lift?

A home lift can be sited almost anywhere, outdoors or indoors. A home lift can come in its own shaft and may not need a separate motor room. Our domestic lifts can be tailored to fit the decor and surroundings. Our bespoke domestic lifts can be manufactured in a wide range of materials of your choice to blend with their surroundings.

Home lift vs. stairlift, which is the best?

A home lift is more versatile and can carry more than one person, a baby buggy, shopping, luggage, the vacuum cleaner, your pet – almost anything in fact. A home lift is also a valuable interior feature and MAY increase the value of your house.

Do your lifts come with a warranty / guarantee?

Yes. One year’s free no quibble warranty is included with every lift.

What happens in the event of a power cut?

All our lifts are equipped with a emergency lowering device in the event of a power cut.

Will I need to employ an architect?

Not usually, as our sales and installations teams are highly experienced in lift installation and use accurate measurement and their extensive experience to determine the best solution for any given site.

Can the lift finish match the interior decor and surroundings?

Certainly. We can match the external lift finish to the existing paint, wallpaper, panelling, door design, and handles to blend harmoniously with its surroundings. In many cases the existence of a lift in a room or hallway goes completely unnoticed.

Can you install a wheelchair lift in a boat or a lift in a yacht?

Yes we have fitted lifts in boats and lifts for yacht owners. We can also provide short rise step lifts for boats and yachts. Boat lifts can be finished to match the interior decor and materials inside the boat.

Will I be given a manual and handover material?

Yes. With every installation we supply a handover manual that includes:

  •     How to use the lift
  •     How to service the lift
  •     Emergency contact information
  •     Warranty certificate
  •     Installation certificate
  •     Signed certification of lift
  •     Spare keys
  •     Drawings
  •    Wiring diagrams

What's the difference between platform lifts and conventional passenger lifts?

The main difference between platform lifts and passenger lifts is in the way they are controlled by the user. As a safety feature, push buttons on a platform lift carriage need continuous pressure to function, something that does not apply to traditional passenger lifts. Platform lifts are also limited to a maximum travel speed of 0.15 metres per second. Platform lifts do not usually have an enclosed cabin but must have safety edge that stops the platform if it encounters a person or object. Also a platform lift only needs a pit depth from 50-130mm where a conventional lift needs 1200mm + also the headroom required on a platform lift only needs 2400mm where as a conventional lift requires a lot more

What types of platform lift are available?

There are many different lift types and styles, in a wide variety of sizes. Some platform lifts travel vertically, while inclined versions have folding platforms on straight or curved rails to carry wheelchair users up flights of stairs These can also have the option of a seat.

When is a platform lift the best option?

Platform lifts are simple, compact, easily installed and cost-effective. This makes them ideal for low-traffic situations that do not warrant a traditional passenger lift. Many (but not all) platform lifts are self-contained and free-standing, and therefore do not require a supporting wall. This makes them ideal for historic and listed buildings where physical changes to the structure may be proscribed by law.

When would you recommend a platform lift rather than ramp?

Ramps are a simple access solution that can save a lot of the cost and work involved with installing a platform lift. However, there are times when a ramp simply is not adequate. Ramps often have to be very long (1/15 for every 100mm rise the ramp needs to be 1500mm) in order to make a slope gentle enough for a wheelchair user to negotiate without assistance. In the interior of buildings, long ramps are out of the question.

What safety devices do platform lifts have?

As well as the safety edge, platform lifts should have hand winding and emergency battery lowering systems in case of electrical failure, carriage alarms, sensors that prevent overloading, and doors and gates that lock automatically when the platform is moving to prevent people entering the lift area or shaft.

What is the minimum and maximum travel height?

Platform lifts are available with different travel heights, from just a few inches to over 12 metres; most manufacturers also offer custom-built platform lifts for customers with bespoke requirements. This obviously depends on the model and the use. Smaller units that lift up to 300kg (47 stones), which is enough to carry a wheelchair user up a short flight of stairs. Others have larger platforms that accommodate a wheelchair, the user and a carer. These can travel much further, (up to 12 metres} and can carry loads of 400kg-1000kg (63 -157 stones).

How much weight can platform lifts cope with?

This obviously depends on the model and the use. Smaller units that lift up to 300kg (47 stones), which is enough to carry a wheelchair user up a short flight of stairs. Others have larger platforms that accommodate a wheelchair, the user and a carer. These can travel much further, (up to 12 metres} and can carry loads of 400kg-1000kg (63 -157 stones).

Can platform lifts be installed on the exterior of a building?

Certainly. External platform lifts are quite common and most manufacturers offer units for both indoor and outdoor applications. inclined platform lift is one that can travel up an incline rather than just going vertically; this makes them an attractive alternative to a stair lift, particularly for someone who is permanently in a wheelchair. An inclined platform lift allows people to remain their wheelchair but still move them smoothly and efficiently up to the next level of their house. For public places that need to comply with disabled access requirements inclined platform lifts comply with all safety regulations.

What is an inclined platform lift?

An inclined platform lift is one that can travel up an incline rather than just going vertically; this makes them an attractive alternative to a stair lift, particularly for someone who is permanently in a wheelchair. An inclined platform lift allows people to remain their wheelchair but still move them smoothly and efficiently up to the next level of their house. For public places that need to comply with disabled access requirements inclined platform lifts comply with all safety regulations.

What are step lifts?

As their name suggests, step lifts provide an alternative to a step or short flight of stairs, both internally and externally. Step Lifts are designed for short-travel and are therefore quite compact; they are normally used to provide wheelchair access over a few steps to a front entrance or to an elevated level in a building. Domestic step lifts can travel up to 1 metre. We can also install recessed or concealed short rise step lifts.

What is a hidden step lift?

A hidden step lift is a short rise step lift that retracts into the floor when not in use to provide an even surface. A hidden step lift is ideal for shop entrances, hotels and restaurants as well as domestic hallways.

What is a cupboard lift?

A lift fitted inside an existing cupboard that therefore does not decrease the existing space in a building. A cupboard lift can also be installed in a wardrobe or airing cupboard, from which a lift shaft is used to connect with the floor above or below. The end result is a completely concealed lift.