Lift experts always stress the importance of maintaining your lift regularly. For both legal and functioning reasons, you don’t have to break the bank to schedule maintenance for your lifts. It will also save you a lot of money in the long run. Well, here is what you need to know about lift maintenance and why you should get started on it today.
How Important Is Lift Maintenance for Ensuring a Reliable Lift?
If you need to know how a lift works and how to maintain it, you need to know how it functions. A lift has the following features.
- A motor (machine)
- User controls
- Electronic controller
- Doors
- Brakes
Some of these features are considered to be consumable items. Therefore, they need to be replaced on a routine basis throughout the life of the lift. These include rollers, oil and ropes. Note that lifts come in different designs, thanks to the numerous manufacturers with different levels of reputation and quality. People expect to get into a lift and immediately get to the floor destination quickly, simply and reliably.
Throughout the life of the lift, it requires regular servicing, routine inspections and a maintenance schedule in place. Therefore, the first step to having a reliable lift is having an ongoing maintenance plan. There’s much more to it than simple maintenance. For instance, it should also cover safety and regulatory issues that you need to comply with. With such a plan in place, you should be able to comply with your legal obligations as a building owner and operator.
Some of the regulations you need to comply with as a residential or commercial building owner include the following.
- The Lift Operations and Lifting Equipment regulations
- The Health and Safety at Work Act
- The Provision and Use of Work Equipment regulations
Ensuring that your lift is in the best and safe working order is the right way to guarantee compliance.
How Much Maintenance Does My Lift Require?
The maintenance requirements of a lift usually differ from one lift to the other. However, overall lift maintenance depends on a few factors such as the following.
- Age
- Quality of the original equipment
- Level of use
- Type of use
Take a similar operating environment with a heavily engineered lift that’s properly installed and a value-engineered installation. Here, the former will require a lower level of maintenance due to the robust nature of all the components and features. As a lift becomes older, the features will become worn and aged. As such, it will require more attention than an entirely new lift. It should be able to safeguard against any reliability and failure issues.
Note that a brand new electric traction lift can last as long as 20 years. However, you need to make sure that it remains reliable for the entire lifespan. That comes down to the best maintenance and lift modernisation techniques applied throughout the lift’s operating life.
What Are the Various Types of Lift Maintenance Available?
Depending on the lift maintenance contractor you choose, you should be able to get a good maintenance package. Choose a suitable plan from a contractor for the best results. Of course, you need to take your time to find the right lift maintenance expert for the job. Here are a few things to consider when looking to hire a lift maintenance contractor.
- Are they licensed? Anyone handling lift maintenance services should be licensed to offer the services. Check their license to make sure it is valid.
- What is the cost? If possible, you should ask for a lift maintenance quote from different experts in the area and choose the best one for your budget and maintenance needs.
- Are they reputable? It’s always a good idea to choose the most reputable lift maintenance experts to ensure high-quality results.
Lift maintenance is as important as repair and installation. Take your time to find the best installation experts for the best results.