A Checklist To Clean And Maintain Lifts Or Elevators

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The role of lift companies continues after installing a lift, as they are often given the responsibility of maintaining, repairing and cleaning the lift. Apart from these companies, several guides and videos are available on the Internet to help you clean the lift on your own. A detailed checklist can help you a lot in cleaning lifts for houses and offices. Some details related to effective cleaning and disinfection are reviewed here.

HOW OFTEN TO CLEAN A LIFT?

According to the experts of an elevator service company in Sydney, regular cleaning should be based on the lift’s usage, and those facing high traffic should be cleaned at least once weekly. Here are some fundamental facts to know about lift cleaning.

• Cleaning using a regular household disinfectant is highly effective in any cab.

• Those cleaning the lift should wear protective gear such as rubber gloves, aprons, and safety glasses for additional safety.

• Protection for eyes, mouth and nose should be assured if too much bodily fluid is present in dirty lifts.

• Experts recommend using cleaning projects we use to clean mirrors in our homes and offices.

• Too much moisture should be removed, as it can damage electrical parts and especially the buttons.

• The damp cloth should move circularly to clean the glass, colour-coated, and stainless steel surfaces.

Before starting, you must ensure that – 

• The lifts for houses are switched off, and the plug is removed.

• The doors of passenger and platform lifts have been isolated.

Once this is confirmed, you can safely clean the lift with the help of guidance provided by lift companies.

There will be no worry of gates closing or obstructing the process.

While cleaning a commercial lifts, a warning sign should be placed in front of the door to let people know that the lift is currently under maintenance.

CLEANING THE LIFT BUTTONS AND HANDRAILS

The top recommendations related to cleaning lift buttons and handrails are – 

• Use an antibacterial cleaning product to wipe handrails and keypads

• Use a microfiber cloth to wipe these areas and remove stacked dirt, dust and hair

• Clean the buttons first with smooth, delicate strokes

CLEANING FROM TOP TO BOTTOM

Experts from an elevator service company in Sydney start the cleaning process from the top and move towards the bottom part. This prevents the cleaning surface from getting contaminated or dirty again. Non-corrosive cleaners are the best, and to clean the hard surface, you can use warm, soapy water and a plain piece of cloth. You must clean frequently touched areas and surfaces more thoroughly, like the buttons, door handles, etc.

Details of ‘Must Have’ Safety Features in A Residential Lift

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Elevators and lifts have made vertical transportation very easy in commercial buildings. The trend is also seen in homes, as people are ready to invest in residential elevator costs to install a residential lift. Residential elevators and lifts are entirely different from those used in commercial buildings. They have additional safety features to make them even safer for people. Let us review some that a residential elevator must have to eliminate safety-related stress and worries.

SAFETY GATES

Safety gates are attached to the elevator cab to travel alongside the cab up and down. Most commercial elevators have two sets of doors, but this is not true with residential elevators. This means the lift will only move once the gate is secularly closed.

INTERLOCKS

Traction and hydraulic platform lift used in our homes have interlocks to prevent passengers from opening the door while the cab is moving. This means you can be assured that the cab will never open on its own and only after the lift has stopped entirely. This is an essential safety feature that every residential lift must have, and the cost is included in the traction or hydraulic platform lift cost.

LIGHTING AND INDICATORS

With internal lights and indicators, lift passengers know where they are travelling and on what floor they are currently positioned. This minimises the risks of tripping, slipping or falling. Emergency lights are also present for emergencies, like power outages.

BACKUP POWER

The backup power system is another practical and much-needed safety feature included in the residential elevator cost. Residential and commercial elevators are electrically powered, and power outages can bring them to a halt. But with backup power, you can keep the cab moving and bring it to the nearest floor for the passengers to evacuate the cabin.

EMERGENCY FEATURES

There should also be emergency features in traction and hydraulic platform lifts used at our homes. These features should allow passengers to contact someone for help in an emergency. Another feature that must be present in every residential elevator is the landline telephone to call for assistance in an emergency like a lift breakdown. A motorised braking system should also be there to stop the elevator in any technical issue.

HANDRAILS

Lastly, handrails should be in residential elevators to make you feel more stable and sturdy. They are more useful for elderly family members and people with mobility-related challenges. The homeowner must check these features before paying the final residential elevator cost.

Easy Guidelines Related To Maintaining Minivator Stairlifts

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Regardless of the type, a lift will always be a reliable and helpful installation in your home or any other residential or commercial building. These machines require timely maintenance and look after to perform flawlessly for years, and this applies to minivator stairlifts as well. Experts recommend preventive maintenance as the most beneficial step to prolong the lifespan of these stairlifts and keep them functional for a long time. Some straightforward steps are involved in their maintenance, and we have reviewed some here in this post.

As a general rule, whenever possible, your product should be:

• Serviced and safety checked annually

• Only lubricated if needed by a qualified engineer

• Cleaned down weekly

• Paying particular attention to the rail

• Getting maintenance and repair done by qualified engineers

CLEANING MINIVATOR STAIRLIFTS

It is essential to clean minivator stairlifts and all other residential lifts once every week. This simple step will influence their life and performance significantly. 

You can do this easily through DIY, and some black marks will surely be visible on the rails, but you need not worry. These marks on minivator stairlifts result from dust and pet hairs and can be wiped away easily. You can clean them to ensure that your residential lifts work to their peak forever.

WHY REGULAR CLEANING IS IMPORTANT?

Ignoring timely cleaning and maintenance means allowing dirt, dust and debris to clog up the carriage and become a reason behind a sudden breakdown. Here are some common steps to clean the minivator stairlift regularly.

• Use an anti-static foaming cleanser or a rag to wipe down the lift

• You can also clean the charge strips of your rails very gently if they are too dusty

• Clean the chair and outside of the carriage carefully if some visible dust is present on minivator stairlifts.

WHETHER TO LUBRICATE THE MINIVATOR STAIRLIFT OR NOT?

The fact about residential lifts and minivator stairlifts is that it is impossible to lubricate all the parts, and you must refrain from attempting them. Remember, residential lifts prices are high, and no one would like to damage any part, as the repair charges can also be very high. The best step is to leave it to the maintenance team and rely upon them for annual inspections and services. Any maintenance, inspection, servicing, or repair work should be done by an expert engineer with sufficient tools and adequate experience to do this job successfully.

STAIRLIFT SERVICING

This annual servicing of minivator stairlifts is essential from the safety point of view to prevent you from any penalty or fine for not following the rules and regulations related to lift upkeep and maintenance. The professionals will check the safety circuits, batteries, and other parts for perfection. More than 25 parts need inspection and minor repair work if any normal wear and tear is detected.

Types of Commercial Lifts and Their Usage in Commercial Buildings

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Elevators and lifts play a very crucial role in our everyday life. They benefit people working in high-rise buildings and those with mobility issues or a disability that restricts them from moving freely. These lifts and elevators are divided into residential and commercial lifts. This post will cover different types of commercial lifts and what purposes they can serve.

WHAT ARE TRACTION LIFTS?

Passenger traction lifts are designed for easy installation, and they come with a very reliable design. Traction lifts are one of the most popular types of lifts in the category of commercial lifts. They consume considerably less power compared to hydraulic lifts or others discussed here. Traction elevators and lifts are available in different types and are best for carrying loads from 250 kilograms to 3000 kilograms or up to 20 people. You enjoy flexibility in design, and the features present in these elevators contribute towards noise reduction and speed control.

WHAT ARE GOODS LIFTS?

These elevators or lifts are simple to use, and the most fantastic feature is that they are used in various environments. For example – restaurants, hotels, retail environments, commercial kitchens, offices, etc., are ideal for using these goods lifts. The hassles of manual weight lifting will be eliminated, and so will the risks of injuries. They also have features that ensure low power consumption and become a highly cost-effective solution for businesses.

WHAT ARE LOW PIT LIFTS?

These lifts come with very similar features found in residential lifts available at very nominal residential lift prices. The main difference is that these low pit lifts include one-touch control and sliding doors. Just like the goods lifts, these low pit lifts can be used in many environments, including public access areas, offices, schools, retail stores, etc. They have a downside for safety purposes, i.e. the slow speed. The speed of low pit lifts is limited to 0.15m per second.

FREIGHT ELEVATORS

These elevators, in the commercial lift category, are designed for carrying heavy goods and not passengers. They come with a sturdy platform that can accommodate heavy loads and much more than the weight of multiple passengers. The design ensures that the elevator suffers no wear and tear while loading and unloading cargo and heavyweight products.

DUMBWAITER ELEVATORS

These are very similar to the freight elevators discussed above and are also kept in the category of commercial lifts. The only difference between freight elevators and dumbwaiter elevators is that the latter is smaller and used for transporting small loads like books or food items.

Lift Servicing or Maintenance Related Tips

For those having an elevator at their homes, the first recommendation made by the experts is that they should never skimp upon on lift maintenance Sydney.

Yes, this has to be done on a regular basis and that too by qualified technicians. This will make sure that your residential elevator stays in a perfect condition for a long time.

This blog post here is dedicated towards reviewing some very simple and common elevator maintenance tips.

KEEP LOGS OF REPAIRS –

An up-to-date and accurate record of all the repair work done in the elevator will be very helpful in determining the weaker points of the machine and whether it’s the right time for lift modernisation or not. This data will also be very helpful in assuming as to how reliable the elevator is and when to go for lift servicing or maintenance.

Note – With readily available data, you can also get an immediate elevator reliability score.

DO A DAILY INSPECTION –

According to lift modernisation professionals, regular inspection of the residential elevator is something that homeowners can do on their own. Yes, maintenance is something that you can leave to the professionals, but general inspection is very easy to carry out.

Elevator maintenance tips

You will just have to keep eyes open to see any visible signs of damage and keep ears open to hear any unusual voice coming from the machine during its movement up and down.

Experts say that these simple inspections have turned into huge lifesavers on a number of occasions and hence, the homeowners need to be very serious about.

REGULARLY CHECK ELEVATOR DOORS

Lift maintenance Sydney experts get calls related to issues in the lift and more that 70 percent of those calls have door related issues.

So this has made us keep this pointer here and you should keep inspecting the doors on a regular basis.

In case, any unusual movement, any unusual sound is detected; it should be reputed to the lift servicing team without any delay.

People may know also: What Is An Inclined Platform Lift And Its Safety Features?

The Safety Features to Look For In an Inclined Platform Lift

Lifts and elevators come with a whole plethora of advantages and especially, for those having mobility related issues; they are nothing less than a boon.

Seeing the popularity and usability of different kinds of settings, manufacturers are always innovating to create different, better solutions with all-inclusive safety features. Yes, safety is and should always be the top priority for lift manufacturers and particularly in inclined platform lifts.

Here in this post, we will have a look at some of the top safety features that should be there in modern-day inclined platform lifts.

The top feature of these inclined platform lifts is that they ensure secure, smooth, safe and convenient floor-to-floor travel. Moreover, using other solutions like minivator stairlifts and so, people with disabilities and even elders can access all the floors of a building quite easily.

Here’s a quick look at some of the most popular safety features available in inclined platform lifts:

Hand And Guard Rails-

• Provide A Stable Handle To Hold Onto For Support And To Prevent Falls.

Emergency Alarm-

• Activating the Emergency Alarm Will Send out a Call for Help In The Event Of an Emergency.
• This Emergency Could Be Anything Like The Lift Being Trapped Between Floors.

Battery Backup-

• Inclined Platform Lifts Come With A Battery Back-Up So Hat Power Failure Could Not Stop It In The Mid Of Two Floors.

Overload Protection-

• There Are Sensors In These Inclined Platform Lifts To Sense The Weight And Send Over-Loading Message With The Help Of An Alarm Or Buzzer.

• These Sensors Are Very Important Because By Sending These Warnings Related To Over-Loading; They Prevent The Machine From Malfunctioning Or Premature Breakdown.
• When Sensors Detect That The Maximum Weight Limit Has Been Exceeded, Will Temporarily Stop The Lift From Operating.

To make safety even more robust, the manufacture should ensure that the lifts are manufactured in compliance with standards of AS1735 (Australian Standards), BCA (Building Code of Australia) and DDA (Disability Discrimination Act).

WHAT LIFT MAINTENANCE SHOULD DO IN ITS SERVICES IN SYDNEY?

A lift or an elevator is complex machinery that has thousands of moving parts and ensures that people are transported up and down in a safe and quick manner. These machines area lifeline for elderly people and those having mobility related issues and therefore, it is the responsibility of everyone to keep them in a perfect condition.

This can be done with the help of timely lift maintenance Sydney and for this; the first requirement is of a reputed lift maintenance company.

You can find the best lift maintenance company with these tips that we have discussed in the form of services that they can offer.

Inside the Car:

The ideal lift maintenance Sydney company should –

• Examine the interior of the elevator car for damage to the walls, ceiling, and handrails
• Examine the position indicator lights and replace any burned out lights
• Operate the elevator going up and down
• Check the leveling accuracy, acceleration, and deceleration.
• Make any adjustments deemed necessary
• Check that the door moves smoothly and does not slam or bounce
• Make sure the door restrictor operates properly and make any necessary repairs

Outside the Car:

As far as the outside of the car is concerned, an ideal lift maintenance company will help you by taking the following steps.

• He should check the hall stations and lights and replace any burned out lights
• He should also inspect the door panel and clearances
• Other than this, he should also test the Phase 1 firelighters’ service

Inside the Machine Room:

The inside part of the machine room is very important in terms of flawless operation of the lift and here, an ideal lift maintenance company would help you by –

• Making sure the machine room does not contain any material unrelated to the elevator
• Checking all the components for leaks, unusual vibration or wear
• Inspecting electrical components for evidence of overheating or failure
• Lubricating the components, if necessary

SAFETY FEATURES OF RELIABLE INCLINED PLATFORM LIFTS

One of the many challenges that a wheelchair bound person faces in his day-to-day schedule is of tackling the areas that have no ramps and have stairs instead. In such situations, either there is no accessibility at all or he/she has to depend upon other 3-4 people to conquer.

However, things can be managed really easily, if at these areas, an inclined platform lift is installed. The biggest feature of these installations is that they can be used commercially as well as for residential purposes.

Let us have a quick look at this accessibility option that wheelchair users or people having mobility issues have.

WHAT IS AN INCLINED PLATFORM LIFT?

1. According to the experts working at a reliable lift provider in Sydney, a reliable inclined platform lift provides an easy accessibility to people having limited mobility issue of mobility related issues to travel diagonally from one floor to another.
2. This might sound a complicated thing, but when with this installation being present, there would be no space for any complication at all and the travel would become very simple and straightforward.
3. For using this lift, one will have to move onto the semi-enclosed platform, flip the switch to move up or down your staircase, and you’ll be transported to your destination.

SAFETY FEATURES:

• There are numerous safety features used in these installations to help the user feel safe while using a reliable inclined platform lift.
• For example – there would be an emergency stop button and then, battery backup is also there to tackle the issue of power outage.
• This means that in situations of power outage, the battery will be able to move the platform up and down five times.
• Other safety features include slack/broken chain safety, platform safety aprons, safety clutch, and much more.
• The fact regarding these installations is that they are generally designed to be as less invasive as possible at the time of installation.
• The team from the chosen lift provider in Sydney will make sure that during the installation process, least amount of damage is done to the walls.

IMPORTANT PROBLEMS TACKLED THROUGH LIFT MAINTENANCE

With timely maintenance of the lift or elevator, there comes an assurance that the machine would continue to perform like new for a long time.

There are a number of steps to take as far as lift maintenance or lift modernisation is concerned.

Elevator or lift maintenance technician will clean, adjust and replace worn parts, inspect, test and fine tune ride quality.

This PowerPoint presentation has focused entirely on what steps can be taken by lift maintenance companies as a part of standard procedure.

Power Failure:

• Power failure can be very distressing and can bring the machine to a standstill
• Any issue with power supply can result into flickering lights to a complete breakdown of the unit
• Power failure can be down to a city-wide outage or it could also the most common issue related to the motor
• As a part of lift maintenance, the team will first conduct a power quality supply
• They will also test for ‘clean’ electrical energy running through your system
• The team will also determine your lifts Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

Worn Sheaves:

• Experts of lift modernisation or lift maintenance can also take care of worn sheaves
• A sheave is a pulley with a grooved wheel designed to hold a rope or belt
• Rubbing of ropes can start the wear and tear of the sheaves and it could become uneven
• The lift maintenance experts will fix by either regrooving or replacing the sheave
• They will also recommend you to check the sheaves on a regular basis to trace the issue in a timely manner

Contamination:

• Another problem tackled through the steps of lift maintenance is contamination because the components need to be well lubricated with clean oil
• This lubrication is even more important for hydraulic lifts, if they are used on a daily basis
• The lack of lubrication can cause wear and tear and can even break off tiny metallic particles
• To counteract this issue, lift maintenance experts will conduct an oil analysis
• They will also inspect oil samples used throughout the lift system

Types of Lifts/Elevators and Their Uses

In terms of getting residential lifts for houses, you would be surprised to see the options present in the markets. Yes, there is a huge range available that could confuse anyone looking to get them installed in a home or even a residential building. Here, in this post we have come up with the details of some kinds of lifts that can be used in a residential set-up.

Passenger Lifts

• According to the experts this happens to be the most common kind of elevator set-up used all over the globe and an interesting fact is that buildings that have more than 5 floors are ideal for this installation.
• This version comes in different sizes and designs and not to mention, in different load capacities as well and in general cases, it can lift up to 20 people at a time.
• The apartments and flats, lifts in shopping malls and other high rise buildings all use this kind.

Residential Lifts

• Residential lifts or lifts for houses, in other words, are used inside the home or property and they are generally smaller than general lifts that we see or use on a daily basis.
• They are used inside houses which can contain passengers of three and maximum to five and in most cases; it is recommended to get them installed around the stairs area.
• There are several designs that come with a remote control system to operate the machine.

Cargo Lifts

• This is a heavy-duty lift according to the suppliers of outdoor stair lifts and generally used for the purpose of shifting and carrying goods and cargo.
• They come with really high capacity as far as carrying loads in concerned and in general, they are used in restaurants, stores, companies, flats etc. to carry heavy loads.

Some other names that can be added in this Lift of kinds of Lifts or Elevators are –

• Double-Purpose Lifts For Both Passengers As Well As For Cargo Purpose
• Double Deck Lifts That Are Actually Meant For High Rise Buildings
• Service Lifts Used For Service Purpose In Buildings