One of the most popular Stairlift services we carry out is Stairlift service and maintenance in Leicester. We have been servicing and maintaining Stairlifts in Leicester for many years now and yet it is still a Stairlift service that is over looked.
What does Stairlift service and maintenance in Leicester involve
We tell all of our customers in Leicester about the importance of Stairlift service and maintenance in Leicester whenever they buy new Stairlifts or reconditioned Stairlifts in Leicester from us. It is highly recommended by each and every Stairlift manufacturer that a full Stairlift service is carried out annually by a reputable and trained Stairlift company. This is included in the monthly payment for anyone that has one of our rental Stairlifts. More information on rental stairlifts in Leicester can be found here. The purpose of a Stairlift service and maintenance in Leicester is to check first and foremost that the Stairlift is still operating safely and correctly as it was originally designed to do so. This means checking all of the safety circuits on the Stairlift. These include the pressure sensitive edges (PSE) on the carriage and footrest. These must work correctly in the direction of travel and stop the lift immediately when activated. The seat swivel has a safety switch which prevents the Stairlift from working if the seat is not in the correct position facing across the stairs. This is not always the case with some curved Stairlifts which have a downward facing seat.
One of the easiest and best inspections that can be carried out on Leicester Stairlifts during Stairlift service and maintenance in Leicester is a visual check. On arrival at a property the first thing I will do is look at the lift on the stairs, the rail and the charger in the wall. By operating the Stairlift via a remote control and walking up the stairs with it, you are already carrying out multiple checks before you know it. You have already checked the lower remote control in the up direction as well as the operation of the Stairlift. You can now visually see the lift working as well as listen out for any abnormal sounds such as a noisy gearbox or struggling motor. At this point I would test each safety edge on the up circuit and also turn the seat. All of these should stop the lift dead. Then I would send it down and repeat the process for the down circuits and remote control down call button. Any cracking sounds at this point could indicate rail and racking issues or a damaged roller. You can also ride on the Stairlift now and see how it performs under load. If it struggles then the batteries could be showing signs that they are not holding a full charge.
Stairlift Service - Brackets and fixings
When carrying out a Stairlift service and maintenance in Leicester, it is also important to check all the stair brackets. These fix the rail to the stairs using a clamping method. It is not unusual to see that these have sunk into the carpet underlay after the first year. We call this 'settling'. The screws all need tightening down equally but not over excessively. Two common things i see when i attend an installation carried out by another company is either worn screw heads or missing screws. The first is usually caused by the engineer not setting the torque correctly on his drill and just chewing them up as he drives them in, or, if the Stairlift is a reconditioned Leicester Stairlift then the screws haven't been replaced after being removed and reused multiple times etc. There is no excuse for the latter (missing screws) as this is just negligence. I've even seen installations from a manufacturer where more than one screw has been missing and also brackets with just three out of four screws in each. We always replace the screws with new on our installations as a matter of course.
The other thing I frequently see on a straight Stairlift service and maintenance in Leicester is loose clamp bolts on the brackets. There are usually two side clamp bolts and then a main long bolt going through it all to hold it all together. I've undone some of these with my fingers in the past which allows for excessive movement of the rail as the lift is travelling. I've also come across some that have been done up so tight it has bruised the side of the rail. A curved Stairlift is slightly different in design and instead of clamp brackets they tend to use a tall adjustable leg with a small duck foot shaped fixing plate at the bottom. The legs are normally pinned in place and require checking each year as the pins can move and work themselves out occasionally. Either way, whether you purchase a new curved Stairlift or a reconditioned curved Stairlift, they will both need servicing every year.
Stairlift Service - The oily bits
Unlike other Stairlift companies we like our stairlift engineer to remove the Stairlift off the top of the rail so we can check the internal mechanical parts of the lift. The most important of these is the overspeed governor which deploys if it rotates over a certain speed by means of either a tensioned spring or bob weights. These need checking to make sure they operate freely and also the micro switch works that it activates when deployed. All of the rollers require cleaning and checking for cracks or damage. Spinning them can help identify a noisy bearing or a sticking roller. All limit switches can be accessed from inside and the motor and gearbox can be checked for signs of oil leakage, damage or wear.
Stairlift Service - Electrical Checks
With the covers off, all electrical connections and circuits can be checked or changed. The batteries are housed under the main carriage covers so these can be checked whist doing the Stairlift service and maintenance in Leicester too. Care should be taken when checking batteries as any leads that are removed can easily go to ground and short the main pcb out. Static is another thing to be wary of as this has been a known pcb killer in the past and we always carry a good quality anti-static wristband with us now for the reason. A replacement board can cost around £500 so it's not something you want to be replacing if you can help it. The inputs to the main board can be accessed here to check the Stairlift charger or power supply is working correctly. The output can also be tested which supplies the motor and electro-mechanical brake. There is usually a fuse that protects the main board from a surge too and that can be removed and checked at this point as well.
As with all things it is best to contact the professionals. We do not advise attempting any of the above yourself. A simple Stairlift service starts from just £65 in Leicester but could end up costing a lot more if not done correctly or by somebody inexperienced.
