Home lifts are designed to ensure the safety of each passenger with every use. To this end, residential lifts are equipped with a number of safety features that may prevent the lift from operating in the event that there is a safety concern. This means that in some cases, your lift may not operate even though everything appears to be in working order.

Ultimately, if your wheelchair lift has stopped working your will more than likely need to call in a qualified technician, as attempting to troubleshoot or fix a residential lift without any experience or training can be extremely dangerous. However, before calling in the professionals, there are a few things you can check yourself to ensure that the problem is worth a call out.

Ensure Correct Use

Most home lifts require constant pressure on the control to make the lift operate, in contrast to commercial lifts that typically travel between floors with one push of a button. Before calling in a lift technician, ensure that you are operating the lift correctly, pressing and holding the controls throughout the duration of the ride.

Check Emergency Stop Switch

Another potential cause of a lift that will not operate is that the emergency stop button has been pushed in, which will immediately prevent the operation of the lift. This is a simple fix, as you will just  need to pull the emergency stop button back out to allow the lift to operate again.

Check Doors Are Fully Closed

Residential lifts will not operate if one of the doors is left open or even slightly ajar. This applies to both the door where you are entering the lift as well as the door or gate at the landing you intend to travel to. So, before trying to operate the lift, ensure that all doors and gates are completely closed.

Look For Obstructions

Another possible reason that your home lift will not operate is if there are any obstructions in the way. This is because lifts are designed to sense any obstructions below, halting travel downwards if detected as a safety precaution. However, if this is the case, the lift should still be able to travel back up to the original landing allowing for a safe exit.

Conduct a quick visual check to ensure that there are no obstructions below the platform of your lift. Note: this should be done from a safe distance. If you cannot locate any objects obstructing the descent of the lift, this can be ruled out as the cause of your lift’s inability to operate.

Check Power Supply

Next, ensure that your lift is still receiving power. A power outage or tripped fuse could be why your lift doesn’t appear to be working. Check that the lift is still receiving power before contacting your local lift technician for further assistance.

Call A Professional

After performing the above checks, it’s time to call in a professional. A residential lift should not be tampered with or worked on by any persons without the relevant training and experience required. Not only will this ensure that the warranty for your lift remains valid, it will also help to protect you and other household members from injury, as well as protecting your lift and home from accidental damage.

When it comes to home lifts, if in doubt, call a professional. Choose a lift company that offer round the clock service and troubleshooting to ensure that you are never left in the lurch. Axis Lifts are your local home lift experts, with a 24/7 service response team for all of your home lift needs. We offer quality home lift servicing and repairs at an affordable price Brisbane and Queensland wide. Call us today on 1300 002 947 for a free quote.