To put it mildly, poor residential and retail lift maintenance can have a significant negative impact on safety, productivity, customer satisfaction, and production.
There are approximately 325 million elevator rides every day, which means a lift owner will have a lot of people’s safety in their hands when the public use passenger lifts.
Lift engineers and lift maintenance companies are the only group that has a thorough understanding of lift maintenance, and they are the best people to ask for advice on how to maintain a lift in the best shape.
In light of this, we’ve compiled the best maintenance advice from lift specialists. Read our practical guide below to learn how you can reduce your lift maintenance costs.
What is lift maintenance?
Keeping the exterior clean is typically a must for maintaining passenger lifts, especially if you have external platform lifts. This procedure stops the doors from becoming stuck while they are open. Another essential maintenance procedure is the proper operation of passenger lifts.
The way that lifts were intended to be used should be followed which means it is best to avoid overcrowding because it accelerates component wear. Similar to how it causes rapid lift failure, it endangers user safety and reduces the life expectancy of the lift.
All moveable parts of a lift must be lubricated, and adjustments must be made to ensure peak performance. It is advisable to use a lift maintenance service provider for the job since they have the knowledge to identify and document any flaws in the system and to provide the appropriate advice.
How much maintenance will a lift require?
The level of maintenance needed for each lift varies, just like for a car. It will rely on a number of variables, such as:
- the quality of the original lift equipment e.g. lift car, lift shaft.
- age
- level of use
- type of use
Due to the more durable nature of its components, a well-installed strongly engineered lift will often require less preventative maintenance than a value engineered installation in a similar operating environment. Similar to how a lift gets older and its parts start to wear out and age, an older lift is likely to need a little more maintenance than a new lift to prevent breakdowns and reliability problems.
An electric traction passenger lift that is brand-new can last for about 20 years. But maintaining it at a reasonable level over the course of its whole working life is what will make sure it is dependable for that long.
How to reduce lift maintenance costs
Unexpected lift repairs are a burden on any facility’s budget. If a failure does occur, businesses require repairs to be made as soon as possible to get them back up and running. If the time lift systems aren’t working, it could wind up costing the company a lot of money. Here are a few pointers for reducing elevator maintenance costs:
Inspections
Regular lift inspections are crucial to avoid expensive breakdowns that could wind up costing your company money and valuable time, as well as to ensure the safety of your staff and guests by complying to LOLER lifting regulations.
Companies who skip lift inspections or their lift service in an effort to save money may end up paying significantly more for repairs and safety fines. Plan ahead a year in advance for these checks to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
These inspections will cover things like emergency phone lights and communications, machine room and pit housing, signage, GFCI outlets and more.
Lift modernisation
Due to the architecture of the current installation or surrounding environment, building work requirements, and associated expenses, complete replacement of a lift is frequently impractical. In these situations, modernization could be able to take advantage of the most recent technological advancements and update the design of your lift with less hassle and at a lower cost.
The most frequent reasons for lift breakdowns are outdated and unstable lift components, which may require costly repairs and downtime. However, replacing these parts along with routine maintenance will reduce lift downtime and, more crucially, deliver improved reliability and lower operating costs.
Lift service contract
Most lift providers offer various levels of service contracts, and your unique requirements can be explored before signing a service contract.
An elevator service contract is extremely useful if you own a lift in residential or commercial buildings, as problems can be identified before they inevitably get worse and need costly repairs.
Every contract should stipulate frequent maintenance visits, during which a lift engineer will check, lubricate, clean and tune all pertinent parts for best operation. Any time a site visit occurs, a report detailing the work done is given to the lift owner.
Self diagnosis
It’s not necessary to be a lift technician to perform routine visual inspections of your lift systems. Your facilities manager may give your lift systems routine weekly lift maintenance checks to avoid costly service calls and serious damage with a little guidance from your lift company.
Looking for expert lift maintenance and lift installation to reduce your costs?
If you need expert lift upgrading, installation, or maintenance services, the professionals at Future Lift Services in Essex and London can help.
Our expert lift engineers have years of experience in the field, and we offer a comprehensive range of lift services to meet your specific needs.
We can help you maintain the efficiency and smooth operation of your lifts while also assisting you in making the most cost-effective possible servicing cost savings.
This includes lift modernisation & refurbishment , installation, servicing, and maintenance.
Lift maintenance costs FAQs
Who is responsible for lift maintenance?
The owner of the building is in charge of making sure that the lifts are maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s standards and supervised by a trained lift maintenance specialist. If the owner is aware of or has cause to suspect that repairs are required, they are carried out by a qualified repair specialist.
Is lift maintenance statutory?
According to the LOLAR 1998 laws, if you own, manage, or have authority over a lift in the workplace, you must make sure that it goes through a comprehensive inspection on a regular basis. This is done to make sure the machinery is secure for operation. A ‘competent individual’ must conduct the examination.
Why do lifts need maintenance?
For instance, an electrical failure in a badly maintained elevator could affect lighting, ventilation, control, or door operation. The best method to lower the chance of component breakdown is to have your lift routinely serviced, which of course improves safety and reduces the chances of costly repairs down the line.