Caring for your stairlift is an important step on increasing the life of your stairlift. Keep reading to learn our top 10 tips on how to care for your stairlift.
At Superglide Stairlifts we’re always here to help you. From presale advice, throughout your installation and aftercare. All reconditioned stairlifts come with a complimentary 18 month warranty (2 years with new) which covers parts and labour. However, there are some things you can do to help get the most out of your stairlift and avoid unnecessary call-outs or fees.
We recommend organising a service of your stairlift once a year. A service charge works out less than 23p a day and is essential in keeping your stairlift running smoothly.
If you have one of our standard straight or curved stairlifts, here are our top 10 tips for how to care for your stairlift at home; keeping your stair lift in great condition.
1. Get rid of obstructions
It is very important to make sure your stairway is free of obstructions so that your stairlift can operate freely and other household members can safely use the stairs. This means tidying away all shoes, pet toys, paperwork etcetera off of the stairs so they cannot become lodged in the track or inside the working mechanism of the stairlift.
2. Keep your track clean and dry
You can use a small amount of furniture polish or similar gentle cleaning spray (applied to the cloth – not sprayed on the track) to clean along the track. This gets rid of lint, dust, grease and carbon build-up. Doing this prevents your stairlift from making any squeaking noises and also allows it to run more smoothly. Do not use WD-40, Vaseline or other petroleum-based lubricants on your track or within the racking (the length of teeth along the middle of your track).
3. Always leave your stairlift plugged in and switched on
It is always tempting to switch off your stairlift at night or when on holiday to save money. However, your stairlift only costs around £10 a year to run. This is much, much lower than the cost of other daily appliances such as your kettle. If you switch your stairlift off, the batteries will fail to charge and run flat. Once flat, your batteries will no longer hold a charge, even if you switch your stairlift back on, and they will need to be replaced. If you have to go on holiday/hospital, make sure to let your family, carer, housekeeper or anyone else entering your house how to care for your stairlift and help by not switching it off!
4. Run your lift weekly even if you don’t need to
If you own a stairlift but it is not used regularly, i.e. for guests or for a business; make sure you make an effort to run your stairlift up and down a few times, a couple of times a week.
5. Give some TLC to your remote controls
Make sure to look after the batteries in your remote control(s) too. If not used regularly, make sure to open your remote back to check for batteries leaking and/or loose springs. Taking care not to drop your remote control can prevent the springs from becoming loose and preventing intermittent remote problems.
6. Don’t overload your lift
Be aware of the maximum weight that your stairlift will take. Take care not to overload your lift. Only one person to ride your lift at any one time.
7. Clean up any liquids from your stairlift right away
We all have accidents from time to time. Should you or your pet leak onto your stairlift, make sure to clean and dry your spill immediately to prevent odour or damage to the lift.
8. Make sure your hinge/slide is all the way down
If you have a manual folding hinge on the track of your stairlift, make sure it is all the way down before attempting a journey. This is especially important with curved stairlifts, as many potential breakdowns (where the lift won’t run at all) turn out to be that the hinge isn’t all the way down!
9. Replace your remote batteries
Replace the batteries in your remotes when they no longer light up. Remotes normally take 9v batteries, AAs or AAAs. Ask your installer or check to see what batteries were supplied upon installation by sliding the back off the remote control.
10. Make sure your swivel is returned to the original position
Both manual and powered swivel options must be returned to their original seating position before attempting to descend the stairs. If you have a powered swivel, make sure to return it to this position at night using your remote control. Also make sure yourself or family members do not manually adjust the swivel position, as this will cause the chair to run out of sync and may require a call-out. This is recommended by the manufacturer.
Whether you’re a potential customer, a new customer or an old customer – you can give our friendly team a call on 01925 414771 for advice and assistance. We’ll be happy to help!
Don’t forget, if you have mobility issues or are having trouble following our tips above on how to care for your stairlift you can request a service of your stairlift at any time and we will do our best for you.
