Stairlifts can provide a vital mobility aid in houses, but it’s important that these mechanical products are kept in tip-top condition so that they continue to function as required.
As with any piece of equipment that has moving parts, and especially those which are motorised, keeping them well maintained is the secret to ensuring that they remain in perfect working order.
Knowing how to maintain your stairlift can be hard if you’ve got no previous mechanical or maintenance experience yourself. However, once you know some of the simple tips to follow, it’s pretty easy and just about anyone can do it.
So, here are some top tips for how to keep your stairlift in perfect working order. And remember to always perform these tasks when the stairlift chair is at the bottom of the stairs and powered off.
Always Read The Manual
Before attempting any maintenance or cleaning of your stairlift, you should make sure that you spend time reading the manual that was provided with your stairlift. This will probably provide specific maintenance instructions, giving you a list of tasks that you should and should not attempt to perform.
Clean It Regularly
Cleaning your stairlift is absolutely vital from a maintenance point of view, and many would argue from a hygiene point of view as well. In terms of keeping it in good working order, a regular dust is very important.
You can use a slightly damp cloth on the seat as well as the rail itself to remove any dust. Ideally, do this once a week at least as it will prevent any dust build-ups and subsequent mechanical problems that it can create.
Lubrication
Lubricating the track of a stairlift periodically is very important. Always do this after you have cleaned it, ensuring no carbon or dust build-ups exist. It will only ever need lubricating every 2-3 months at a minimum. It’s important to only apply a very small amount of lubricant to the track and DO NOT APPLY any at all to the chain.
The idea of lubricating the track is to ensure the continue to roll – we do not want to make it so slippery that they slide.
Lubricating your stairlift can be quite fiddly, so if you’re aged or suffer with issues in the joints of your hands, it’s probably a good idea to ask a friend or relative to help you with this.
Regular Servicing
Whether you buy your stairlift new or second-hand, you will almost certainly be offered some sort of service plan for it. It’s highly-recommended that you take this out and receive annual checks at the very least.
This means that a professional and experienced engineer will visit you every 12 months to inspect the equipment and perform maintenance tasks to ensure everything remains in full working order.
Avoid Solvents & Bleach
Whatever you do, you should never use any solvents, bleach or other home cleaning products on your stairlift. Stick to a damp cloth at the most – this will remove the dust, carbon and dirt build-ups.
Using bleaches or solvents can damage the equipment and potentially void your warranty, leaving you with an unsafe and very expensive problem on your hands.
If In Doubt, Speak To An Expert
If you cannot perform maintenance tasks yourself, or if you have any doubts whatsoever about what you are trying to do (or should be doing), then it’s best to speak to a professional about your stairlift.
These are expensive and complicated pieces of machinery that take care of your safety and mobility – do not risk damaging them by performing tasks that you’re not sure about.
Our Professional Maintenance & Servicing
Our team has a wealth of experience when it comes to cleaning, maintaining and servicing stairlifts. If you would like us to service yours, or if you have a question you want answering, why not contact us today as we will be only too happy to help.
You can call us direct on 0151 525 3610 or alternatively, you can complete our quick enquiry form here and one of our friendly team will be more than happy to call you back at a time convenient for you.