What to do if your Stairlift Breaks Down

There is nothing worse than finding out that your stairlift has stopped working when you need it most, especially if you rely on it for daily use because of your physical limitations. Such expensive equipment can be a pain to replace, and calling out an engineer can mean that you have to wait around all day to have someone visit.

Before you pick up the phone to call out the engineer, take a look at the list of checks to make below. These are simple fixes you can make yourself; obvious ways to ensure you aren’t calling out and engineer by mistake and giving you the independence to use your stairlift once more.

Power – If your stairlift runs from a battery that charges at a specific point, then you might want to check your charge. If you don’t have enough, that could be the reason the stairlift has stopped. This can occur when the chair has been left away from the charging end too long, or if there has been a power cut, depriving your chair of battery life. You’ll need to recharge your stairlift, and this can take some time, but at least you know how to avoid the problem in future.

Chair – The chair needs to be upright in order to use it, which could be a reason you aren’t getting anywhere. Be sure that you get the chair back firmly upright and try to use it again. As discussed in the previous point your chair needs to be at the charging in end, so make sure you leave it there if you aren’t planning to use it for a while.

Obstructions – It’s more common than you’d think to find that there is something blocking the progress of your chair up the rail. This can be something lodged behind between the rail and the wall, tangled around the base of the chair or just generally obstructing the chair. Check that there is nothing which the chair can bump into and remove it; this should help get things back on track.

Controls – Just like your television remote, your chairlift remote – if operated by one – can grow legs of its own to go walking around on. Often it can be a plaything for little ones or can be mistaken for the television remote and lost in the sofa. If the buttons get stuck or are pressed in a permanent state, this could be the reason your chair refuses to move or remains unresponsive.

Locks – Often with modern stairlifts, there are precautions put into place to ensure that your stairlift isn’t played with by children, keeping them safe from harm as well as the stairlift. Check to see if your lift has been set into a locked mode or, if it needs a key to start, ensure you have the key. The lock mode could be the reason your stairlift has stopped working, but it’s easily rectified.

If your stairlift has stopped working and none of the above advice works or applies to you, then get in touch with us at Ideas in Action. We have over 40 years of experience in repairs and maintenance of mobility aids such as stairlifts, and our engineers will be happy to help get you moving again in your home.