What are the common signs of issues with lifts?
What are the early signs of lift failure
You do not need to be an expert in lifts, with knowledge about how they work, to see signs that might give rise to a lift breakdown.
Look for something out of the ordinary, particularly with the operation. Lifts are machines with many electro-mechanical components that are designed to operate consistently. Many components don’t fail suddenly and degrade over time. Mechanical moving components become worn with use. A good example of this is doors which, have many moving parts. Statistically over half the breakdowns on lifts are caused by a fault with the doors. So, if you see the doors perhaps, juddering a little, or becoming a little noisy, or operating slowly, or maybe they close, then re-open again finally closing before the lift moves off. Then, that could well be an early sign of a fault about to happen.
The other thing to keep an eye and ear! on, is the quality of the ride.
- How is the acceleration and deceleration and overall ride quality?
It should be smooth, with no abruptness.
- How is the starting and stopping?
Again, this should be a smooth and, pretty seamless transition from moving to stopping and stopping to starting to move.
- Does the lift stop precisely at floor level?
It should stop within nor more than 6-10 mm from the car to the landing.
- Are they any unusual sounds during the ride such as knocking or scraping?
- Are there any undue vibrations during the ride of during the opening and closing of the doors?
If you notice any of these issues with your lift, then get in touch with your maintenance company and let them know.
What can you do to prevent a break-down of a lift
We mentioned a few pointers above to be aware of. Hopefully, the maintenance company will attend and rectify the issue, preventing a potential break-down.
Other than this, the lift should used as it was designed for. With no what the lift industry term ss ‘mis-use-and-abuse’. Some classic examples of this are when delivery people, or cleaners wedge the doors open (or put something to block them) whilst they clean the lift car or move some goods. Regularly doing this is a sure-fire way to knock the doors out of adjustment with the potential for a break-down down the line.
The lift should of course be adequately maintained. And the quality, or not, of the maintenance will affect the reliability. Things to consider are the frequency of maintenance visits (often monthly, but not always), the duration of visit and what the visit includes.
How can lift surveys help with identifying issues with lift operation?
We have a range of lifts surveys that can assist you with reducing the break-downs and improving the reliability.
If could be that the lift is quite old and has worn and possibly obsolete components. A lift Condition Survey is a comprehensive assessment of the lift, checking the condition and life expectancy of all key components.
A Lift Maintenance Evaluation as, the name suggests, is more focused on the level of maintenance. This survey will identify where there are maintenance deficiencies and where improvements need to be made.
A Lift Reliability Review is a type or survey that involves taking a more focused look at particular causes of unreliability. The report will explain the causes and give a list of actions that need to be taken to address the issue(s).
More information about lift surveys can be found on the links below
Lift Surveys, lift Audits and lift Inspections
What are the different types of lift surveys?
