Once installed, a passenger lift solution can often last a long time, with some lifts lasting years if not decades when carefully installed, regularly maintained, and consistently repaired when issues begin to emerge.
The average expected lifespan of a lift is 25 years, although this can vary up to a decade either way depending on how it is used, where it is installed and how effectively it is maintained.
However, much like with other vital parts of your building such as heating, lighting and automatic doors, there will come a tipping point where a lift system becomes obsolete without modernisation.
An excellent example of this happening can be seen with the digital switchover of public telephone lines, which has the unintentional consequence of also making some older emergency lift phones unusable.
This is an extreme example, but how do you know when your lift is obsolete? Here are some common signs that your lift is no longer fit for purpose in its current form.
Are Lift Repairs More Frequent And More Expensive?
Lifts rely on a lot of moving parts, with cables, gears, pulley systems and hydraulics often inherently being placed under significant strain to ensure that lift cabs and their occupants are safely ferried from floor to floor.
Regular inspections can often spot potential issues ahead of time, but if you are noticing more breakdowns and more costly repairs due to the difficulty in sourcing parts, it may be the case that your lift is becoming obsolete.
Has The Lift Ride Quality Changed?
A lift should be relatively smooth in operation from when the door shuts and it starts moving to when it stops and the doors reopen.
If you are noticing juddering or a bumpy ride, this is a clear sign that something has gone wrong.
Does Your Lift Still Meet Changing Standards?
Over the years, building regulations change to meet evolving safety, security and energy efficiency needs. Whilst many lifts have a degree of futureproofing, the digital telephone switchover highlights the vulnerability these systems have to changing standards.