Stair lifts are mechanical devices for carrying people who have difficulties using stairs up an down a staircase. They are normally designed for straight stairways but can be ordered to accommodate stairways with curves, landings and overruns. Stair lifts are most popular in residential applications but some models can be modified for commercial use or be installed outdoors.
While stair lifts are great products for people who have difficulty with stairs they are of limited use to people confined to wheelchairs. Transfers from wheelchairs to stair lifts is often difficult and there has to be another wheelchair at the other end of the lift to transfer into. Most manufacturers recommend their products for people who are able to stand.
Stair lifts are simply a chair with a motor mounted in the base which will travel along a track or rail mounted to the steps of a staircase.
Most stair lifts today employ a rack & pinion drive which consist of a geared pinion mounted to the base of the chair that meshes with a geared rack which is mounted to the rail.
An older system, which a few stair lifts still use, relies on steel cables spooled in the chair's base which is attached to a motor to move the chair up and down the track.
The advantage of the rack & pinion drive system is they can be used for curved staircases, staircases with landings and overruns where cable systems are restricted to straight staircases.
With the battery powered rack & pinion drive systems now used by most stir lifts they can be ordered to fit a multitude of layouts and lengths. Below is a list of the more common configurations possible:
All stair lifts have a rocker switch control which is normally mounted on the arm of the chair. Some models also employ a keyed lockout switch to prevent unauthorized use.
Remote switches can also be ordered as options on most models and are referred to as call/send switches. They can be ordered in pairs or one only and can be key operated depending on the situation. These call/send switches are really a necessity in situations where there are more than one user using the stair lift. The odds are the lift will be left at the wrong level after use of the first user for access for subsequent users and the call/send will allow the users to call the lift to them or send it to the other end of the stairs.
Stair lifts have both built-in and optional safety devices and features. Below is a list of the more common ones:
Although local bylaws may differ, the general rule of thumb is that an application is considered residential if the dwelling is a single family unit without regular public access. Everything else would be considered commercial use. There are some grey areas and some have tried to argue these areas.
One grey area is an apartment building where a lift installed inside an individual's apartment is residential but elsewhere in the building to get to the apartment is commercial in spite of the fact that no one else would use the lift.
Another grey area is a house where a couple of unrelated disabled people share the expenses might be considered residential but if the building owner or lease holder rents living space to unrelated disabled people it might be considered commercial.
The only truly safe way of knowing whether your application is commercial or residential and what the local requirements are is to contact you local municipal building inspection department or local professionals who deal with these issues regularly.
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