Why do we need a lift?

As time progresses, human beings are becoming more and more dependent on technology. Sadly, one of the very few disadvantages of this is that we are turning out to be lesser active with respect to physical abilities. 20-25 years ago there used to be G+4 apartments without lifts and people used to manage pretty well getting up and down using the stairs but things are somewhat different now.

Also, since average human lifespan is increasing day by day, which is also sadly true that the span of ‘youth’ is not getting increased, rather the ‘old-age’ is.

So, lifts are becoming quite a necessity for us if we stay in an apartment of at least G+3 storied high. It has become a silent necessity of life which we don’t realize unless one fine morning we find out the lift is out of order and we have to travel from the ground to the top floor.

What is a ‘good lift‘ OR what should we expect from a lift?
A good lift should serve a building at least 15 years without any hassle. We expect our lift to be smooth, without any jerk. It should be noise-free and should operate with minimum breakdown.

What is the difference between single-speed lift and variable-speed lift, which one is the better option?
Frankly speaking, single-speed lifts are obsolete technology and shouldn’t have used till date. In a single-speed lift,floor levels are sensed using reed switches and the machine is stopped by applying the brake which causes the machine to suddenly stop resulting in a sudden jerk. This also results in inaccurate leveling during floor stop due to inertia.

On the other hand, in case of variable speed lift, a special device called VVVF (Variable Voltage Variable Frequency) drive is installed inside the control unit which regulates the speed of the machine.
In this case, whenever a reed switch is sensed by the controller, the drive automatically decelerates the lift by reducing the speed of the motor which causes the lift to be stopped accurately.

So, it is obvious that a variable speed lift has better riding comfort, smooth acceleration and deceleration of the machine which means longer machine life, accurate leveling and last but not the least, a variable speed lift require almost half power to operate than a single speed counterpart.

How should be the after-sales service of a lift?
Like any other appliances/commodities, a lift should be selected by keeping in mind the after sales service of the manufacturer. We should remember that the lift industry is not a product industry; it’s actually a service industry. The manufacturer of the lift should provide monthly maintenance and should attend to any breakdown call within a couple of hours during normal business hours.

There is basically no point in installing a lift if the manufacturer has poor track record in terms of service.

Are we aware that the lifts that we use are actually ‘safety-lifts’?
Till the eighteenth to early nineteenth century, the lifts didn’t have any safety mechanism. In case of rope failure, the lifts used to crash-land killing or critically injuring the passengers inside.

In 1853, a gentleman name Elisha Otis solved the problem of rope failure by installing a rope-break safety device which has evolved to become modern safety gear. Needless to say, all the lifts that are manufactured nowadays should have this installed and in a working condition. Sadly but truly there still exists a class of lift manufacturers who don’t install the safety mechanism and are concerned with their own profit thus putting the lives of the passengers in danger.