The recommendation for maintaining an annual stair lift service is specifically written into the Safety Standards for stairlifts, so it's strongly recommended that you have one done. There is a 24-point checklist to which all stairlift engineers should adhere to check the stairlifts over as detailed in the standards which we use on every stair lift service.

Additionally, our stairlift engineer will check your stairlift batteries too – so in our case it's a 25-point checklist, so you can assure that you're in safe hands. If your stairlift has experienced general wear due to heavy usage or is under contract with a housing association, you may need your stairlift servicing twice a year.

In the same way that you would arrange a service for a car to make sure it's roadworthy for your and others' safety, you would service both a brand new stairlift or reconditioned stairlifts to ensure that they are 'stairworthy'.

Through general wear and tear, working stairlift parts on many stairlifts can wear and bolts may not be as tight as they were on the day they were installed. It's important to ensure your stairlift is 'stairworthy', as it allows our stairlift engineers to carry out checks to see if any repairs are needed to try and prevent some problems with your stairlift that may arise in the future if it remains unchecked.

Included within your stairlift service contract, during your stairlift service, the stairlift seat bolts are checked as are the fixings to your stairs, and re-tightened where necessary by our engineers at no extra cost.

Each stairlift is fitted with safety circuits, in a service we check that they are working correctly at no extra stairlift service cost.

Our engineers also cover the safety edges that are fitted to the carriage (the part that attaches to your stairlift rail and the seat is fixed on to) and footrest.

By testing these safety edges work correctly through regular stairlift maintenance, we make sure that the stairlift is free from any crushing or trapping hazards. Your stairlift seatbelt will also be checked at no extra repair costs on a wide range of models.

Sometimes it's possible that through regular maintenance and servicing, faults and problems with your stairlift can be identified that you didn't even know about. No one wants a broken stairlift that might cause emergency breakdowns and call-outs.

Left unchecked or ignoring stairlift repairs, could cause the inconvenience of having emergency breakdowns and being without your stairlift for a short period of time.

For example, there are still a range of models that are old mains-only operated, however most makes of both straight stairlift and curved stairlifts are battery operated.

When you have your stairlift serviced by us, we do an additional check of the carriage battery voltages included within your stairlift repair.

If we identify that the batteries are running low on the repair, we would recommend they were replaced then and there as we provide spare parts.

This would avoid the stairlift batteries going totally flat in the future and having to wait for an engineer to come out to fix the problem. This will come with the additional cost of having a callout if you're not under a contract for stairlift repairs.

How you treat your stairlift reflects how long it will last, no matter the stairlift manufacturers. If your stairlift has regularly maintenance, services and cleaning, it is likely to last longer and require less repairs.

It's important to keep your stairlift clean; if dust and dirt builds up, it can leave black marks on your rail (particularly noticeable if you have a light cream rail). The black marks are compacted dust which the carriage rollers gather up as they go up and down your stairs. Because of this, the rollers can deteriorate quicker over time, requiring a stairlift repair.

As well as dust, if you have pets, their hairs can also go on the rail and transfer onto the rollers and clog up your stairlift. A weekly maintenance of light dusting of your lift (whilst it's not in operation) is recommended. We also undertake an annual clean as part of your service.

Our engineers have a stock of the stairlift rail cleaner we use on their vans, which is available to purchase if you wanted to use the same cleaner. For more details on maintenance and how to clean your model, visit our article and see our instructional video here

We've heard reports of some engineers in the UK servicing a stairlift with a clipboard – i.e. just a checklist and no tools. When having your stairlift serviced, it should really be opened up to have a thorough checkover.

We've also seen customers try and maintain their own stairlifts by applying substances such as WD-40, oil, and grease to their stairlifts. This is not needed and can make your stairlift worse. By having your stairlift serviced by a professional, you can ensure that your stairlift is going to last and continue to work as it should.