Installing Your Own Stairlift

There are no great mysteries installing your own stairlift. If you are at all mechanically inclined it can be fairly easy. You can save a great deal of money doing it yourself and, depending on the model, it is no more difficult than changing a tire on your car. Some stairlifts can be very complicated so if you are going to install one yourself, purchase one that is designed for the do-it-yourself market. You will probably hear from the armchair lawyers about the liability and the safety aspect of installing your own. Is it any different than the backyard mechanics who work on their cars? They regularly repair drive-train and braking systems and feel completely confident returning to the road. A mistake here can endanger themselves as well as anyone in their path if they don't know what they are doing. If you don't feel confident in your ability to install a stairlift - don't do it. The inherant safety built into allmost all stairlifts today minimizes the chances of anything going awry. Purchase a stairlift that has comprehensive installation instructions. Follow the instructions closely and get help if you are not sure. If you intend to purchase a used stairlift and install it yourself, read my blog entries on Used Stairlifts and Measuring Your Stairs. For the best deal on install-yourself stairlifts go to www.stairliftsdirect.ca/

Purchasing a new Stairlift

There are many good and reliable stairlifts on the market today. Features that are common to almost all of them are as follows:

• track mounts to the stair tread, not the wall.
• the seat rotates away from the stairs at the top landing.
• the seat, armrests and footrest fold up when not in use.
• call/send stations at both landings.
• user sits facing across the stairs.
• seat belt equipped.
• obstruction sensors on edge of footrest, top and bottom of carriage.
• stairlift won't run when seat is rotated.
• up and down control located on armrest.

The features that distinquish one from the other are as follows:

• some stairlift seats rotate at the bottom landing as well as the top. In most cases this is not a required feature.
• most brands have wireless hand held remote controls but some have hardwired wall mounted controls.
• a lot of newer designs are rack and pinion drive however cable and chain drive models are still available mostly in specialty models.
• carrying capacity of most units is 300 lbs, but some are available as heavy duty models with a capacity of 350 or 400 lbs.
• outside models available from some manufacturers.

A misconception exists regarding AC and DC models of stairlifts. AC models run on house current and are connected through a travelling cable to your house power. DC models are battery operated and are either connected through a travelling cable to a battery charger or connected to their charger at either end of the track. There is nothing wrong with either design. The AC model ceases operating when house power is lost. If the user is unable to get off the unit part way up the stairs then, perhaps the DC model would be a better choice. However, the DC model requires battery replacement from time to time. Some people find this a disadvantage and prefer not to rely on batteries. It is a matter of choice.

Before you buy, do your homework. Check out all the manufacturers' websites. The following is a list of the most common stairlifts available on the Canadian market:

• www.acornstairlifts.ca/
• www.ameriglide.com/
• www.bisonbede.co.uk/
• www.brunostairlifts.com/
• www.rutherfordindependence.com/
• www.savaria.com/
• www.stannah.com/us/
• www.sterling-stairlifts.com/
• www.tkaccess.com/

Don't buy features you don't need. Stay with the mainstream, parts and service are more readily available. Purchase a known brand. Know who you are buying from. Purchase from an authorized distributor. If you require a custom fitted rail, get at least two quotes. For the best price on the world's best selling stairlift go to www.stairliftsdirect.ca/

Used Curved Stairlifts - Custom Rail Stairlifts

If your stairs are not straight, meaning a turn in the stairs, an intermediate landing or spiral stairs your only option is a custom manufactured stairlift, or if possible, two or more stairlifts. Turns and spirals are very expensive to manufacturer but may be your only option. Most of the cost is the fabrication of the custom track. If you are considering buying a used stairlift of this type, be very careful because the chances of the track fitting your stairs is very unlikely. Many staircases are built to fit the house and will vary from house to house, even houses from the same blueprint. Replacing the track will cost almost as much as starting from scratch. If your stairs have a 90 degree or 180 degree turn with a landing in between, installing two straight rail stairlifts is much less expensive than a custom curved stairlift.
Models you are likely to see on the used stairlift market are as follows:
Bruno: The Electra-ride III has been on the market for approx. 10 years. Very well built and configured to almost any shape of stairway. Battery driven.
Concord: The Liberty re-s and the lx were both available in curved models. Discontinued in the late 90's. See my Blog entry on used Concord stairlifts. AC model only.
Access Industries: The Stairglide was and still is available in a curved model, see my Blog entry under Access Industries. AC model only.
Stannah: Track consists of a double tubular configuration. British made. Not familiar with Stannah.
Savaria: Stairfriend, double square stock rail, not a big seller. Battery driven. Still available.
Savaria and Concord have merged.
For the best deal on stairlifts go to www.stairliftsdirect.ca

Used Stairlift Models - Acorn

The Acorn Superglide 120 has only been around in large quantities for about five years. So any used Acorn should be in good condition. The Superglide is a rack and pinion, straight rail, battery driven stairlift with a good track record for reliability. Clean and simple it is easy to install and is virtually maintenance free except for battery replacement. Available in LH and RH models they are not reversible. Replacement parts and track are readily available. Although made in the UK they are marketed widely in both the US and Canada. The Superglide was updated in 2006, the newer unit being referred to as the "slimline" model. Neither track nor any components are interchageable with the older version. Like any used stairlift, make sure there is enough track with the unit you are purchasing to fit your stairs. Replacement track could be too costly to make the deal worthwhile. The Acorn requires approx. 10 inches of track overrun on the upper landing. Any shorter and the seat height may be inadequate. Although rare, the Superglide was available in outside model and heavy duty model. Overall, the Acorn Superglide is a great buy whether new or used. For the best deal on stairlifts go to www.stairliftsdirect.ca

Used Stairlift Models - Access Industries

Access Industries has produced many different stairlifts over the years and continue to change and evolve. Purchased by ThyssenKrupp, product lines were merged, some units discontinued and several models combined into one. The models you are likely to discover on the used stairlift market are as follows:
Stairglide: a model based on the design of the Concord Liberty (formerly Cheney), this unit is an AC rack and pinion model on an I-beam rail. It was available on straight rail or curved. It is still in production so parts are readily available. Good quality, reliable and rugged, it was available as an outside model as well as a commercial model. It cannot be switched from side to side.
Silverglide: this is a cable drive model, very basic unit, no electronics but very reliable and rugged. It is still in production today as a heavy duty model. It is straight rail stairlift only but is reversible from side to side. It is an AC unit but was available with battery backup.
Excel: rack and pinion drive, this unit was available in AC and DC models. However the DC models had a travelling cable that kept it connected to its charger at all times. Clean and attractive, it is a good buy as a used unit. Recently discontinued, but track and parts still available. Reversible from side to side.
Select: a very basic, low cost rack and pinion stairlift, available in AC or DC it was recently discontinued but a good buy as a used stairlift. The track on this unit looks identical to the Excel track but don't try to mix them because the gear rack inside the track is different. Reversible from side to side.
Newer models by ThyssenKrupp Access Industries include the Citia, a knockoff of the Select with a multitude of seat options. Their newest curved stairlift, the Flow is very inventive, sophisticated and pricey. The track consists of a single tube that can be formed to fit any staircase. The Arrow, a straight rail stairlift inherited during the merger with ThyssenKrupp, was discontinued shorty after. For the best deal on stairlifts go to www.stairliftsdirect.ca

Used Stairlift Models - Bruno

The most common models by Bruno on the used stairlift circuit are the SRE-1500 and the SRE-1540 & 1550. The SRE-1500 is identified by its grey colour and rounded cover over the motor. This unit was discontinued in the late 90's, replaced by the SRE-1540 and the SRE-1550. In most cases these units were sandy/beige in colour. The SRE-1550 (Electra-ride II) is still in production however the internal electronics have been upgraded. The SRE-1540 was similar to the SRE-1550 except with a wider seat. Most SRE-1500 are reaching the end of their expected life and I would be hesitant to purchase this unit. Again, finding additional track could be a challange. The wheel bearings on this product were the most common failing item. If they have never been replaced chances are they need to be. The SRE-1550 is a good purchase as a used unit. Well built and reliable, a great improvement over the SRE-1500. Track is still available from the manufacturer as well as replacement parts.
Another model by Bruno you may run across is the SRE-2700 (Electra-ride Lite) a scaled down version of the SRE-1550, this unit uses the same track. Again reliability making it a worthwhile purchase. All these Bruno models are battery operated (DC), are reversible from side to side and the SRE-1550 can be adjusted to fit a 51 degree stairway.
Newer models include the SRE-2000, SRE-2000E (Exterior model), SRE-2750 and the CRE-2100 (Curved). For the best deal on stairlifts go to www.stairliftsdirect.ca

Measuring Your Stairs

If you are considering purchasing a used stairlift, measuring your stairs may be the most important thing you can do in advance. If the stairlift you are considering does not have enough track to fit your stairs think again. Proper length of track is important. It allows the stairlift to reach a proper seat height at the top of the stairs and allows the stairlift to clear the last stair at the bottom. If either end is compromised, an unsafe condition is created.
Measurement is simple. Stand at the top of the stairs and run your tape measure down the stair noses until it touches the lower landing. From there to the top stair nose is the length of your stairs. The track should be this long plus the overrun required for the model in mind. This overrun varies between make and model and can vary from three inches to fourteen inches.
Stair width is important as well. If the stairs are too narrow the stairlift may block the stairs for non-users. Most new stairlifts fold up to 13-14 inches however some older models are wider. If the stairs are less than 30 inches wide the users knees may rub on the other side of the stairs. If a handrail exists on the side you want to mount the stairlift, you should consider removing it or moving it to the other side.
If you are purchasing a new stairlift this measurement is just as important. Most new stairlifts come with up to 16 feet of track, enough to do the average stairs. However, more and more new homes are being built with 9 and 10 foot ceilings making stairs several feet longer. If your stair measurement is greater than 15 feet you may require longer rail or a rail extension kit. These are available with new stairlifts but of course the price is greater.
Stair angle may be a factor with older homes. Most stairlifts will adjust to stairs with an angle up to 45 degrees. If your stairs are angled greater then your options are limited but there are stairlifts that will adjust to 51 degrees. Most stairs built today are angled between 35 and 40 degrees. For the best deal on stairlifts go to www.stairliftsdirect.ca