Approximately half of all lifts in the UK are more than 30 years old, and for lift and building owners and operators, it poses the question of what to do with old lifts, whether to replace or to refurbish.

The question of ensuring lifts are fit for purpose has recently been of relevance, with the recent inquiry to the tragic Grenfell Tower disaster, with a former lift engineer for Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation stating that none of the lifts in the building met required firefighting standards, according to Inside Housing.

What does lift refurbishment actually mean?

When something is restored to an ‘as new’ condition we can say it has been refurbished. Worn out equipment is simply replaced like for like and nothing more. If lift components and lift equipment are replaced in this way, this is not considered an upgrade.

The replaced components will function as the originals were designed to do, and could include replacement or refurbishment of bearings, lift motors, doors, or lift interiors.

With any such changes to a lift, it will still perform as it was designed to do, and performance and reliability will be improved, but it does mean there will be no change in the level of safety.

There are many good reasons to go further than simply replacing like-for-like, for example, to improve the lift ride and floor levelling, or to improve on lift energy consumption.

Replacing an old lift motor with a similar or equivalent model would be a refurbishment, but replacing it with a modern variable speed motor would constitute an upgrade.

It is important for lift owners and operators to consider all the options rather than simply replacing components with like-for-like.

If you’re looking for lift refurbishment companies, talk to us today and we can advise on all the options available to you.