Porch Lift Information

Porch lifts are mechanical devices for raising and lowering people using wheelchairs from one level to another. Normally these lifts are situated outdoors and are most common in residential settings but there are instances of them being installed indoors and/or in public or commercial buildings. Porch lifts can be used in either indoors or out and both residential and commercial applications although for commercial use extra safety devices and permits are often required.

How Porch Lifts Work

Porch lifts, also known as vertical platform lifts, consist of a platform which carries its users while it travels up and down a track or tower. The drive system is enclosed in a tower which stands on one side of the lift. The tower can be located on either side of the lift and some models can be switched in the field. There are two normal drive mechanisms for porch lifts - screw drives and hydraulic drives.

Screw Drives

The screw drive mechanism is simply a long threaded rod about 3/4" in diameter which is threaded through a housing attached to the platform. When the threaded rod is turned, the platform moves up or down depending on which way the threaded rod is turned.

This type of drive is simple, reliable, easy to repair and inexpensive as compared to a hydraulic drive system. The disadvantage is they are not practical for lifting heights over six feet.

Hydraulic Drives

A hydraulic drive porch lift consists of a hydraulic ram which moves a pair of cables attached to the platform through a couple of pulleys to lift and lower the platform. Due to the configurations of the cables and pulleys the platform will move twice the distance that the ram travels. This system is sometimes referred to as 2:1 roped hydraulics. A little more complicated than screw drives, some knowledge of hydraulics is required to do repairs.

Hydraulic drives are most common in lifts exceeding 4' of travel and do not require power to lower. They also tend to use less power, and often have a battery back up system, because the motor only has to run the hydraulic pump and is not used to actually push the platform.

Controls

All Porch lifts have a control which is accessible from the platform to operate the lift by the user. Normally you will find a pair of constant pressure push buttons (one for up and one for down), an emergency stop switch and a key lock to prevent unauthorized use on the platform control panel.

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 porch lift.

The odds are the lift will be left at the wrong level after use of the first user for access for subsequent users. It is also a good idea to leave the lift in the lowered position when not in use to prevent snow or debris from gathering under the lift. Snow or debris under the lift will activate the safety switches and prevent the lift from lowering.

Safety Devices

Porch lifts are fairly simple machines and there only a few things needed to make their use safe.

• One is the under platform safety pan (standard equipment on all porch lifts) which will stop the lift from lowering if it comes in contact with anything.
• A second item is a self-closing gate at the top level so no one will accidently fall of the upper level when the lift is in the lowered position. This item is usually created by the installers, a contractor or the homeowner and is an extra cost above the price of the porch lift.
• An automatic flap or gate on the open end of the platform to prevent a wheelchair from accidently rolling off the platform while in use or at the top level.
• Keyed controls are optional on most residential applications but required on commercial applications to prevent unauthorized use.
• Enclosures around the lift are usually required in commercial applications but optional on residential sites.

Commercial or Residential?

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.

• Ceiling Lifts
• Elevators
• Inclined Platform Lift
• Portable Ramps
• Permanent Ramps
• Porch Lifts
• Scooter Lifts
• Stair Lifts
• Van Lifts

Related Sites:

| AccessRamps.ca | Ceilinglift.ca | Liftchairs.ca | Patientlift.ca | Porchlift.ca | Scooterlifts.ca | Stairlift.ca | VanRamp.ca | Wheelchair.ca |

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