When it comes to our loved ones and important decisions concerning their health, well-being, and safety, you never want to be left in the dark.
We get it.
This is exactly why Acorn Stairlifts makes it a point to stay right by your side every step of the way in taking your life to the next level with one of our life-changing lifts.
We are here to light the way by answering any and all of your questions so that we will always leave you with the complete confidence that your loved ones are only receiving the best stairlifts and service.
Welcome to our new segment of Acorn Stairlift FAQ of the Week: The Acorn assurance that every customer deserves –answers to all of your most frequently asked questions –so that you never feel left in the dark again.
This week, our FAQ revolves around a topic that Acorn takes very seriously—Safety.
Read on to learn how much Acorn cares about safety, separating us from the chairlift crowd and allowing us to soar above all other companies in our industry.
The Acorn Stairlift FAQ of the Week
Are stairlifts safe?
When installed by professionals in the stairlift industry who you can trust, stairlifts are extremely safe.
We are those people you can trust.
Acorn knows our customers are precious cargo—They are our priceless loved ones we want to protect and the reason why we are so passionate about providing people with only the best stairlifts and service.
Your safety is one of our top priorities here at Acorn Stairlifts, which is why we strive to develop superior stairlifts specifically designed to keep your loved ones safe and secure.
All Acorn employees are what we like to call “stairlift experts” who are thoroughly trained to preserve, service, and install all makes and models of our high-quality stairlifts.
What Safety Features Does an Acorn Stairlift Include?
Lockable Swivel Seats and Secure Safety Belts
Our motto at Acorn is always safety first.
This is why all of our stairlifts are equipped with a convenient swivel seat that allows users to safely and easily enter or exit the chair.
This swivel seat is operated by a lever and designed to lock securely into the straight or swivelled position so it stays firmly in place while you’re in motion, mounting, and dismounting the stairlift chair.
The large, easy-to-use paddles that operate its lockable swivel function are located on both sides of the seat so you can use whichever hand you prefer, easily operating the stairlift, even if you have Arthritis.
Once turned, the swivel seat also acts as a safety barrier at the top of the stairs.
Additionally, all of our stairlifts are also equipped with a simple, easy-to-use, retractable safety belt, which works just like the one in your car and ensures that the stairlift user is securely buckled in any time the stairlift is in motion.
Reliable backup battery
Early stairlifts drew power directly from the main source, but Acorn pioneered the use of powerful rechargeable batteries located in the stairlift carriage. They are automatically recharged whenever your stairlift is ‘parked’ at the top or bottom of the stairs.
This means our stairlifts will still operate, even if there’s a power cut or if a safety ‘trip switch’ is activated in your fuse box. Because the power comes from the batteries and not the main supply, your Acorn stairlift will keep running, and you’ll never be stranded on the stairs. These batteries make our stairlifts very economical to run, only drawing main power to ‘top up’ the batteries as needed.
Smart Stairlift Sensors
In order to ensure a safe, smooth, uninterrupted ride on your stairlift, it is important that all obstructions on the stairs are removed beforehand.
However, in the case that there is an obstruction left behind, Acorn stairlifts are equipped with multiple sensors fitted to the footrest and carriage itself.
Children and pets often leave things on the stairs that you may not notice that your stairlift will detect.
Your stairlift’s sensors automatically cut off power if they detect any obstruction in its path of travel, such as anything inadvertently left on the stairs.
Even if you accidentally drop something while riding on the stairlift, such as a handbag or walking stick, your stairlift will sense these objects.
The moment your sensors detect any obstacle blocking the way, they will automatically bring the stairlift to a smooth stop. Once the obstacle has been removed, the stairlift’s journey can be safely resumed.
Simple Diagnostic Display
All of our stairlifts come with a helpful diagnostic display as a norm, which can be found on the stairlift carriage. The following display panel shows you the current status of your stairlift. However, it can also alert you to any potential problems. For example, you could run into being alerted for some of the following reasons:
- The programmed stopping position has been overrun
- Not ‘parking’ your stairlift on a charging point when not in use
- The seat is not properly in the travelling position
- When the leveling system is overreacting
Between reading the display and referring to our user guide, you will be able to diagnose any minor faults. You'll rectify many of them through your own stairlift troubleshooting.
Convenient Folding Footrest and Optional Stairlift Hinged Rail
If others living in (or visiting) your home will be going up and down the stairs on foot, then you need to consider their safety too. Trying to squeeze around a bulky stairlift could make them more likely to lose their footing on the stairs, especially if the staircase is narrow.
For everyone’s safety, all Acorn Stairlift carriages have arms, seats, and footrests that fold up neatly out of the way when not in use. This makes our stairlifts among the slimmest profile models on the market.
In some settings, the bottom of a straight stairlift rail (at the foot of the stairs) might cause a trip hazard where it protrudes into a passageway.
To overcome this, Acorn offers the option of a short-hinged section at the foot of the rail, which can be manually or electrically folded up out of the way when the stairlift is not in use.
Want to learn more about stairlift safety? Read Acorn Stairlifts’ safety tips here.
Why Can I Confidently Put My Trust Acorn Stairlifts?
Acorn is with you from start to finish—We manufacture, install, and service all of our stairlifts.
Unlike other companies that install stairlifts manufactured by outside businesses, Acorn Stairlifts manufactures our stairlifts in-house. Our products are manufactured in our own factories and go through extensive, independent testing procedures that comply with the following newest standards for stairlifts:
- BS EN 81-40:2008 - European Safety Standards
- ISO 9386-2:2000 - Worldwide Standard for Stairlifts
This includes testing our stairlifts to a minimum of 25,000 return journeys - the equivalent of 11 years of use, assuming six return journeys every day. Beyond this, within our factories, each Acorn stairlift is checked 29 times by our quality assurance team made up of 20 members.
Acorn does this because we want to be able to look our customers in the eye and tell them that they are getting the safest and highest-quality stairlift with full confidence. When you choose Acorn, you will never have to worry about the quality, where your stairlift came from, or who manufactured it.
Let Us Help You Reach New Heights—Contact Acorn Stairlifts Today
If you or a loved one struggle to use the stairs or find yourselves avoiding them altogether, a stairlift will help you rise above these obstacles, granting you full access to the home you love in one seamless, sweeping motion.
Don’t miss out on reaching new heights—Allow Acorn to change your life, granting you freedom, independence, mobility, and confidence.
Click here to claim your free, no-obligation quote and learn how you can take the first step towards lifting your life today.
