To remove an existing lift and replacing it with a new lift is usually a decision of last resort. The following is bit of a read but will help you understand the process and may save a great deal of stress and money!
The lift maintenance company has advised the owners that the lift needs to be replaced as the lift parts are obsolete.
If essential components of the lift, such as the main control board are obsolete this can be a serious situation. If the main controller board fails and can’t be replaced the lift will be out of service until the lift is modernised or replaced. The process to replace a lift may take 6-8 months!
The lift looks old and detracts from the buildings appeal.
The main decision will revolve around, is it just the shabby look of the lift that needs improving or is the ride quality and reliability of the lift a major concern and impacting the appeal of customers or tenants? Unless the lift is very old or poor quality, most items can be addressed over time to minimise user disruptions. However, some customers decide to make all things new with a good quality new lift. Discuss this with a range of lift companies to assist with the decision making.
The ride quality is poor or even “scary” and it breaks down constantly with trapped passengers.
This might just be poor maintenance, so do some research and have a couple of reputable companies inspect the lift and get written opinions. Some companies will allow customers to inspect the lift with them, so they learn about their lift. This will assist significantly with the decision-making process.
The building's use has changed.
If a building has changed use from, for example, residential to medical, it may be necessary to obtain the professional opinion of a lift consultant to decide on the lifting requirements for the building. If the building is just getting a general upgrade or is targeting a different clientele, then it might be appropriate to replace a slow and low use disabled lift with a higher duty cycle and faster lift. Again, discuss this with a range of lift companies.
Repair costs have become exorbitant.
This one is simple maths, however, it may be that your current lift company may not be competent or is charging too much for repairs. The obvious solution is to obtain alternative maintenance and repair quotes. A word of caution before having lift companies assess a lift, first ensure that the lift is not under an exclusive maintenance agreement with a lift company. If this is the case, you might be charged significant safety reestablishment fees, this can run into thousands of dollars. When signing lift maintenance agreements, try to find companies that have “no lock in” agreements.
The owner simply wants a faster and a modern looking lift.
If you have the funds and replacing a lift works with the building's use, then go for it! Just read as much about what is involved before you commit.
1. The first step in the process is for the customer to decide upon what they want to achieve with their lift replacement. Some customers know exactly what they want or need. However, if customers are unsure of what they need in terms of statutory requirements or speed etc. then an honest lift company can assist them at no cost. If you are prepared to pay for advice, then a lift consultant can be engaged. It is important to understand if a more cost-effective modernisation (upgrade) is a more suitable option before deciding to replace a lift. Most lift companies prefer to replace lifts as this is technically easier and more profitable - even though it might not be the best option for a customer.
2. The next step is to find a lift company you can trust. As ideally, you will be working with that company maintaining your lift for years to come. Make sure the equipment they use is high quality, European equipment is generally regarded as a good start, if it is German. Swiss or Japanese, even better!
3. The lift companies then need to thoroughly survey the equipment to quote options for modernizing or replacement.
4. The customer needs to consider the cash flow for the project as modernisations are generally cheaper and can be staged over years while lift replacements will have significant up front costs. The building works also need to be costed in for the various options, a builder will need to be engaged for this purpose. There are some builders that specialise in managing the whole process for lift replacements, managing permits, engineers, the lift company, inspections and the building works warranty. The turnkey solution using a specialist builder may be more expensive, but, it can reduce customer stress!
5. The inconvenience to the building's users must be factored in. Lift modernisations can be scheduled for building down time of 1 or 2 week blocks. A complete removal and replacement may take 3-4 months with the lift. For single-lift buildings this can be a significant issue.
1. Lift companies assess the site and provide quotes, 4-8 weeks.
2. Decision making process of the customer, this can take weeks to years...
3. Ordering the lift, shipping and delivery to site., European equipment will generally take six months.
4. Removal of the lift, this may take 1-2 weeks.
5. Building works to prepare for new doors and motor room etc., 1-4 weeks.
6. Installation of the new lift, 4-6 weeks.
7. Building works around doors etc, plastering, painting, door jambs, flooring, 1-6 weeks.
8. Testing and commissioning of the lift, 1 week.
9. Addressing items found by the lift company and builder at the time testing and commissioning, this can range from days to weeks.
The above estimates of times are a guide only, but it is easy to see how a lift replacement could potentially take well over the budgeted time.
If the customer has worked through the reasons for the replacement and has decided to proceed, it is then important to find a suitable lift company to perform the works. Price is always a consideration, but, more importantly, it is as important to ensure that the lift company has a proven track record of completing projects on time and to budget. I believe the Germans have a saying “pay cheap, buy twice”.
It is essential to have a range of opinions when deciding if replacing your lift is the best option. Melbourne Elevators offers a free lift assessment service. We will meet with the decision makers on site to show them through their lift. The senior technician will then honestly and frankly talk though the options of repairs, modernisation and replacement and give approximate costings for each.
A significant factor that is often overlooked is long term product and customer support. ChatGPT, Google reviews, Instagram and blogs are very helpful to understand how a company works and its ethics. Ideally, the customer will be in a long term relationship with their selected lift company for many years. It is good to know in advance if the relationship will be one based on mutual respect and honesty, or an adversarial relationship. It is helpful to meet with the lift company's senior management, to get a “feel” for how a company works and its attitude towards its customers.
After the lift replacement is completed, and the warranty period has expired, the lift will need to be maintained and, over time, repaired.
Before a lift company is selected to replace a lift it is important that the customer establishes if the lift can be maintained, faults diagnosed and repaired by any competent lift company and not just the installation company.
Unfortunately, it is the modern business model for most lift companies to not provide full electrical drawings or manuals on site with each lift. It was viewed, for many decades, that the customer owned the lift so had a right to full documentation. As modern lifts have highly complex control systems it is not practical to maintain or diagnose faults without full documentation. To further complicate the ongoing maintenance provision, most lift companies ensure that they are the only source of critical components. So, if a third-party lift company wishes to buy parts from the installation provider of the lift, the parts supply may be deliberately slow, the price may be significantly inflated or they may just refuse to supply. All this means a customer may be locked in to maintaining their lift with over-priced repairs and/or poor customer service.
To avoid being trapped by an unscrupulous company it is relatively simple to ring around a number of quality lift companies to see if they can maintain the particular model of equipment that you have been quoted and what the price would be. The availability of parts to third party maintenance companies should also be established as this can also result in customers be locked in to an unwanted agreement for many years.
All lift companies will extol the virtues of their products and how wonderful their company is. So, it is good to take a step back and view their claims in light of the following:
Price
If prices are within 20% of each other then deciding on price should be put to one side as there are more important factors to consider.
Equipment quality
This is the starting point in evaluating a lift replacement quote. Is the equipment “Globally Sourced” or can if be tracked back to a specific company in a specific country? The lift equipment cost component of the overall project will not significantly change the price of a job but it will change the customers experience over the next 30 years! If the equipment is all manufactured in Europe, not just “designed” in Europe and made in cost saving countries, then this is a good start. If significant technical components of the lift, such as control systems, are German, Swiss or Japanese manufactured then this is a great place to start.
After the equipment manufacturer comes the labour and quality control of the lift company
This is a bit harder to assess, as some smaller companies can be more responsive than large multi-nationals but they can also lack technical ability. Multi-nationals have strong systems in place but can often be viewed as unhelpful. My advice is to do some homework online and then make sure the company you select has a strong technical background yet is customer service focused. Again, meeting with senior staff in lift companies is helpful.
Long term maintenance, must be considered when selecting the lift company and the product they supply
The modern trend is to supply proprietary equipment that locks up the electrical drawings and controller information so that only the supplying company can diagnose faults. Many lift companies also lock up the supply of spare parts, so they are the sole source of supply. If a lift company goes out of business it can place customers in a very difficult position when their lift breaks down. It is not uncommon for relatively new lifts to have control systems replaced, or the whole lift replaced, due to a lack of product information or support. When customers are locked into one lift maintenance company, due to proprietary equipment, the price of repairs and maintenance is often greatly inflated.
Customer support
Ongoing quality customer support is often overlooked when selecting a lift replacement provider. Due to the ongoing pursuit of corporate efficiencies, nearly all lift companies have reduced customer support staffing levels. Customers may find themselves in long call centre queues, or writing emails not knowing if they will receive a reply. Melbourne Elevators has increased customer service staff to ensure that our customers can speak to a real person, capable of making decisions and resolving their issues.
Please don't hesitate to give Melbourne Elevators a call!
Replacing a lift can be a daunting task for an Owners Corporation with limited lift experience. However, if the above process is used as a guide to methodically select a lift provider, then most pitfalls can be avoided.
At Melbourne Elevators we believe in doing the right thing by our customers. Making a sale is not our primary focus, making sure customers get the right result for them is what guides us.
We maintain a comprehensive stock of lift parts to minimise downtime and inconvenience.
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