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Acorn Stairlift FAQ of the Week—How Do Stairlifts Work?

12:00am | | Tips and Advice

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 back to our segment of Acorn Stairlift FAQ of the Week. This is 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 will teach you about how an Acorn stairlift works from the ground up—No pun intended.

Read on to learn how an Acorn stairlift operates and more about the incomparable quality of our lifts that separates us from the chairlift crowd, allowing us to soar above all other companies in our industry.

The Acorn Stairlift FAQ of the Week

How Do Stairlifts Work?

All Acorn stairlifts have been designed and manufactured to travel on a single rail track that is customized to flawlessly flow with, as well as mount seamlessly to your staircase.

Our high-quality stairlifts are powered by the innovative technology of our rail and carriage system, as well as our convenient, rechargeable batteries that charge automatically, ensuring a dependable lift that will still operate in the event of a power outage.

Your stairlift can be moved both by the arthritis-friendly approved toggles on either arm of the chair and the remote control, which is included with your purchase. 

Our stairlifts are intuitive and user-friendly so that you don’t have to stress every time you travel up and down the stairs.

With just a slight touch of a button in the direction you want to go, you can sit back and relax as your stairlift safely and smoothly delivers you to your desired destination.

What Are Some of Acorn’s Stand-Out Stairlift Features and What Do They Do?

Here are just some of Acorn’s stand-out stairlift safety features that make your stairlift experience even easier and more enjoyable:

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 are any obstructions left behind, Acorn stairlifts are also equipped with multiple sensors fitted to the footrest and carriage itself.

We know that family life can be messy, especially with children and pets who often leave things behind on the stairs that you may not notice. There’s no need to worry because your stairlift will detect these items.

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 traveling position
  • When the levelling 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.

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.

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.

Claim Your Free No-Obligation Stairlift Quote 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.

Acorn Stairlifts strives to lift your life so that you will never have to sacrifice the things you love because of mobility issues.

Don’t miss out on giving your life a lift—Start enjoying freedom in your home and reclaiming your independence.

Click here to claim your free, no-obligation quote and learn how you can take the first step towards reaching new heights in your life today.


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