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Please Do Not Self-Install a Stair Lift

Posted March 18, 2013

The Installation of Your New Stairlift is Best Left to the Professionals at HME

The common misconception that most people have when they have to buy a stair lift believes that self installing it will be very easy. There are several suppliers of stair lifts via the internet that also pushed the idea that makes it seem that installing the stair lift is easier than most people think. However several reasons why no one should self install stair lifts do exist as facts. There are retail companies for stair lifts which promotes self installing the stair lift too. The buyer then has no choice but self install it and there is no way to make sure that the installation was proper and safe. Most suppliers veer away from installation services so they can keep the prices low enticing many customers to buy. This has become a trend in marketing the stair lifts nowadays.

Stairlifts are Meant to Make Your Home Safer – Not More Dangerous

A buyer may save a lot of money at first but self installing the stair lift will only give unnecessary risks for possible accidents. There is a risk for costly repairs in the future because the retailers never give a warranty. There is one organization that highly cautions the public in self installing the stair lifts even the ones that are new and have just been manufactured, this group is the Accessibility Equipment Manufacturer’s™s Association.

AMEA educates the public that consumers who self installs stair lifts are not complying to the standards set to claim the installation was done in a safe way. There is a standard that stair lift installations should also conform to like operational standards for safety and the other regulations and codes for safety.

The AMEA tells the buyers to purchase only from suppliers or dealers who has good reputations and who can offer the installation too. Dealers who can provide the installation are sure to have received the proper training from those who supplied the stair lifts. The training will provide the awareness of the proper requirements for both the national and local safety codes. The common codes are NFPA70 which stands for the national electricity code, the a18.1 and ASME a17.1.

Only Buy Stairlifts from Suppliers who Offer AMEA Approved Installations and Warranties

Most consumers don’t know that these regulations and codes should be met first in training before a person can do installations. Many local governments also ask for dealers to get the proper permits and licenses before doing an installation. Any dealer not getting the license is also not abiding by the law.

There is much pressure that the dealer should conform to these policies because an ordinary person would not know such necessities in buying stair lifts. The technician installing therefore should have also attended the training seminars for the right knowledge of installation practice for stair lifts.

Another point is that the dealer who did not install the stair lift can easily dismiss complaints. Warranties are always given by companies which provide stair lift installation service which covers the possible maintenance costs. Self installing a stair lift may save money in the beginning but can pose dangers to the home and to the person using it eventually.