AC and Battery Powered Stair Lifts

The first stair lift was developed almost a hundred years ago, but they did not become commonly used until recently. One of the things that has increased the popularity of these devices is that there are now many do-it-yourself stair lift kits available that can be installed by the homeowner. These kits are primarily designed only for use with straight staircases. They use a tracked system, which sends the stair lifts car up and down the track.

When deciding on a stair lift, there are two main ways they can be categorized. You can either go with an AC powered Stair Lift or a Battery Powered Stair Lift.

Battery Powered Stair Lifts

One of the main advantages of a battery powered stair lift is that these devices will work even if the power goes out. While the power is working, the lift charges the batteries. When the power goes out, you will still be able to use the lift. Today, most battery powered stair lifts are constantly charging, even when the lift is in motion, but this was not always the case.

The first battery powered stair lifts required that you parked the stair lift in a specific place along the track for it to charge, much the way a cordless phone works. This meant that if you were even a little off, the lift might not be charging. While most lifts now are constantly charging, this is usually not an issue, but a few companies still make stair lifts that must be parked in a specific place to charge, so make sure that you do not end up with one of these lifts.

One of the disadvantages of a Battery powered stair lift is that it costs a little bit more. Not only is the initial cost of the lift higher, but the batteries need to be replaced from time to time. Usually they need to be replaced every 12 to 18 months. The cost of the batteries varies, but it is usually around $70.

AC Powered Stair Lifts

AC Powered stair lifts, where the first type of stair lifts ever developed. These lifts are powered directly from a regular household outlet. They are incredibly dependable, but if the power goes out, they will not function. For areas that frequently get power outages, they might not be the best choice, but they do cost less.

The cost can vary, depending on your physical requirements, but a typical AC powered stair lift costs between 5 and 10 percent less than a battery powered stair lift. The also have a lower maintenance cost, because they do not have the recurring cost of replacing any batteries. Generally the only maintenance they require is to periodically grease and clean the track, which is also required for battery powered lifts.

Putting it Together

Choosing which type of lift is best for you will depend a lot on where you live. If your area looses power on a regular basis, then you will probably want to go with a battery powered lift. Additionally battery powered lifts do offer a fairly big safety advantage, because sometimes during a fire or other emergency, the power often goes out. In these cases, a battery powered lift will continue to work, so you will not be left stranded upstairs.

It should be noted that no matter if you go with a battery powered lift or an AC powered lift, you will need to have an electrical outlet within ten feet of the top or bottom of the stairs, because they both plug directly into an ordinary household outlet.