Over the past years, there has been a significant amount of non-resident managed retirement homes being built. So when lifts become unreliable, they present a real problem for residents, facility managers and service organisations alike.
This was exactly the case for a two-storey, 17 apartment retirement home in Essex, where the property managers decided it was time to undertake a modernisation of the failing lift. Working with the primary lift service provider, Hydratec was commissioned to undertake this project which included the decommissioning and removal of the existing lift.
The hidden part of the modernisation, that was essential for the property managers, was to improve reliability. This was achieved with the Hydratec smart™ modular solution utilising a Bucher hydraulic iValve and a Lester Controls EN81-20 custom-built Almega II control system. A key the benefit of the Hydratec smart™ is that it provides improved floor levelling and energy efficiencies, both of great value to those living in retirement homes.
For the residents, we undertook the aesthetic part of the project which included, a new lift car and finishes, car lighting, new landing entrances and car doors along with installing new car operating panels and landing signalisation. We also cleaned and redecorated the adjacent drive/tank room.
Throughout the modernisation, we had regular contact with the primary lift service provider and the residents to ensure inconvenience was always kept to a minimum.
Before we handed the lift back to the building’s facility managers, we carried out the statuary lift testing requirements required for a passenger lift.