Lifts Power Supplies
Terms that you may come across when specifying a lift are:
Single Phase Supply
The standard power supply in the UK is 220v Single Phase supply ie normal domestic houses and office. Many platform lifts will work on this supply, however, some will require a 3 Phase Power (see below). Ensure that you know which type of power supply is required and check that your electrical system is appropriate.
3 Phase Supply
A 3 phase power supply is usually used in situations for heavy machinery where the electrical load is greater. If the lift you are considering requires 3 phase you will need to check that your building has a 3 phase supply. Some platform lifts that are designed to carry a heavy load of say 1000Kg would probably require a 3 phase supply.
Emergency Lowering
If the lift fails or there is a power cut to the building the lift may have been fitted with emergency lowering. The type of emergency lowering depends upon the drive method of the lift. Battery backed emergency lowering means that you just press the regular down button and the emergency battery will power the lift down to the bottom floor . Hydraulic lifts will have a valve at the pump which you open to release the hydraulic fluid back into the tank, which in turn lowers the lift. Some lifts will need to be manually hand wound.
UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply / Full Battery Backup)
Most platform lifts have some form of battery backed emergency lowering facility which will allow the user to leave the lift in the event of a power failure (see above). You may want to continue to use the lift even when the power is off, a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) will allow you to do this. The UPS will be able to power the lift for a certain amount of journeys. The number of journeys will depend upon the distance between floors, the load being moved, the type of lift etc.