Light at the end of the tunnel

Light at the end of the tunnel

The first Blog of 2021 and it finds us again in Lockdown 3.0 but this time with light at the end of the tunnel in the way of the vaccine, I’m very excited to see what March brings and the doors being eased open to a real New Year. There is no doubt things have changed and our High street will never be the same as it was, as the armchair economy shines through with people moving to everything on line and being delivered straight from the screen to there doorstep. I can see the High street turning into a new young vibrant place and have no doubt it will come back and thrive.

With a lot of offices closed and the hospitality industry shut down and a lot of homeworking for the time being, the return to the workplace will see a lot of lifts that haven’t moved for extended periods but there is light at the end of the tunnel

Like a car a lifts left for long period will need a bit of TLC before they expected to run multiple times an hour, If you leave your car parked on the drive for weeks on end and expect it to start it is likely it will struggle. The tires might be flat, the battery ran out of charge the handbrake stuck on the brakes Seized  – so to prevent any issues you might go for a 15-minute drive in it every week or so.

The same principle applies for a lift. On a hydraulic lift, buffers compress and ropes stretch the ram can creep, buffers compress and oil becomes cold. On traction lifts it means ropes can flatten where the counterweight hasn’t moved . And on both drive types guide rollers can become damaged.

If at the beginning of lockdown you switched it off, then, unfortunately without checking the lift over you don’t know what breakdowns your going to walk into when you put it back in service

Ascendant Lifts are offering a FREE site survey and quote  to make you aware of any issues and that might arise and repairs you will need to put the lift back in action across the whole of the UK and an interim service to make sure your lift is in tip top condition ready for when your doors open.

Ascendant Lifts & Escalators Ltd provide traditional lift maintenance across the UK. We can offer preventative planned packages for all types of passenger lifts, goods lifts, platform lifts, dumbwaiters, stairlifts and all types of access products. With over 50 years of experience, we have serviced and maintained all types of lift equipment Nationwide.

Winter Lift Maintenance

Winter Lift Maintenance

Winter Lift Maintenance

Lifts are the workhorse in transporting people and goods within your organisation and in winter they  can be affected by the changes in the weather. There are a few components and extra measures to take for your lift to limit disruption during the winter all taken care of with Ascendant Lifts traditional lift maintenance giving your winter lift maintenance an extra little boost.

Sills
As people are walking in from the outside, it is likely that snow and grit will travel in with them. When they use the lifts, the snow will melt and the grit will be left behind which can clog up the sills and prevent the door from opening and closing making the lift unable to travel from floor to floor. Removing any grit and water will make sure that does not happen.

Lubrication                                                                                                                                                                                         The cold dry air can affect the lubrication on the guide rails of the lift, affecting the efficiency of your lift(s) and their overall performance. Lubrication will reduce the friction between the guide rails and the lift during operation. Another way of reducing friction is keeping the hydraulics between 29°C – 35°C, which is their ideal temperature.

Consistent Temperatures
If there is a drastic change in temperature from inside the lift to the shaft then condensation can build up. This moisture can then find its way to electrical components and cause component failure and the shutting down of the lift, resulting in disruption within your organisation.

Climate Control
An alternative to having a climate-controlled lift car is to park it on a floor which has climate control when the lift is not in use. If the building is located in a cold area make sure there is enough insulation in the machine room, especially for the hoist way and tank, and that all the insulation is intact.

In case of a power cut during the harsh weather, your lift’s batteries should be fully charged so that people can still move around and nobody gets trapped in a lift, limiting disruption and costs.

Regular maintenance of your lifts can reduce future disruption within your organisation by covering all the bases to ensure the efficient smooth running of your lifts by remedying any issues before they become too costly and big.
Ascendant Lifts & Escalators Ltd can provide maintenance for your lifts with our in-house engineers who carry out their work with professionalism and to the high standards required by the industry.

Ending intiers

Ending in Tiers

As the month-long lockdown ends in England counties are once again put back into corresponding Tiers, based off of total number of Covid-19 cases in an area, the number of cases in the over-60s, the rate at which cases are rising or falling, the proportion of test results coming back positive and the pressure on the NHS to combat the spread of Covid-19 and going back to everything ending in tiers.

The measures against non-essential businesses are eased to allow for businesses such as hairdressers, gyms, nail bars and shops to reopen for the Christmas period. Sporting events in Tiers 1 and 2 can go ahead with spectators of 4,000 or 50% capacity, whichever is smaller, in Tier 1 and 2,000 or 50% capacity, whichever is smaller, in Tier 2. The hospitality industry is still affected by restrictions, affecting opening times and the serving of alcohol.

Hopefully the end to lockdowns and everything ending in tiers will go. With a vaccine passing trials and ready to be distributed to the vulnerable it may only be a few more months of restrictions to tackle the spread of the virus until we can enjoy a pint and see our mates and loved ones as we used to.

These eases in restrictions are no doubt a step forward for the local and national economies as well as helping with loneliness at the most giving time of the year as three households will be able to meet indoors between the 23rd and 27th of December. However, these leniencies must be respected because if Covid-19 cases increase then we will likely be put in another lockdown and halt the progress made by businesses over the Christmas period as well as extending the time spent under restrictions.

Here at Asendant Lifts & Escalators Ltd we are more than happy to support you and your organisation with any lifting requirements you may have. We aim to see you and your organisation rebuild and repair for the bright future ahead with our lifts or lifting services providing you with a reliable and efficient service within your organisation.

Challenge

Challenge

So last night I woke up at 3am and couldn’t get back to sleep so I picked my phone up to check Facebook and stumbled across a video of Pure inspiration that man was Cliff Devries a man who beat all the odds, go check him out, over came a massive challenge and didn’t let anything stop him

Challenge is something a lot of us face every single day some are unknown to people but its something as a lift company we have to think about every day, a lift is a lot more than the shiny Silver box that sits in the corner,

When it doesn’t work its a young family that are late for school or an appointment because they have to get a buggy down 5 flights of stairs, it’s an 80 year old lady who has to walk up 8 flights of steps to get back to her flat, it’s the disabled person who is now stuck in there flat, the elderly man who hasn’t spoken to anyone in a week missing his weekly trip to a social club, a Care home struggling as they can’t get food out in there service lift.

We hear so many stories and it makes it personal to us, that’s why we respond quickly to any callouts that’s why we are upfront and honest about the lifts and what it needs, that’s why people stick with us it’s not just a Silver box in the corner it’s a life line, a way of life having or not having a lift impacts on people’s life’s In a big way, that’s what inspires us everyday to leave no stone unturned to get that lift back in service and well maintained to the highest standard a challenge to overcome

Nationwide Lifts & Escalators work with a wide range of clients on both Commercial Lifts and Residential Lift, offering Lift servicing, lift repairs and full modernisations across the whole of the UK Including an unrivalled selection of New lift products across the world top brands.

At Nationwide Lifts and Escalators traditional Lift servicing is at the heart of what we do. During a traditional maintenance visit, rest assured our experienced service engineers carry out a full inspection, test and comprehensive service, and make any appropriate adjustments to ensure optimum performance saving you money in the long run. Our Tailor-made services have been designed to keep your lift operating smoothly and efficiently for years to come.

97% of our lifts are fixed on the first repair call it’s our first fix policy to ensure we locate the cause of the breakdown and repair it first time, with no repeat visits for the same fault. Through our dedicated customer care, we pride ourselves as your partner throughout the entire lifespan of your lift equipment, with offices across the UK in key locations we can provide a fully comprehensive package to all our clients.

We have dedicated Key Account Managers, who pride themselves on excellent customer service , full knowledge of your account and lift, this in turn leads to retaining a loyal customer database, due to a familiar voice with a wealth of Knowledge. At Nationwide Lifts and Escalators Communication is key to everything we do; our Customer promise makes Nationwide Lifts & Escalators a unique company in the marketplace.

Our Head office can be found in The North East (Sunderland), with further offices in The Midlands Yorkshire and London

 

Growing The Business

First hand view

This week we won the maintenance contracts for a major hotel chain throughout the UK. Due to this we have had a first-hand view at the effect the pandemic and the restrictions that accompany daily life have had on the hospitality industry.

Properties have been repurposed to help with better handling those who need treatment and others have been outfitted with measures related to both hygiene and the way a business operates to better reduce the spread of Covid-19 whilst aspects of pre lockdown life can still be pursued.

Once the going got tough the Government opened new temporary hospitals, like the Nightingale Hospitals, as well as repurposing leisure buildings in order to cope with the increasing number of patients. The task of constructing and repurposing buildings was enormous and had to be conducted under strict hygiene standards as well as ever increasing time constraints due to the rising demand for additional hospitals and test centres.

As the possibility of a second wave looms and local and national restrictions intensify the true toll on the hospitality industry is only just being revealed. By the end of the year the chief executive of UK Hospitality has said ‘the anticipated number of additional redundancies by the end of the year was 560,000’. This is now estimated to be much higher due to local restrictions. Therefore, Nationwide Lifts & Escalators Ltd is on standby to help affected industries in all lift related areas such as lift maintenance, lift repairs and lift modernisation with a first hand view

When travelling in a lift remember to practice social distancing as much as possible and try to avoid crowding in the lifts. Also avoid touching the buttons with your hands themselves. Spreading will also be reduced by regular cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces.

At Nationwide Lifts & Escalators Ltd we do not see ourselves as the normal run of the mill lift contractor.  Through our dedicated customer care, we see ourselves as your partner throughout the entire lifespan of your lift equipment. We are in this together, every step of the way.