Hi all,

Update is now complete. The website has been improved in appearance and for navigational purposes. New and old visitors to the site should be able to find our stairlift content, prices and services a lot easier thanks to these latest changes. Also added is our new stairlift rental plan, Straight stairlifts and Curved Stairlifts splash pages which give an overall snapshot of all current stairlifts and prices we offer on one page.

To visit our home page, please click here: Stairlifts

D/C powered stairlifts contain 2 x highly durable, heavy duty rechargeable batteries which power the stairlift up and down the staircase. At the end of every trip, these batteries are charged automatically via the mains. If used correctly (stairlift always on charge after every trip), a D/C powered stairlift should never need it’s batteries replacing.

The only time the batteries can go dead is when the stairlift is switched off at the mains (which is not recommended) for a long duration of time (1-2 weeks). This means that the batteries are no longer on charge and they can drop to a very low voltage and in turn can no longer be recharged when the mains is switched back on.

The key to keeping the stairlift batteries in the correct working condition is to always leave the stairlift switched on at the mains as you would with an appliance such as fridge freezer. As long as you keep the stairlift plugged in & on charge, the original stairlift batteries will never need replacing.

Modern day stairlifts are fitted with many safety features designed to protect the user and non-users within the household.

An obstruction whist travelling along the stairs is unlikely but possible.

Clearly visible obstructions such as a walking stick which has been left on the stairs would usually be removed before getting on to the stairlift. However, unexpected obstructions such as a pet or small child running in front of the stairlift whilst it’s in motion is a major concern to some customers.  

For these occasions, modern day stairlifts are fitted with pressure sensitive plates as standard. These pressure sensitive plates are fitted to areas of the stairlift which are most likely to come in to contact with any potential hazard. Once activated, the stairlift will automatically stop enabling the user to safely free the obstruction.

Shortly Unicorn Stairlifts website will be having make over! You’ll find us in the same place ( www.unicornstairlifts.co.uk  ) but we may look a little different and nicer! Updates include a new logo, layout alterations, menu alterations and a new stairlift service which we’re very excited about. We hope these alterations will make our website a lot easier to navigate and help visitors find our helpful stairlift information, services and large range of straight and curved stairlifts a lot easier.

A stairlift can’t be moved anywhere without the user directly controlling it either by the controls on the stairlift arm or by remote control. A stairlift can’t just suddenly slide down a flight of stairs for example. Stairlifts come with many safety features and because they run on a rack and pinion system the stairlift pinion locks in place once the stairlift has stopped moving, which prevents the stairlift moving anywhere until the users next trip.

The horror stories of people getting stuck half way up the stairs on a stairlift is now history.  The vast majority of modern day stairlifts are now D/C battery powered as opposed to the older last generation of stairlifts which where A/C powered.

What’s the difference? Well A/C powered stairlifts receive power directly from the electricity to move the stairlift up and down the staircase. D/C powered stairlifts are powered up and down the stairs by batteries, which are charged from the mains after use.

How does this stop a stairlift from cutting out when a power cut occurs? D/C powered stairlifts are still able to move up and down the stairs when a power cut occurs because when in motion they are only using power from the batteries within the stairlift. In fact they can do up to 20 trips without charge. If a power cut occurred whilst on a A/C powered stairlift then yes the stairlift would stop instantly but thankfully as previously mentioned A/C powered stairlifts are now a thing of the past

N.B: Please be careful when purchasing a stairlift, some stairlift companies do still sell reconditioned A/C powered stairlifts which can be up to 20-30 years old. So do make sure you ask before you buy. Please follow the links below for more information: 

What is an AC Powered Stairlift Model?

What is an DC Powered Stairlift Model?

A common myth with the installation of a stairlift is that when fitted in to your home they are fixed and attached to the wall, this however is incorrect and they are actually fixed to the stair treads and not wall. The stairlift is mounted on to the stairlift track which runs the length of the staircase. The stairlift track is fixed to the stair treads by feet usually placed every 2- 3 steps to support and fix the track and stairlift in place.  The installation of a stairlift doesn’t actually cause any damage to home what so ever. In fact when a stairlift is no longer needed and you have it removed by a qualified stairlift removal service you won’t even know a stairlift had actually been previously installed.

Over the coming day’s, we will be posting the 10 most common stairlift myths with explanations as to why they are just myths, and not actual facts.

Stairlift Myth No 1: “Stairlifts are fixed to wall and cause damage to my decor”

Stairlift Myth No 2: “Stairlifts stop working when a power cut occurs leaving me unable to get off safely”

Stairlift Myth No 3: “Stairlifts can start moving on there own”

Stairlift Myth No 4: “Stairlifts won’t stop when an unexpected obstruction occurs”

Stairlift Myth No 5: “D/C powered stairlifts – batteries go dead and regularly need replacing”

Our current stairlift deal of the month is the excellent MediTek Stairlift, here is a little more information about them…

MediTek Stairlifts is an English company that manufactures high quality stairlifts for the global market. Each stairlift maintains the highest level of safety, operational effectiveness, and above all, quality. Their state of the art manufacturing facility is based in Fishburn, Durham.

MediTek was founded in 1992 when Kevin Strafford-Price and Derek Nicholson, both with experience in stairlift manufacture and engineering, decided to design a product far superior to what was available at that time. Within four years, MediTek was well positioned in the market.

They manufacture a number of different types of straight stairlifts including, indoor, outdoor and perched seat stairlifts.

Meditek Stairlifts come with many advance features as standard which set them apart from their rivals. Usually expensive upgrades when compared to other stairlift manufactures, Meditek Stairlifts come fitted with a continuous charging system and a user weight capacity of up to 25 stone as well as all the usual up to date features expected on modern stairlifts all as standard.

Meditek set out to offer a solution for both curved and straight staircases. However recently they decided to concentrate its manufacturing side on straight stairlifts only due to the high demand and popularity of the MediTek 160 straight stairlift.