A relatively new brand of stair lift is currently on offer that seems to be utilizing very old fashioned technology.
This AC or mains electricity powered stair lift is marketed under the Summit and AmeriGlide brand names (but are, in fact, the same machine). It may be helpful to make a direct, head-to-head comparison of this stair lift with the ACORN Superglide 120 DC stair lift, because the manufacturer makes some very misleading claims about their own and competitors products.
ACORN stair lifts (and in fact, all modern stair lift types) are powered by a 24 volt battery pack. Summit/AmeriGlide stair lifts are powered by the domestic mains supply. So what? You may think…
Safety
Most importantly, the ACORN’s 24 volts DC power supply is ultra-safe and presents no electric shock hazard whatsoever. In addition, there are several states where you may not install AC powered equipment unless you are a fully qualified electrician.
Trailing Cable
AC powered stair lifts require a trailing cable to power them. The cable needs to be reeled out and reeled back in, each and every time the stair lift travels up and down the stairway. It is not difficult to imagine what all of this movement does to the cable, over a surprisingly short period of time. The constant flexing and tensioning causes the wires in the cable to fail - usually while the stair lift is in use. When the trailing cable fails, the lift immediately grinds to a halt - often with the user on board.
Prior to manufacturing our own battery powered stair lift, ACORN supplied stair lifts almost identical to the Summit/AmeriGlide design, so we have first hand experience of this type of equipment. We have lost count of the number of times we had to replace the trailing cable on this lift type. We very deliberately ‘designed-out' the need for a trailing cable on the ACORN stair lift, because we know it to be so troublesome.
Ride Quality
Battery power has other big advantages too. DC power is much more controllable. It allows us to provide valuable features like electronic soft start and soft stop. Aside from being more comfortable and refined, it is much safer, particularly for folks with balance problems or those with arthritis of the neck or back. AC stair lifts, especially wire cable hauled ones like the Summit/ AmeriGlide model have harsh, jarring starts and stops and the lifts mechanisms are very noisy compared to DC alternatives.
Power Outage
Naturally a battery powered stair lift will continue to run, in the event of a power outage - an AC unit will stop dead. Summit's solution? Go out and purchase a universal power supply - which contains - you guessed it, a stair lift battery!
Cost of Batteries
Finally, it is time, once and for all, to put a stop to the misinformation spread about the cost of stair lift battery replacement. The batteries that power the ACORN stair lift are very common, off-the-shelf items, available from any battery supplier. With normal use, they stay good for an average of 3 years. They cost in the region of $40.00 per pair (not the ridiculous $250-400 stated by Summit). ACORN supply the batteries for $13.00 each, plus shipping.
Without exception, all modern stair lift designs utilize a rack and pinion drive system. The ACORN stair lift employs a direct drive rack and pinion system that does not require pulleys and belts. Cable - hauled stair lifts really are rather primitive, by today's standards. This older design requires a very wide, trough shaped track that creates a problematic dirt-trap. Day to day household dust and dander accumulates inside the track, with its attendant greasy cable.
Some rack and pinion systems require periodic lubrication of the gear rack - though this is absolutely not the case with the ACORN stair lift. The ACORN drive system is completely maintenance free.
On drive and rail systems, the secret to a smooth, quiet, gliding travel is surface area contact. The larger the contact patch, the smoother the ride is going to be. ACORNs rail profile is tubular rather than trough-shaped. Using 8 concave rollers affords a surface area contact patch at least 10 times greater than the wheels installed in the old-fashioned, trough-shaped system. The result is ACORNs peerless, smooth, refined and near silent glide, as opposed to the bumpy, trundling action of the older design.
Some stair lifts, ACORN included, feature an easy to manipulate joystick to control the lift. The Summit / AmeriGlide stair lift uses a rocker switch. If the user suffers with arthritis in the hands, which do you think would be the easier to use? The remote controls supplied with the ACORN are wireless infra-red items, rather than hard-wired controls that must be fixed to the wall - or even left lying on the floor.
Safety is absolutely paramount at ACORN. Our stair lift is protected by an electro-magnetic braking system and a self-locking gearbox. The self-locking gearbox alone, as installed in the Summit / AmeriGlide stair lift is not really a braking system at all. Naturally, every ACORN stair lift ever made is additionally protected by an over-speed governor, which guards against the possibility of an uncontrolled descent. Most competing brands either do not offer this essential safety device - or charge the customer extra to include it.
Safety Surfaces - Both sides of the ACORN footrest and the base are protected by pressure sensitive surfaces that stop the stair lift if it collides with anything on the staircase. Also the ACORNs carriage is similarly protected from collision with anything on the rail. This is not the case with the Summit/AmeriGlide stair lift. It has the most basic protection of the footrest - and none at all to protect the carriage from crushing anything (or body part!) that is on the rail.
ACORN also offers a beautifully engineered hinged rail system. This enables the lower portion of the rail to be folded up and out of the way, if the rail presents a tripping hazard at the foot of the stairs. This option is not even available on the Summit/AmeriGlide stair lift.
The Summit / AmeriGlide installation instructions have 14 separate sections. ACORNs instructions have 4. Need we say more on this subject?
ACORN offers a perch lift alternative, Summit / AmeriGlide doesn't. You should also remember that when the stair lift is parked at the foot of the stairs, the footrest of the Summit / AmeriGlide is still 7" above the floor. The mobility challenged user must step up onto this stair lift. The ACORN stair lift footrest is much, much closer to the floor, making mounting and dismounting the lift so much safer and more comfortable.
As with most things - there is a baffling amount of choice out there in the marketplace. When choosing a piece of equipment like a stair lift, it is important to ensure that you are making like-for-like comparisons. Despite what Summit or AmeriGlide might claim, their product is not contemporary. It is a re-hash of technology that was considered to be outmoded more than 10 years ago. Think carefully when buying this type of product via the internet. Your first real opportunity to clearly see the features, engineering (and limitations) of your new stair lift, are when it arrives on your doorstep. ACORN supplies more customers direct, throughout the world than the rest of the entire industry combined.
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