Lifts are among the most reliable ways to move people between floors, yet misconceptions about their safety, maintenance and energy use persist. For building owners, facilities managers and homeowners, separating fact from fiction matters when deciding whether to repair, maintain, modernise or replace a lift.
With more than 25 years’ experience working on commercial and residential lift systems, Arrival Lifts has dealt with everything from routine servicing and repairs to major modernisation and complete replacement projects. Here are five common lift myths worth putting to rest.
Myth 1: Lifts are unsafe during power cuts
Fact: A power cut can stop a lift, but it does not mean the car will suddenly fall.
Lifts incorporate several safety systems designed to control the car when normal powered operation is interrupted. Braking systems, door interlocks and other safety devices provide protection, while installations may also have emergency lighting, alarms and communication systems.
If passengers become stuck following a power failure, they should use the emergency communication system and wait for trained assistance rather than trying to force the doors open.
For building owners, the bigger consideration is whether these safety systems are properly maintained. Arrival Lifts’ planned servicing involves inspections, adjustments and condition reporting to help identify potential problems before they become disruptive failures.
This is particularly important in commercial buildings, where lift downtime can affect accessibility and daily operations. Arrival’s commercial passenger lift services are designed around the building and its usage requirements.
The takeaway: A power cut is an interruption to lift operation, not automatically a lift safety failure.
Myth 2: If a lift cable breaks, the lift will fall
Fact: Modern lifts use multiple safety mechanisms rather than relying on a single cable.
The dramatic image of a lift plunging down a shaft after a cable breaks does not reflect how modern lift safety systems are designed.
Traction lifts incorporate components such as overspeed governors and safety gear. If the lift travels faster than its predetermined safe speed, the governor can trigger safety mechanisms designed to bring the car to a controlled stop.
This illustrates an important principle behind lift safety features: protection comes from multiple components working together.
The Lifts Regulations 2016 set essential health and safety requirements for applicable lifts placed on the Great Britain market.
However, safety systems cannot simply be installed and forgotten. Components still need appropriate inspection, servicing and repair throughout the lift’s working life. Arrival’s lift repair service addresses faults and worn components to help return systems to safe, reliable operation.
The takeaway: A lift’s safety is based on its complete engineered system, not one cable or component.
Myth 3: New lifts do not need regular maintenance
Fact: New lifts still require servicing and appropriate safety examinations.
Modern equipment may incorporate advanced controls and safety technology, but it still contains mechanical and electrical components that experience wear through normal use.
One important lift maintenance misconception is treating routine servicing and statutory examination as the same thing. Where LOLER applies, HSE explains that thorough examination is a systematic assessment of safety-critical parts by a competent person. It is separate from routine maintenance.
Regular maintenance allows engineers to inspect, adjust and lubricate components and identify developing issues before they result in a breakdown.
Arrival’s experience also demonstrates why maintenance matters over the long term. Huttons Hotel reports that Arrival installed its lift almost 20 years ago and has subsequently maintained and modernised it, while proactively advising the client on improvements.
The example shows that a lift’s installation is only the beginning of its operational life.
The takeaway: New technology can improve reliability, but it does not make maintenance unnecessary.
Myth 4: Older lifts always need complete replacement
Fact: Some older lifts can be modernised rather than completely replaced.
Age alone does not determine whether a lift needs replacing. An older installation may have outdated controls, inefficient components or obsolete equipment, but targeted upgrades can sometimes address these issues while retaining suitable parts of the existing system.
Arrival’s lift modernisation service can include upgrades to controllers, motors, controls and accessibility features, as well as refurbishment of the lift car.
A real example is Lingfield Racecourse, where Arrival modernised the Grandstand lift by upgrading key components. The project demonstrates how modernisation can address the performance of an existing installation without automatically replacing the entire lift.
But modernisation is not always the right answer.
At the Reem Hotel, Arrival removed the existing commercial lift and installed a new system as part of the hotel’s refurbishment. This demonstrates why a professional assessment matters: sometimes upgrading an existing lift makes sense; in other circumstances, complete replacement is more appropriate.
The takeaway: The decision should be based on condition, safety, component availability, building requirements and long-term plans, not simply the lift’s age.
Myth 5: Modern lifts consume excessive amounts of energy
Fact: Modern lift technology can provide opportunities to improve energy efficiency.
Lift energy consumption depends on factors including the equipment installed, how frequently the lift operates and the building’s requirements. Older motors, drives and lighting systems may be less efficient than modern alternatives.
Modernisation can provide an opportunity to address this. Arrival’s solutions include energy-efficient components, LED lighting and regenerative drive systems. Regenerative technology can recover energy generated during certain lift movements and return it to the building’s electrical system.
This means energy performance can form part of a wider modernisation assessment. If an older lift is becoming costly to operate as well as maintain, upgrading appropriate components may improve efficiency alongside reliability.
The takeaway: Modern lifts are not inherently energy-hungry; the equipment, technology and usage all influence consumption.
What these five lift myths really tell us
The biggest misconception is that there is one simple answer to every lift problem.
In reality, lift reliability depends on the entire lifecycle: from design and installation through to maintenance, repairs, modernisation and eventual replacement.
For building owners and facilities managers, that means:
- Keep planned servicing up to date.
- Arrange relevant statutory examinations where required.
- Investigate recurring faults rather than repeatedly treating the symptoms.
- Consider modernisation when reliability, accessibility or efficiency starts to decline.
- Replace equipment when its condition or long-term requirements make replacement the appropriate option.
Arrival Lifts provides maintenance and servicing, repairs, modernisation and new lift installations across Surrey, Kent, London and the wider South East.
For homeowners, its home lift solutions can also be tailored to individual properties and accessibility requirements.
Whether you manage a commercial building or are considering a lift for your home, understanding how the system actually works is a better starting point than relying on outdated lift myths.
Contact Arrival Lifts to discuss servicing, repairs, modernisation or a new lift installation.