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LIFTS VS ESCALATORS

Commercial buildings naturally need ways to move people around the premises more easily, and these considerations usually manifest in the form of elevators or escalators. Here at Axess2 we’re a specialist in platform lifts and other elevators for commercial environments, and so we’re always going to be a little biased in favour of them. Here are a few reasons why we think this attitude is justified though:

Energy Efficient

An escalator needs to be kept running all of the time; in fact when people see an immobile escalator they tend to take the attitude that it must be broken, and so don’t even use it as a staircase. This constant motion uses up far more energy than a lift does. Because lifts stand idle when they are not in use, they only use energy as and when they need to, and this is far more energy efficient; especially on quiet days in a commercial building where there is little call to move between floors.

More Flexible

Escalators might be great for moving large groups of people through a busy commercial premise, but in our opinion lifts are far more flexible. For example, the same lift can be used to transport customers up and down floors, and in all but the heaviest traffic it will do so just as quickly. This also saves room, as to achieve a similar service two separate escalators would need to be installed. Also, lifts are invaluable for transporting people in wheelchairs, those who have pushchairs and anyone suffering with mobility complaints. An escalator is next to useless in these situations.

Safer

Despite what you might fear, there is almost no chance of becoming stuck in a lift, and even when one malfunctions it will simply stop, and not send you plummeting down several floors. The same can’t be said of an escalator, as these ‘moving stairs’ cause many accidents each year. Collective debris can build up between the separate steps (causing faults), steps can literally vanish from beneath people’s feet and it’s all too easy to fall. We’re well aware that some areas of a building are not practical for a lift to be installed, and in these cases an escalator might be the only option, but in our view a case of direct comparison yields only one winner.

Because we design and build commercial lifts, we can create an elevator to your exact specifications, and this means that there will rarely be a time when a lift is actually unsuitable for your building. With so many benefits on offer from installing a lift or two, there’s really no reason to hold out any longer. To find out more, please be sure to contact us by calling 01200 405 005 and we’ll be happy to discuss your individual situation in more detail.