Battery Backup · In Cabin Self Rescue · Emergency Phone
The Answer
Written by the Lift Shop team
In a home lift power outage, a Lift Shop lift's battery backup lowers it to the bottom floor and opens the doors. If the lift stops between floors, after a minor fault or in a power cut, In Cabin Self Rescue lets the passenger hold down two buttons and the lift lowers itself to floor level.
The battery lowering is automatic: nobody in the cabin has to press anything. The cabin phone dials Lift Shop's emergency line, can call any number and has its own battery backup, so it keeps working in a blackout. Lift Shop provides 24/7 technical advice and support on 1800 440 714.
Lift Shop, an Australian home lift company established in 1996, includes battery backup, In Cabin Self Rescue and an emergency phone as standard on every lift. This guide explains what each one does, what you can safely do yourself, and where the limits are.
Situation by Situation
All three Lift Shop series have the same protections in a power failure, so in a home lift power outage what happens depends on the situation rather than the model.
| Situation | What the lift does | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Mains power fails | Battery backup lowers it to the bottom floor and the doors open. | Step out. Nobody has to press anything. |
| The lift stops between floors, after a minor fault or in a power cut | In Cabin Self Rescue is ready to use. It is standard on the A, C and E Series. | Hold the alarm and spanner buttons in together (step 2 below). |
| In Cabin Self Rescue does not move the lift | The cabin phone keeps working on its own battery backup. | Call Lift Shop on the cabin phone, and never force the doors (steps 3 and 4). |
| Everyone is out, or the lift stopped with nobody inside | Nobody is waiting in the cabin. | Call us on 1800 440 714, even if the lift seems fine again (step 5). |
See every Lift Shop series compared in detail.
If you are comparing brands, ask every supplier the same questions: what safety features the lift has, how servicing and breakdowns are handled after the sale, and what happens if someone is trapped, including who to contact, how quickly they respond and how they get into your home.
Self Rescue
Yes, a home lift can stop between floors, which is why it needs a way out that does not depend on someone arriving.
That matters more at home than in a public building. Lifts in residential settings sit within secured homes where external access may not be immediate. You may be home alone, and a technician may not be able to get into a locked house quickly.
In Cabin Self Rescue (ICSR) is our answer. It is standard on every Lift Shop series (A, C and E), and it is designed so the passenger can get out safely, straight away and independently, without relying on outside help. Lift Shop introduced it in 2007.
Here is how it works. If the lift stops between floors, whether after a minor fault or in a power cut:
Be clear about its limits. The controller only lets the lift move when the landing doors are locked, and it will not move the lift if the lift is held on its emergency brakes. If ICSR does not move the lift, call Lift Shop on the cabin phone.
You can see the two buttons and the flush phone at a showroom visit, and at handover we train your household to use the lift. For the full list of safety features, see our guide to home lift safety.
The Phone
Every Lift Shop lift has an integrated flush phone in the cabin's control panel. It is programmed to dial Lift Shop's emergency line, a 24-hour assistance line, and it can also call any number.
It is a GSM phone: it works on the mobile network, independent of your home internet and the NBN, and has its own battery backup. You supply the SIM.
Our technicians test the phone at every service visit. If you have an older lift whose phone uses a copper line, that phone may not work reliably after your home moves to the NBN, especially in a power outage. Our page on lift phones and the NBN explains how to test it and the GSM upgrade we offer.
Step by Step
Wait a moment, then try In Cabin Self Rescue, then call Lift Shop, and never force the doors.
Wait a moment. If the power has gone out, the battery backup lowers the lift to the bottom floor and opens the doors. Step out.
If the lift has stopped between floors and the doors stay shut, try In Cabin Self Rescue. Press the alarm button and the spanner button together, and hold them in. The lift slowly lowers to floor level and unlocks the door. This works after a minor fault and in a power cut.
If the lift does not move, call Lift Shop. The cabin phone is programmed to dial our emergency line and works in a blackout. Our number is also in the lift.
Do not force the doors or try to climb out.
Once everyone is out, call Lift Shop on 1800 440 714, even if the lift seems fine again. We troubleshoot remotely where possible and send a technician if required.
If it stops with nobody inside, call us too.
Resets
Leave resets to us: call 1800 440 714, and we troubleshoot remotely where possible and send a technician if required.
When a lift stops, the reason matters, and finding it is technician work.
What you can do as an owner:
As described above.
If you have an older lift and your home has moved to the NBN, test the cabin phone by calling our team.
Keep the emergency keyhole and call button at each landing visible and clear; the keyhole is there for service access.
Check that the doors are fully closed and nothing is across the doorway or the full-height safety beams, because the lift will not move unless every door is closed. Leave the lift's isolator and controller to our technicians. If the lift does not run normally once power is back, call 1800 440 714.
There is a warranty reason to call us too. To keep your 8-year warranty, all servicing must be carried out by Lift Shop technicians.
Response
Lift Shop's own technicians respond, and the first step is a call to our 24/7 line on 1800 440 714.
We troubleshoot remotely where possible and send a technician if required. We keep spare components and aim for a rapid response. Our technicians are Lift Shop employees in every state, never outsourced, and clients on a maintenance subscription receive priority attention.
Call 1800 440 714 and we will confirm service arrangements for your address.
Lift Shop only services Lift Shop lifts. If you own another brand, call the company that services it.
Reliability
Regular servicing is what keeps a home lift reliable: without it, the likelihood of faults or interruptions increases over time.
Every service visit tests all the safety systems, In Cabin Self Rescue and the door interlocks included. Lift Shop technicians service your lift up to twice a year. The first year's servicing is included, with annual extensions available. Read more about home lift servicing, or see our guide to how long home lifts last for reliability and lifespan.
A Lift Shop home lift has backups for exactly this: when mains power fails, its battery backup lowers the cabin to the bottom floor and opens the doors, so you can step out. The lowering is automatic. If the lift still stops between floors, In Cabin Self Rescue lets the passenger lower it, and the cabin phone keeps working on its own battery backup.
He doesn't need his mobile. The cabin phone is programmed to dial Lift Shop's emergency line and works in a blackout. If the power fails, the battery backup should lower the lift to the bottom floor and open the doors; if it still stops between floors, after a minor fault or in a power cut, he can hold the alarm and spanner buttons in together to lower it.
The person inside can try In Cabin Self Rescue: hold the alarm and spanner buttons in together, and the lift lowers to floor level and unlocks the door. If that does not work, they can call Lift Shop on the cabin phone, which dials our emergency line; our number is also in the lift. Nobody should force the doors or try to climb out.
No. Battery backup, the emergency phone and In Cabin Self Rescue come standard on every Lift Shop lift, and none of them is a paid extra. In Cabin Self Rescue is standard on all three series, the A, C and E Series. The emergency phone is a GSM phone, and you supply the SIM.
Contact Us
If the fear of being stuck is holding you back, it helps to see how the lift gets you out. Ride a lift at a showroom and we will show you In Cabin Self Rescue and the integrated flush phone.
Book your showroom experience or visit our showrooms page. We have showrooms in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, with Canberra opening soon, and our team is on 1800 440 714.
Prices move. Your quote will not. Lock it in today and it holds for 12 months.
Or talk it through with a Lift Shop consultant on 1800 440 714
