HANDICARE A625 FIXED CEILING LIFT

The Handicare A625 is the 625 lb capacity motor in the Handicare A-Series ceiling lift range. It runs along an overhead track and lifts a person straight up from where they are, so no floor space is used and the caregiver is not taking the load. Westin Healthcare supplies, installs and services Handicare ceiling lifts across Brampton and the Greater Toronto Area.

Handicare builds the A-Series in two capacities. The A450 is rated to 450 lb (204 kg) and the A625 is rated to 625 lb (284 kg). Everything else about the two motors is the same, so if the person you are lifting is above the A450 rating, this is the motor and nothing else has to change.

Who it is for

A ceiling lift makes sense when transfers happen several times a day in the same room, when a floor lift will not fit around the bed or the bathroom, or when a caregiver cannot safely manage a floor lift alone. The A625 specifically is for the situation where capacity is the constraint.

• Up to 625 lb (284 kg). That is the sling-and-lift system limit as Handicare rates the motor.
• Existing track. Handicare states the A-Series can be adapted and retrofitted onto track systems from all major ceiling lift manufacturers, so an older motor on serviceable track can often be replaced without redoing the ceiling.
• Home or facility. The same motor is used in both.

How it lifts

The lift motor sits on a trolley in the track. A strap runs down from the motor to a carry bar, and the sling clips or loops onto the carry bar. A digital hand control raises and lowers the strap, and on a power traverse build it also drives the motor along the track.

• 15 degree tilt. The motor tilts up to 15 degrees so the strap can come down at an angle instead of dead vertical. Handicare's own comparison is parallel parking: without tilt you shunt the trolley back and forth to line the carry bar up over the person, and with it you do not. It also puts less strain on the strap and on the caregiver.
• Auto Raise. After a transfer the carry bar can be sent back up on its own, to 6, 12, 18 or 24 in from the top limit, so it is out of the way rather than hanging over the bed.
• Antimicrobial strap. Handicare treats the strap with an antimicrobial coating at the fibre level, and prints wear indicator marks on it so anyone can see when it is due for replacement. The edges are reinforced against fraying.
• Three hand control modes. Control, weighing and data collection. The backlit digital display is rated IPx6 and IPx7, which is to say it survives water jets and temporary immersion, because hand controls get dropped and wiped down.

Choosing the traverse and options

Use the selector to pick the build on your quote. Three are listed, and the difference is how the motor moves along the track and whether it weighs the person.

Power traverse is worth it when the track run is long, when the caregiver cannot comfortably push the load, or when one person does the transfer alone. The load cell build is worth it where the person is weighed regularly, because weighing them in the sling removes a separate transfer onto a chair scale.

Charging

Handicare offers two charging arrangements and both are available on the A-Series. Constant Charge puts current through the whole track, so the lift charges wherever it is parked. Return to Charge designates one point on the track, and on the 324205 and 324207 builds the lift drives itself back to it. The lift can also be charged through the hand control.

Which arrangement suits you depends on the track layout and on how disciplined the parking habit is. Tell us the room and we will talk it through.

What the A625 will do on a charge

Handicare rates the A625 at 30 to 40 lifts at 625 lb (284 kg) from a full battery, on the standard duty cycle of one minute on and nine minutes off, with each lift being 24 in (610 mm) at the middle of the lifting range. The A450 is rated at 50 to 60 lifts at its lower maximum load, which is the honest trade: more capacity, fewer lifts per charge at that capacity. At lighter loads the count goes up.

Handicare also notes that a new lift has a break-in period and will not reach these figures until it has been through it.

Slings and carry bar

The lift is one of three parts of a ceiling lift system. The other two are the track, which is mounted to the ceiling structure and provides the path, and the sling, which attaches to the carry bar and supports the person. What is listed on this page is the lift motor.

• Carry bar options. Handicare offers bull horn connectors and spring latch connectors in multiple sizes, plus the Handicare Quick Release System for swapping bars.
• Reusing a C-Series carry bar. Handicare states that if you want to use a C450 or C625 carry bar, part 360760, with an A-Series lift, it recommends installing the A-series hand control hook, part 635669, for a more secure fit.
• Slings. Match the sling attachment to the bar. Loop slings need a loop bar and clip slings need a stud-type bar. Our published Handicare slings include the Positioning Sling and the Hammock Sling; the whole range is on the slings page.
• The system limit is the lowest rating in it. Handicare states that the lift, track, accessories and sling are each certified to a maximum load and that it must not be exceeded. A 625 lb motor on a 450 lb sling is a 450 lb system.

Handicare A625 specifications

These figures are printed by Handicare in the A-Series sell sheet and in owner's manual 753138 for the A-450 and A-625.

Traverse speed on the powered builds has five settings, from 0.123 to 0.244 m/s. The lift is specified for use between 5 and 40 degrees C at 15 to 90 percent relative humidity, and the maximum sound level raising or lowering at maximum load is 50 dB on a lift in good working order.

Funding help for a patient lift in Ontario

Ontario's Assistive Devices Program (ADP) does not cover patient lifts or other lifting devices. Funding routes that can help when the eligibility criteria fit: ODSP, March of Dimes Canada, and hardship funding programs. Westin Healthcare's staff work with these programs every week and will point you to the right route for your situation. Visit our funding page or call (905) 451-7743 to talk it through before you buy.

Delivery and setup in Brampton and the GTA

A ceiling lift is not a box that arrives and works. The track has to be mounted to something that will carry the load, the run has to suit the transfers you actually do, and the charging point has to be somewhere the lift will realistically end up. Call (905) 451-7743 or use the contact page and tell us the room, the ceiling construction, whether there is existing track, and the person's weight. We will work out the track layout and the build with you before anything is ordered. Shipping terms are described on the shipping policy page, and any charge is confirmed on your order.

Service, repairs and warranty

Handicare rates the A-Series for 22,500 cycles or 10 years, whichever comes first, and specifies that the lifting strap is replaced every 5,000 cycles, every 3 years, or when the wear indicator marks show grey, whichever comes first. The strap is the wear part on a ceiling lift and it is the part to keep an eye on.

Handicare's warranty runs for 1 year from the date of installation or 18 months from the date of manufacture, whichever is shorter, and it is void if unauthorized work is done on the equipment. Batteries are covered for the first 90 days after purchase.

Westin Healthcare has its own service and repairs department for ceiling lifts and track. Handicare also states that only trained people should use its lift systems and that an ongoing training programme should be in place; we can help arrange that. Ask us for the Savaria terms that ship with your order.

Frequently asked questions

What is the safe working load of the Handicare A625?

625 lb (284 kg). Remember that the installed system is rated to the lowest of the lift, the track, the carry bar and the sling, so check all four.

How is the A625 different from the A450?

Capacity, and what follows from it. The A450 is rated to 450 lb (204 kg) and does 50 to 60 lifts at its maximum load per charge; the A625 is rated to 625 lb (284 kg) and does 30 to 40 lifts at its maximum load per charge. The motor size, the hand control, the tilt, the strap and the track compatibility are the same.

How is the A625 different from the C625?

They are two different Handicare lift ranges at the same 625 lb capacity. Handicare describes the A-Series as built on the proven technology of the C-Series, adding the antimicrobial strap, the 15 degree tilt and the digital hand control with weighing and data collection. See the published C625 page and call us if you are choosing between them.

Can the A625 go on my existing track?

Often, yes. Handicare states the A-Series can be adapted and retrofitted onto track systems from all major ceiling lift manufacturers. Send us photographs of the track, the trolley and any labels on them and we will confirm before you order.

What is Return to Charge?

A charging point at one place on the track, which the lift drives itself back to after use, rather than the track carrying charge along its whole length. It is on the 324205 and 324207 builds. The alternative arrangement, Constant Charge, charges the lift anywhere it is parked.

Do I need power traverse?

Not always. On a short straight run with a caregiver who can comfortably guide the load, manual traverse is simpler and there is less to go wrong. Power traverse earns its place on long runs, on heavier loads, and where one caregiver works alone.

What does the load cell option do?

It weighs the person during the lift. On the 324207 build the display resolution is 0.1 lb (0.05 kg) and Handicare specifies relative accuracy of plus or minus 0.1 percent of the measured weight. Where weights are recorded regularly this removes a whole separate transfer onto a chair scale.

What happens in a power cut?

The lift runs on its own 24 VDC sealed lead acid batteries, not on mains power, so it keeps working. What stops during an outage is charging. The lift also has emergency lowering and an emergency stop.

What slings fit the A625?

That is decided by the carry bar, not by the motor. Match the sling attachment to the bar: loop slings to a loop bar, clip slings to a stud-type bar. Send us the bar you have, or let us specify the pair together, and see the slings range.

How often does the strap need replacing?

Handicare specifies every 5,000 cycles, every 3 years, or when the wear indicator marks on the strap show grey, whichever comes first. Higher usage lifts may need it sooner. Our service department handles strap replacement.

Does the price include the track?

The article listed here is the lift motor. Track, trolley, carry bar and sling are specified for your room and quoted with it. Call (905) 451-7743 and we will put a complete system on one quote rather than leaving you to work out what is missing.