If your riser recliner is not working, the first thing to check is how the person is, not which component to replace. Stop any repeated attempts and observe only what is accessible from the outside. A stoppage can have different causes: power supply, handset, connections or mechanics each call for a different assessment. This guide brings together eight information-gathering checks to help you describe the situation to customer support, without opening components, forcing movements or turning a technical inconvenience into a risky test.
In brief
If the chair is not working, the person’s situation comes first: an emergency must not wait for normal technical support. Smoke, a burning smell, damaged cables or movements that nobody triggered mean you must stop using it. The eight checks remain external and visual, with no dismantling and no improvised diagnoses. Product references, a description of what happened and safe photographs help the Sollevita Team to indicate the next step.
The person’s situation comes before the fault
If someone is seated or lying down, stay in contact with them and check whether they can tolerate the position. Do not try to force the backrest upright, push the footrest down with your body weight or move the person by means of an improvised transfer.
Where a care procedure has already been defined, involve the people who know how to apply it with the intended aids. If breathing difficulties, severe discomfort, instability or other signs of immediate danger appear, seek medical care or the appropriate emergency services. Fixing the fault comes after the emergency has been dealt with.
If, on the other hand, the person is stable, describe this to the support service together with the position in which the chair has stopped. “It is stuck in the lying position and the transfer requires assistance” communicates a concrete priority, far more than “the motor isn’t working”.
When to stop any testing
Smoke, sparks, a burning smell, unusual heat, liquid on electrical parts, a damaged cable or an unexpected movement are signs to stop using the chair. You do not need to see it happen a second time before reporting the problem.
Manage the power supply only from a safe position and according to the instructions: if the plug or a component is wet, damaged or cannot be reached without getting close to the hazard, do not touch it. If there is smoke or an immediate risk, move away and contact the emergency services. Do not look for the fault under the seat.
Remember that a battery can keep the chair powered even when it is not connected to the mains. Simply pulling out the plug does not prove that the movements have been disabled. The correct way to make the chair safe must be the one specified for the product, not one pieced together by analogy. [1][2]
Eight external checks if your riser recliner is not working
The following checks are not a mandatory sequence to be completed. Skip one if it requires moving the person, tipping the chair, opening a housing or reaching the linkages. You do not have to prove the cause: you need to gather the information that is already available.
1. When the problem started
Note whether the stoppage was sudden or gradual and what happened beforehand. Moving the chair, cleaning, the handset being dropped or a power cut are useful details, not diagnoses. Report the event without blaming whoever was present.
2. Which power source is in use
State whether the chair was plugged into the socket or running on battery. Mention a power cut you already know about or a recharge that was not completed. Do not touch the fuse box and do not test a suspect socket with other appliances just to complete the checklist.
3. What the visible cables look like
From the outside, look only at the accessible sections: crushing, cuts or damage to the outer sheath are information to pass on. Do not run your hand along a damaged cable and do not apply insulating tape as a repair.
4. What the indicators show
If the system has readable warning lights or indicators, note their colour and behaviour without interpreting them. Not all models use the same signals. An accessible label or a photograph of the charger helps more than a conclusion such as “the light is on, so everything is fine”.
5. What the handset looks like
Describe any drops, cracks, liquids or buttons that are visibly stuck. Do not open the casing and do not try to free a button with tools. If the handset appears damaged, avoid pressing it any further and contact the support service.
6. Which movements you have already observed
Report which functions were responding and which one stopped. Do not systematically press every button to compile a list: the information you already have may be enough for the first contact. It is up to the technician to decide whether to ask for a permitted test.
7. Whether there are visible obstacles
From the outside, look at walls, side tables, textiles and objects close to the paths the chair moves along. Do not put your hands under the footrest or into the mechanisms to free an object. A trapped object must be dealt with safely before any movement is resumed.
8. Which documents identify the product
Find the order, the manual and the configuration references. Photograph the identification plate only if it can be reached without lifting or tipping over the chair. If you cannot find it, send what you have: the support service can tell you how to proceed without requiring a risky search.
From symptom to description: a useful table
This table does not link each behaviour to a faulty part. It helps you put together a report that is easy to understand and avoid attempts based on an assumed diagnosis.
| Observed situation | Information to report | What not to do |
|---|---|---|
| No movement responds | Power source in use and visible indicators | Assuming a flat battery and recharging a damaged system |
| One function has stopped | Name of the function, position and preceding event | Concluding that the motor needs replacing |
| You hear a click or a hum | Sound already observed and movement involved | Continuing to press to free it |
| The behaviour is intermittent | When it occurs and whether it started after the chair was moved | Moving the cables while the chair is operating |
| An object is close to the mechanism | Visible position of the obstacle | Reaching for it underneath a moving part |
| The handset has been dropped | External damage and when it happened | Opening the handset or trying a generic remote control |
A still photograph is often a good first thing to send. There is no need to film the movement if doing so means repeating the fault. Even a written account of a few lines can allow the Sollevita Team to identify the next check.
Plug, connectors and restarting are not universal fixes
A loose connection is a possibility, but not all connections are intended to be handled by the user. Do not disconnect and reconnect the cables under the chair without an applicable procedure and without having dealt with all the power sources.
The same care applies to restarting. Waiting times, button combinations or sequences found online may refer to a different system. This guide contains no universal “Sollevita reset”: any reset must be indicated by customer support for the configuration concerned.
Suva distinguishes between the visual inspection of electrical equipment and repairs entrusted to qualified personnel. Observing damage from the outside therefore helps you to report it, but any work on the part must follow the specified instructions and requires the appropriate skills. [2]
Battery and stoppages after many movements: what to clarify
Sollevita includes a lithium battery to power the motors. It should not automatically be described as a reserve that always guarantees lowering or a return to a safe position. What counts is the charge available and the operation actually specified. [1]
If you suspect it needs recharging, report the last recharge and any indicators showing. Do not connect a damaged component and do not use a power supply taken from another appliance. The guide to the chair’s battery separates everyday planning from dealing with a fault.
A stoppage after numerous adjustments should not automatically be called “thermal protection”. Report how long and in what sequence the chair had been used, then wait for instructions. Do not repeat movements to warm up the system or to show that it starts again: the behaviour must be identified by the support service.
How to prepare a request that really helps customer support
Prepare a message with five pieces of information: how the person is, what position the chair is in, what is not responding, what happened beforehand and which external checks it has already been possible to carry out. Add the order references and safe images, if available.
A descriptive example, not a real case, is: “The footrest stopped while closing. The person is stable and being looked after. We had moved the chair beforehand; we cannot see any external damage and have not tried any other movements.” You do not need to write “faulty control box” to get attention.
For Sollevita, support can continue by video call, with an identified spare part or through a qualified technical intervention. The first reply within 24 hours does not mean a repair within the same timeframe, and it is not an emergency service. Original spare parts and accessible components make it possible to assess a targeted intervention. [3]
When the chair is the person’s main base
If many parts of the day depend on the chair, say straight away which activities cannot be postponed. An alternative already agreed with the people who look after the person is different from a transfer made up on the spot to free the seat for the technician.
Modular construction and repairability relate to managing the product; they do not determine how care is provided while you wait. They are two paths that must be coordinated, without asking the family to make up for the fault with greater physical effort.
After the intervention, keep the instructions, the replaced part and a note of the checks carried out. Resume use as instructed by the support service, not just because a single button has started responding again. If the problem persists, report it before returning to your usual routine.
FAQ
Common questions
Why has my riser recliner suddenly stopped working?
There are several possible causes. Power supply, handset, connections and mechanics cannot be told apart with certainty from a single symptom. Gather external information without dismantling anything or making repeated attempts, and ask the product’s support service for an assessment.
What should I do if it has stopped with someone lying in it?
First assess how the person is and involve the care arrangements already in place. Do not force the movements and do not improvise the transfer. If the person cannot tolerate the position or there is an emergency, call for the appropriate help without waiting for the ordinary technical reply.
Can I reconnect all the connectors?
No, not as a general check. A visible connection may not be intended for the user. Only follow a procedure specified for the configuration, with the mains supply and any battery handled correctly.
Does a click mean the motor is broken?
No. The sound is a piece of information, not a diagnosis. Describe when you heard it and which function was involved; do not keep pressing to see whether the movement will free itself.
Should I film the chair while it is not working?
Not necessarily. Start with a description or a safe photograph. Only make a video if it is useful and can be done without reproducing dangerous behaviour, following the support service’s instructions.
Does the Sollevita Team carry out repairs within 24 hours?
The stated timeframe refers to the first reply, not to the completion of the work. The solution depends on the checks required. Technical support does not replace emergency services or medical care when the person has an urgent need.
Sources and references
[1] Sollevita — Features and construction of the chair.
[2] Suva · Switzerland — When and how should electrical work equipment be tested? (in German).
[3] Sollevita — Warranty and service.
Send the information, not a DIY diagnosis
Keep the documents and describe the event through the external checks that were possible. The Sollevita Team for support and spare parts can show you the right way forward, without asking you to open components or to decide on your own which part is faulty.
