Extend the life of your lifts and escalators with cost-effective modernization. IET upgrades ageing controls, mechanical components and cabins to improve safety, reliability and energy efficiency — without the expense and disruption of a full replacement.
About Our Modernization Service
A lift does not have to be replaced to feel new. The shaft, the structure and often the car itself can serve for decades — it is the controller, the drive, the doors and the fixtures that age first, and they can be renewed. Modernization replaces the components that limit safety, reliability and efficiency, and keeps everything that still does its job.
IET modernizes lifts and escalators of any brand across Kenya. A typical project replaces an obsolete controller with a modern microprocessor system, fits a VVVF drive that smooths the ride and cuts energy use, renews door operators — the source of most breakdowns — and refreshes the cabin and signalization. The result rides, sounds and looks like a new installation at a fraction of the cost.
It is also the practical answer to a very Kenyan problem: ageing equipment whose original supplier no longer has a presence here, and whose spare parts take months to arrive. Modernization moves the lift onto components that are current, supported and locally serviceable.
What Can Be Modernized
Controllers & Drives — obsolete relay logic replaced with modern microprocessor control and VVVF drives for a smoother, more efficient ride.
Door Operators & Safety Edges — the single biggest source of breakdowns, renewed with modern operators and full-height light curtains.
Machines & Motors — geared machines upgraded or replaced with efficient gearless units where the sums make sense.
Cabin Interiors & Fixtures — panels, flooring, lighting, handrails and mirrors refreshed so the car looks as good as it now rides.
Signalization & Controls — car and landing panels, displays and accessible controls brought up to current standards.
Escalator Components — controllers, drives, handrails, steps and balustrades renewed to current EN 115 requirements.
Signs It’s Time to Modernize
Why Modernize Instead of Replace
A Fraction of the Cost — you renew the components that age and keep the shaft, structure and often the car, instead of paying for all of it again.
Far Less Downtime — works are phased unit by unit, so the building keeps moving while each lift is upgraded.
Current Safety & Efficiency — the modernized lift meets today’s EN standards and typically cuts energy use substantially.
Locally Supported From Then On — current components with available spares, serviced by IET’s Nairobi team under a maintenance contract.
How We Deliver
FAQs
What exactly is elevator modernization?
Modernization is the planned replacement of a lift’s ageing components — typically the controller, drive, door operators, and cabin fixtures — while keeping the shaft, structure and other parts that still serve. The lift ends up riding, performing and looking like a new installation, at a fraction of the cost of replacing it outright.
Full or partial modernization — which do I need?
It depends on the equipment’s condition, which is what the assessment establishes. Sometimes renewing the door operators and controller solves ninety percent of the problems; sometimes the machine and cabin should be done in the same project. We scope it in priorities — safety first, then reliability, then appearance — so you can phase the spend if you need to.
How disruptive is the work?
Less than most owners fear. Works are phased unit by unit, so in a multi-lift building the other cars keep serving while one is upgraded. For single-lift buildings we agree the programme and access windows in advance and keep the out-of-service period as short as the scope allows.
When is replacement better than modernization?
When the core of the installation — the structure, shaft dimensions or fundamental design — no longer suits the building, or when so much needs renewing that a new lift costs little more. It is rarer than owners expect, and we will tell you honestly when a lift is beyond economic modernization.
Can you modernize lifts from other manufacturers?
Yes. We modernize equipment of any brand, including units whose original supplier no longer operates in Kenya — that is one of the most common reasons owners come to us. The new components are current, supported and locally serviceable from then on.
Is Your Lift Showing Its Age?
Tell us the make, age and what’s been going wrong, and we’ll arrange a condition assessment — then show you what modernization can fix.
Kenya Office
B67, 6th Floor, Valley View Office Park, City Park Drive, Parklands, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 725 000 052 · +254 116 003 009