Lesson 3 of 4Faults and breakdowns
Water in a lift pit.
A lift pit should be clean and dry, but heavy rain, groundwater and leaks can all put water in it. Here is why that matters, what to do if you find water, and how to stop it happening again.
Why water in a pit matters.
The pit is the bottom of the lift shaft, below the lowest floor. It holds equipment that the lift needs to run safely: the pit stop switch, lighting, wiring, the buffers and the governor tension pulley. Because it is the lowest point, any water in the shaft ends up there.
Much of that equipment is electrical. The law expects electrical equipment that may be exposed to water to be built or protected to suit.
The law
Electrical equipment which may reasonably foreseeably be exposed to “the effects of wet, dirty, dusty or corrosive conditions” must be of such construction or as necessary protected as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, danger arising from that exposure.
Water can make switches fail, which breaks the safety circuit and stops the lift. It also corrodes steel parts and connections over time. In our experience, a lift that breaks down after heavy rain, again and again, often has water getting into its pit.
LEIA’s code of practice for lift maintenance includes checking that the pit is clean, dry and free from debris, and its survey checklist says simply: “Pit should be dry and free of refuse.”
Where the water comes from.
Select a number to see how water gets into a pit and what it can reach.
From the ground
Pits are below ground level, so groundwater can get in through walls, floors and joints that are not watertight, especially after long spells of rain or where the water table is high.
Over the landing sill
Rain from a nearby entrance, a burst pipe or cleaning water on the lowest landing can run over the sill and down into the pit. In our experience, mopping or hosing water towards the lift doors is a common cause.
From higher up
Leaks from roofs, plant rooms, pipes, sprinklers or flats can run down the shaft. Water from firefighting can reach the pit too.
Switches and lighting
The pit stop switch, pit lighting and wiring are electrical equipment. Water can cause faults and corrosion, and danger to anyone who enters the pit.
Buffers and the tension pulley
Steel parts at the bottom of the shaft, such as the buffers, the governor tension pulley and the foot of the guide rails, can corrode if they sit in water.
Sump and pump
Some pits have a sump, sometimes with a pump. LEIA’s code of practice notes that equipment such as pit pumps needs its own maintenance arrangements, so check who looks after yours.
If you find water.
You may notice water on the floor of the lowest landing, hear it running in the shaft, or be told by your contractor after a visit. Whatever the amount:
Stop people using the lift
Follow your site procedure: put notices at each landing and tell users. Do not switch the lift off at its isolator unless your lift contractor asks you to.
Call your lift contractor
Say where you can see water, roughly how much, where it seems to be coming from, and whether the lift is still working.
Deal with the source, if it is safe
Stop what you can on the building side, such as cleaning water, a leaking pipe in a flat or rain through an entrance. Keep well away from the lift doors and equipment.
Let the engineer make it safe
The engineer takes control of the lift, checks the damage and arranges for the water to be removed. The lift goes back into service only once its equipment has been checked and tested.
Safety first
Never open a landing door to look into the shaft, and never enter the pit. Water and electrical equipment are a dangerous mix, and the shaft is no place for anyone but trained engineers. The Lifts Regulations 2016 require the space the car travels in to be “inaccessible except for maintenance or in emergencies”, and before anyone enters it, “normal use of the lift must be made impossible.”
If water is pouring into the shaft, or you see smoke, smell burning or see any other immediate danger, keep people away and call the fire and rescue service, then your lift contractor. Our breakdown response plan sets out the steps.
What the engineer does.
In our experience, an engineer dealing with a wet pit will make the lift safe, find out how high the water reached and what it touched, arrange for it to be removed, then clean, dry, check and test the equipment. Parts that water has damaged are repaired or replaced, and the visit record says what was found and where the water seemed to come from. Our lift repairs team handles that work.
Engineer’s note
Removing flood water is not usually part of a maintenance contract. LEIA’s code of practice lists “heavy contamination of pit area or removal of water due to ingress or flooding” among cleaning work that is not considered maintenance. Check your contract, and agree in advance who removes water and who pays.
Water from a pit may not be clean. If it has oil in it, for example from a hydraulic lift, it must not go down a surface water drain. Government guidance on pollution prevention says that “only clean water drains into the surface water drain or soakaway”, and that contaminated water can go to the foul sewer only with the water company’s permission.
Stopping it coming back.
Removing the water is only half the job. The other half is stopping it getting in, which is usually work on the building rather than the lift:
- Keep the pit watertight. For new building work, building regulations require walls and floors to protect the building and its users from ground moisture, and BS 8102 gives guidance on keeping water out of structures below ground. NHS guidance lists “Making the pit dry and watertight, including tanking if necessary” as builder’s work for a new lift. If water comes through the walls or floor, a specialist may need to repair or add tanking.
- Look after the lowest landing. In our experience, drainage and thresholds at nearby entrances matter, and so does how the floor is cleaned. Use a damp mop near lift doors rather than a wet one, and never hose water towards the lift.
- Fix leaks above quickly. Roofs, plant rooms, pipes and flats near the shaft can all send water down it.
- Check after heavy rain. Look at the lowest landing, without opening any lift doors, and report water straight away. Our lesson on keeping a lift logbook includes simple checks like this for building staff.
- Maintain any pit pump. If your pit has a sump pump, make sure someone is responsible for maintaining it.
The law
“The walls, floors and roof of the building shall adequately protect the building and people who use the building from harmful effects caused by— (a) ground moisture; (b) precipitation…”
Firefighting lifts are designed with water in mind, because firefighting can send a lot of it down the shaft. Our lesson on firefighting and evacuation lifts explains how.
Check your understanding.
Three quick questions on this lesson. Choose an answer to check it, or open the answer below each question.
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After a storm, water is spreading across the lowest landing towards the lift doors. What should you do?
Show the answer
C. Stop people using the lift, call your lift contractor, and stop more water reaching the doors if you can do so safely. Keep people out of the lift and call your contractor. Dealing with the water on the landing, such as closing an entrance or moving it away from the doors, is fine if it is safe. Leave the lift itself, including the isolator, to the contractor unless they ask you to act.
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The lift still works, but there is a little water in the pit. Does it matter?
Show the answer
A. Yes. Water can corrode equipment and cause electrical faults, so report it now. Water in a pit can cause faults and corrosion long before the lift stops. Report it to your contractor, and look for the source so it does not come back.
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The water in a hydraulic lift’s pit has an oily sheen. Can it go down the nearest surface water drain?
Show the answer
B. No. Only clean water should go to surface water drains. Government guidance says only clean water should go to surface water drains or soakaways, and contaminated water needs the water company’s permission to go to the foul sewer. Your lift contractor can arrange removal.
Sources.
The primary sources for this lesson. We checked them when the lesson was last updated on 18 October 2026. How we research and check our lessons.
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Related reading
Water in your lift pit?
Call us and keep people out of the lift. Our engineers make the lift safe, check and dry the equipment, repair any damage and advise on stopping the water at source.
Common questions.
Quick answers to common questions about this topic.
Is water in a lift pit dangerous?
It can be. A lift pit holds electrical equipment such as the pit stop switch, lighting and wiring, and water can cause faults, corrosion and danger to anyone who enters. If you find water in a pit, stop people using the lift and call your lift contractor. Never enter the pit yourself.
Who is responsible for water in a lift pit?
Usually the building owner deals with the leak and keeps water out of the pit, and the lift contractor checks and repairs the lift. LEIA’s code of practice treats removing water after ingress or flooding as outside normal maintenance, so check your contract and agree who does what.
Can I pump water out of a lift pit myself?
No. Only trained people may enter a lift pit, and only once the lift has been made safe. Your lift contractor can make the lift safe and arrange for the water to be removed.
Should a lift pit have a pump?
Not always. Some pits have a sump and pump, especially where groundwater is a risk. If yours does, LEIA’s code of practice notes that equipment such as pit pumps needs its own maintenance arrangements, so check who looks after it.