Home Elevators

Home elevators have become very popular today in part due to their overall affordability. Many elderly and disabled people have learned the benefits of having an elevator installed in their homes to help them to gain more mobility. In the past, those who could not travel between floors using stairs would be forced to live in a one story home or purchase stair lifts to give them the opportunity to travel to the second story. Today, elevators are available for residential use and they are much more convenient and easy to navigate than a traditional stair lift.

Types of Home Elevators

There are many different types of home elevators on the market today. Many are better suited for specific needs than others. If you are planning to purchase and have a home elevator installed it is important that you learn about the various types that are available in order to select the one that is best for your individual needs. There are a few different manufacturers that provide these products and with any device it is important that you choose your home elevator from a reputable manufacturer to ensure that you receive a quality and durable device. Many designs require that you have the appropriate space for the machine room that operates the elevator while others simply require enough space for the elevator car as well as a few inches in all sides for movement of the car in the shaft.

Different Motions

The most popular type of home elevator today uses hydraulic movement. This type is considered to be much safer and more reliable than other designs. If you live in an area that is prone to earthquakes for instance then a hydraulic motion elevator is the best choice. The machine room for hydraulic elevators is typically installed in the basement and this design offers a manual operated lowering system which is very beneficial in certain emergencies. The traction or electric motion is another fairly popular design although it does not provide safety during certain emergencies. If your power goes out then you do not have use of the elevator unless you have it hooked up to a gasoline powered generator. If you live in an area that typically sees earthquakes or certain weather related conditions then you may not have use of the elevator during certain situations. Electric elevators do not use machine rooms and they are typically not nearly as stable as hydraulic designs. Pneumatic lift elevators are another type of motion that does not have machine rooms. This design uses a vacuum movement force that moves the elevator car between the floors in the home. Pneumatic elevators typically only fit two people at a time and may not be large enough to accommodate someone in a wheelchair so this is something to keep in mind when choosing the elevator motion type that is right for your needs. Of course, without the use of a machine room, pneumatic and electric elevator types are much less expensive than hydraulic elevators so if cost is an issue then these may be a good choice for you.