How to Buy Residential Elevators
Residential elevators provide a great solution to accessibility problems for elderly or disabled people, allowing them to remain safely in their multi-storied homes. Aside from convenience and mobility, an elevator helps to safely transport heavy items from floor to floor, such as laundry, groceries, and meals. A home elevator may be simply a stair-lift mounted directly on a staircase in the home, or it could be a cab-type that lifts vertically. Home elevators come in various forms, defined largely by the technology that drives each one: Vacuum drive, roped-hydraulic drive, winding drum or counter-weighted chain drive. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Choose the type of elevator to be installed. Elevators are defined by the type of drive, and the choice depends upon budget, structural limitations of the home, and state and local building codes. Hydraulic drive and winding drum elevators, for example, require a separate machine room, but vacuum drive or pneumatic elevators do not. Consider the door size for wheelchair accessibility.
-
2
Locate the elevator for both ease of accessibility as well as for ease of construction. An elevator built onto the outside of a home requires little or no rerouting of wiring or ductwork. Do not replace a staircase with an elevator, as this strategy typically decreases the value of the home. Elevators come in free-standing models should the architecture of the home permit such a configuration.
-
-
3
Determine the electrical power requirements of the elevator. Though some models need only a 110 volt, 20-amp circuit, others require 220 volts on a 30-amp circuit in addition to the 110 volt line. Make certain that the home electrical system matches the power needs of the elevator.
-
4
Go for a test ride in a variety of home elevator models. Either find friends or acquaintances who own an elevator, or ask a dealer for customers willing to share their experience. A showroom installation will not offer the same evaluation opportunity as one that gets daily use in a home. Evaluate the elevator for noise level, ease of use and smoothness of operation.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
An elevator should be maintained at least once per year.
Include a battery-powered emergency phone in a home elevator. A handful of people die each year trapped in elevators during extended power or equipment failures.
Some states do not allow vacuum drive elevators or models without machine rooms.
References
- Photo Credit ascenseurs image by photlook from Fotolia.com
