You’ll probably run into different terms while looking for an elevator or lift for your house, which can add unnecessary confusion to the process. Although phrases like “home lift” and “elevator lift” are frequently used synonymously, you may have observed that the connotations of these terms can vary depending on who you are conversing with.
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So, is there actually a distinction between a lift and an elevator? In any case, what is an elevator lift or a home lift? These are all frequent inquiries, and we are happy to assist with the responses!
How Do You Use a Home Lift?
Any lift or elevator placed in a residential residence is referred to as a home lift. Why the evasive response? because in the US, “home lift” is not a technical phrase. Rather, it is a generic phrase that is employed in various ways by various individuals and institutions. In the United States, a variety of lifts and elevators intended for residential usage are referred to as “home lifts” due to this expansive meaning.
Residential Elevators
A house elevator, also known as a domestic elevator, is the most popular type of residential lift equipment that is referred to as a home lift. To get technical, the engineering safety regulation, ASME A17.1 Section 5.3, refers to these house elevators as “Private Residence Elevators,” although in our experience, only the engineers and inspectors refer to them in that official manner.
A few characteristics of bigger, full-size passenger elevators are shared by home elevators, which are a separate type of elevators. Nevertheless, they differ in a few important aspects.
Commercial elevator similarities
The following are some similarities between bigger business elevators and domestic elevators:
Fully enclosed car: In accordance with ASME A17.1 safety rule, house elevators are required to have a fully enclosed cabin, or car, in contrast to other lifts that are detailed below.
Automatic operation: Just like in a hotel or tall building, home elevators operate via “momentary pressure” controls, which allow you to press and release a button to direct the elevator to travel in the direction indicated by the button, assuming that all power and safety circuits have been properly turned on.
Redundant safety devices: In the extremely unlikely event that the drive system or “means of suspension” (which are also redundant) fail, home elevators must also have similar safety devices to prevent freefall. These devices are spring-loaded safety brakes that bite into the metal support structure to stop any downward movement. As required by code and local elevator authorities, this, in our experience, only occurs when purposely engaged during inspections carried out by qualified elevator and lift technicians.
The Way That Home Lifts Are Not Like Other Elevators
Larger passenger elevators and house elevators differ in a few key ways, including:
Size: A house elevator’s interior vehicle area typically measures 12 to 15 square feet. This is about half the size of an elevator vehicle at a typical hotel.
Speed: The ASME A17.1 home elevator safety rule sets a 40 feet per minute maximum speed restriction for house elevators. You will usually spend less than a minute using the house elevator. Commercial high-rise elevators, on the other hand, have a maximum speed of several hundred feet per minute, contingent upon the use.
Doors: A lot of house elevators are still placed behind swing doors and an alternative type of auto gate, such a vintage-looking scissors elevator gate, even though residential-style elevators with commercial-style sliding elevator doors are becoming increasingly popular.
Requirements for maintenance: Monthly maintenance is usually necessary for business elevators that are used often. But LULA lifts only require maintenance every three months. Home elevators, on the other hand, require maintenance just once every six months on average. When compared to the owners of public buildings, homeowners can save money thanks to this maintenance schedule.
Cost: Depending on your preferences, the price of a residential elevator can range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars for large passenger elevators. Custom, upscale, luxurious house elevators can sometimes cost more than $100,000. The warranty and installation are included in these costs. The surrounding building’s construction (carpentry, electricity hook-up, etc.) is usually quoted separately.
Additional Home Lift Types
There are various kinds of lifts for houses that can also be referred to as “home lifts,” in addition to the home elevators mentioned above (and below in the next section).
The following categories of domestic lifting equipment may be referred to as “home lifts” by some individuals and businesses:
In-home stair lifts: Also referred to as staircase chairlifts, stair lifts transport people up and down stairs by means of a seat that is fixed to a rail that travels along a series of stair treads.
Wheelchair lifts for homes: Also known as vertical platform lifts, these mobility aids enable the vertical movement of a wheelchair user between levels.
Dummy waiters, sometimes known as dumbwaiters for homes, are exclusively utilized to move goods between levels; humans or animals are never placed on them.
Home elevators that are mounted in the ceiling: These devices, also known as ceiling track lifts, move persons from one room to another by use of a lift bar and a sling that fastens to the track.
When referring to various different kinds of house lifts, the phrase “home lift” is frequently used because it is a generic one rather than a technical one.