Home elevators are useful not only to transport people but also to carry bulky things and household items to different floors of the house. Picking the right home elevator can be daunting with so many models and types of elevators available in the market. One needs to consider several factors to ensure that they get the best value for their money when they install an elevator in their house. Here are some essential things to check out before getting a home elevator.
- Budget: The budget includes the cost of the elevator and its installation and maintenance. To save on installation cost and time, many homeowners usually purchase an elevator that does not need a separate machine room, pit, or a pre-construction shaft. Dealers usually offer competitive prices for home elevators. So, ensure that you shop around and get as many quotes as possible. Those looking for home elevators for medical purposes are often eligible for special pricing by dealers.
- Load capacity: The load capacity is the number of people the elevator can carry at a time. Elevators with lower weight capacity are a good choice if only one person is needed to be transported at a time. If the elevator is required to carry a person in a wheelchair, it is important to take into account the weight of the person as well as the wheelchair. Moreover, if additional things have to be transported regularly in the elevator, it is important to consider this extra weight as well.
- Safety features: Elevators should generally have some essential safety features; these include battery-operated emergency lowering, manual emergency lowering button, lighting and fan, emergency stop and alarm buttons, telephone, in-use indicator lights on hall stations, a non-skid platform, pressure relief valve for prevention of overload, an under-panel sensor to halt the elevator in case of an obstruction, open door sensors, electro-mechanical door locking system, infrared safety light curtain, mechanical emergency safety brake system, earthquake brackets, handrails, and automatic battery recharging system.
- Space: When it comes to home elevators, space is one of the most crucial factors. This is because most residential houses have limited space. This makes it necessary to consider models that make the best use of space. For example, there are some models that do not need a separate machine room or models that can be installed adjacent to a spiral staircase. There are even elevators that can be attached to a balcony or terrace. This type of models require minimum floor space and are the best for homes where space is limited.
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