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Residential Lifts: An Important Innovation

Who would have thought that a simple shaft or platform like an elevator can have an impact in the world today? From the moment the door closed until they reopened again at the designated floor, this little platform has literally transferred people and items from floor to floor unceasingly.

Elevators have been around for a long time and have been dated as far back as the 3rd century BC.  These early wheel and belt operated platforms have provided the possibility of a lift required that allow buildings and skyscrapers to dominate the skylines across the world. Now with technology innovation, these elevators have moved into homes, residential buildings and other commercial buildings to provide the comfort and convenience of lifting.

Elevators can also be credited for the progress of architecture and urban planning. The creation of an elevator has allowed for buildings to be constructed where land space is limited. This is even more so in Singapore with land constraint. Hence, buildings are needed and vertical conveyance in these buildings need to accommodate travelling from floor to floor. Now these technologies in elevators have moved into residential buildings, creating a different dynamic for its users and architecture, although it is at a much smaller scale. Thus, birth the Residential Lifts.

Residential Lifts

A residential lift is a small cage or platform with railings. It is created to serve the needs within a home or business buildings with less than 5 floors, especially in a home with only two floors. The residential lift is designed to fit into compact spaces without lessening the amount of usable space in a house. The residential lift is usually placed in a wall, near the stairways or at the side of the house rather than in the middle of the house for easy and convenient accessibility.

The Use of a Residential Lift

The residential lift serves many purposes. Here are examples of how a residential lift is deployed to serve its purpose in a home:

  1. Easy access from a garage built inside the house where you can be lower to the garage at the bottom of the house or vice versa.
  2. To transfer meals to different rooms without having to have a tray of heavy dishes up the stairs.
  3. To assist family members with a movement challenge to different sections of the home, especially for one who is wheelchair bound.
  4. For the elderly with knee problems or arthritis, the residential lift becomes a great helper where climbing can be avoided.
  5. To carry bulky and heavy items up and down the floors.

These are just some of the advantages of having a residential lift installed in the home. The phenomenal innovation of a residential lift has brought about a change in lifestyle and higher quality of living.

Types of Residential Lifts

Credits: Meyer Engineering Pte Ltd

There are many types of residential lifts available in the market. Every residential elevator has a lifting system attached to a compartment built into a hoist way. But they differ in the types of lifting mechanism used. You can opt for a smooth ride or energy saving. There are four main types of residential elevator available in the market today:

1. Roped Hydraulic Residential Elevators

This type of elevator combines the advantages of hydraulic systems with the ease of roped version. They are based around a hydraulic pump that is connected to a piston and pulley.  This elevator provides a smoother ride than many other systems. It is great for use in a home as they do not need an adjoining machine closet and you can place the supporting machinery wherever is most convenient in your home.

2. Pneumatic Vacuum Elevators for the Home

The PVE system is the newest innovation in the residential elevator design. They are revolutionary as they do not need any cables, chains, pistons, or counterweights. They made use of the hoist way itself as part of the lifting system. The elevator relies on precise atmospheric pressure to ascend. The energy is released slowly when the elevator descends. In this manner, the PVE system is considered an energy-conscious system as energy is needed to lift it and not to lower it.

3. Winding Drum & Counterweight Chain Drive Home Elevator Systems

This elevator type uses a revolving winch and counterweight age-old design to work. Many homeowners opt for this elevator system for two reasons. Firstly, the drum and motor are stored at the top or bottom of the hoist way where a machine closet is not necessary and the elevator’s footprint is small for space conscious home. Secondly, they are cheaper than the other elevator systems. This elevator is a good option if cost is a major consideration. The downside is a rougher and noisier ride, as well as inconsistent stopping point due to varying load weights which caused the elevator to stop at uneven exit points.

4. Traction Drive Elevator Systems

Traction drive elevator is rarely seen in home, but more in a commercial elevator systems. They are usually geared machines and make use of worm gears to control the mechanical movement of elevator cars by “rolling” steel hoist ropes over a drive sheave which is in turn connected to a high-speed motor gearbox.

Depending on your purpose and intended use of a residential lift, this great innovation has served and impacted social and architectural changes in many ways. Its cost efficiency, energy saving and multiple functions can help you to move in the house effortlessly and helping many where movement is restricted. Moreover, without a doubt, the modern residential lift has its own design that undoubtedly is able to suit your taste and needs. Install one today in your home!

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