There are many types of home elevators on the market, with different sizes and technical details. For many families who are building or renovating their homes, one important question comes up: What kinds of home elevators are there? How do you choose the right one? If you have the same question, this guide will help you.
What Is a Home Elevator?
A home elevator, also called a villa elevator or residential elevator, is an elevator installed in a private home for use by one family. The rated speed of a home elevator should not be more than 0.4 m/s, and if there is no car door, the speed should not be more than 0.3 m/s. The travel height should not be more than 12 meters, and the rated load should not be more than 400 kg.
Home elevators are mainly divided into three structures: traction elevators, screw elevators, and hydraulic elevators. They can be installed indoors or outdoors.
Types of Home Elevators
There are many kinds of home elevators. We can divide them by power system and by structure.
By Power
By power, home elevators can be divided into three types: hydraulic, screw, and traction.
Hydraulic Home Elevator
A hydraulic home elevator moves by pushing liquid, usually hydraulic oil, to make the elevator go up and down. The main advantage is that it needs little space. It only needs a small shaft and can look simple and modern. The price is also lower. But the disadvantages are that the speed is slow (usually less than 0.2 meters per second), and the noise is higher. If the pipes are not well sealed, oil may leak. So hydraulic elevators are often used in small villas with limited space and more often for carrying goods.
Screw Home Elevator
A screw home elevator works by turning a nut along the screw rail to move the elevator up, just like turning a screw.
It also needs little space and looks simple.
But it is slow (about 0.25 meters per second) and makes some noise and shaking while turning. The screw parts can wear out over time, so maintenance costs are higher.
Traction Home Elevator
What is a traction home elevator? Simply put, it uses steel ropes to pull the elevator car up. There are two kinds.The first is a forced traction elevator. It has no counterweight. It lifts the car by strong pulling power.
Its advantage is that it saves shaft space because there is no counterweight.
But the disadvantage is that it needs a stronger motor (about four times the power of a normal one). It uses more energy, makes more noise, and is not good for tall houses with high floors.
The second is a counterweight traction elevator. It uses balance—one side has a counterweight that matches the car’s weight. A pulley system moves the car up or down.
A counterweight traction elevator can be built in two ways.
One is the gantry type. It uses four steel ropes or belts to lift the car smoothly. This is the oldest and most reliable design.
Its advantage is smooth and quiet travel, with a speed up to 0.4 meters per second. It is used in many shopping malls and office buildings.
But it needs more space. The top floor must have a machine room and a height over 2.6 meters. The shaft pit also needs at least 15 cm of space for buffer devices. The shaft must have guide rails on all sides, so it takes up more space—usually 1.3 meters or more.
Another type is the backpack traction elevator. It lifts the car using one side rail, like a forklift lifting a platform.
It is a kind of platform elevator.
Its advantage is stable, quiet, and fast operation.
But since it uses one side rail, the rail can bend over time, making the ride less smooth.
By Structure
Home elevators can also be divided by structure into two types: platform home elevators and cabin home elevators.
Platform Home Elevator
A platform home elevator has no enclosed car. It lifts people or things on a platform. The outside is usually covered by glass, like a sightseeing elevator. Its main advantages are lower price and flexible design. Hydraulic, screw, and even traction systems can all be made into platform-style elevators. But since it has no enclosed cabin, people or objects can touch the shaft, which can be unsafe. Many modern platform elevators add a light curtain sensor. If someone touches the shaft, the elevator stops automatically.
Enclosed Home Elevator
A enclosed home elevator is the most common type. It has a closed cabin inside the shaft, which makes it safer. It can serve more floors and move faster, and it can use traction, screw, or hydraulic systems. The only disadvantage is that the cost is higher than a platform elevator.
Home Elevator Door Opening Styles
After learning about the types of home elevators, let’s look at how the doors open. Home elevator doors are usually divided into center-opening, side-opening, and swing-opening types.
Center-Opening Door
Center-opening doors are the most common type. The two panels slide open from the middle to both sides. This type is the most stable, has the lowest failure rate, and opens quickly. But it needs more shaft width to open properly.
Side-Opening Door
Side-opening doors move in the same direction, folding together on one side. Compared to center-opening doors, side-opening ones can open wider. However, they make the door thicker, need more shaft depth, and have a higher failure rate. They are also a bit noisier and less stable than center-opening doors.
Swing Door
Swing doors are common in screw, forced traction, and traction platform home elevators. They open outward like normal house doors, and the width is almost the same as the cabin width. They are often made of glass, giving a bright and modern look that fits home interiors. This design also helps make the door opening as wide as possible.
Average Cost of Home Elevators
Hydraulic Home Elevators
The price of hydraulic home elevators ranges from $20,000 to $30,000. Strictly speaking, hydraulic elevators are not true home elevators. They have a simple design and mechanical structure, with fewer safety features. For this reason, they are not recommended for use.
Traction Home Elevators
The price of traction home elevators ranges from $80,000 to $150,000. The price can vary a lot depending on the brand, floor height, configuration, and size.
Screw Home Elevators
Screw home elevators cost more than $150,000. These elevators are less common and there are fewer manufacturers, so their price is much higher than traction elevators. The maintenance costs are also higher.
How to Choose the Right Home Elevator
1. Choose Based on Shaft Size
If the shaft space is large enough, it’s best to choose a traction elevator because it runs smoothly and uses less power. If the shaft space is small, you can choose a screw, forced traction, or hydraulic elevator.
Traction elevators can be divided into two types: the gantry type, which pulls on both sides, and the backpack type, which pulls on one side. If your space allows, it’s better to choose the gantry traction elevator.
2. Choose Based on Budget
Right now, top international brands cost around 200,000 RMB for a four-stop elevator. You can choose based on your budget and the brand’s service.
If you want a glass sightseeing shaft, it will cost about 60,000–80,000 RMB more. Some people choose to buy directly from the elevator manufacturer, because the factory can adjust parts and brands based on your budget. This helps reduce costs. If you don’t care much about brand names, buying directly from the manufacturer is a good option.
Cost order: Traction < Hydraulic < Screw
Appearance order: Glass shaft: Screw > Traction = Hydraulic Concrete shaft: Almost no difference
Safety order: Screw > Hydraulic > Traction
Ease of installation: Screw > Hydraulic > Traction
3. Check Safety Devices
When buying a home elevator, don’t only look for “safety features.” Check how many safety protections it has.
Some elevators say they have “anti-fall” systems, but only have one safety method. If that fails, it can be dangerous.
A reliable home elevator should have four layers of safety,Safety gear,Speed limiter,Buffer,Anti-fall nut (for screw elevators). Even if one fails, the others still work. Also, there should be an infrared light curtain to stop the door from closing if something blocks it, a door lock system to keep the door closed while moving, and an emergency leveling system to reach the nearest floor if powegoes out.
4. Consider After-Sales Service
If you buy a branded elevator, after-sales service is an important sign of how reliable the company is. Usually, home elevators need maintenance 2–4 times a year. The cost should be less than 3,000 RMB each year. Make sure the maintenance is done by the factory or installation company, and they should give you an official report each time.
5. Plan for Future Needs
Many families only think about the present when buying a home elevator and forget about future needs. If you have elderly people at home, make sure the cabin is wide enough for a wheelchair (at least 0.9 meters). Choose large buttons, voice announcements, and an easy control panel. If you often move furniture or large items, the cabin height should be more than 2.2 meters, and the door width should be more than 0.8 meters. Otherwise, some items may not fit inside.
Tip: If possible, choose a closed shaft elevator instead of a sightseeing glass one. A glass shaft can easily collect dust inside, and you can see it clearly, which affects how it looks.
Important Notes When Choosing a Home Elevator
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First, choose the elevator type based on your house condition, then consider your budget. The price is usually higher for screw elevators, then hydraulic, and lowest for traction.
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Decide on the elevator during the design stage of your house. The elevator affects the space, construction, and wiring, so choosing it early helps your designer plan correctly.
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Check carefully what the price includes and if there will be extra costs later. Focus on what kind of quality you get for the price.
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Different brands use different frame colors and materials. The strength and color can vary a lot. If possible, look at real samples to avoid surprises.
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Every elevator is custom-made, and each brand has different size and drive system needs. Don’t assume that if one brand can’t do it, others can’t either. Also, don’t use one company’s shaft design or size for another brand—especially when the shaft is small or narrow.
Conclusion
Buying a home elevator is really an investment for the next ten years of your life. Instead of focusing on small price differences, it’s better to think about what really matters: how easy the elevator is to maintain, how safe and reliable it will be, how well it fits your space, and how comfortable it is to use every day.
The true value of a home elevator is not about how much money you spend when you buy it, but about how much time and trouble it saves your family and how much comfort it brings over the years.
