A residential lift can be a great piece of equipment in your home, as it means keeping you or someone else safe if they have health problems that make stairs a difficulty. It can also make it easier for someone in a wheelchair to stay in their own home rather than having to move to a more accessible one-story house or assisted living. Elevators can also simply be a convenience for those hauling heavy laundry baskets and other items up and down stairs! Whatever your reasons for wanting a residential lift in your home, note a few considerations for making your choice.

Weight

It's easy to think that all elevators are strong enough to carry any and all passengers, but this isn't the case. Vacuum elevators are usually the most lightweight of all models and, therefore, have a very low weight limit. It can be difficult to admit that these are not the right choice for someone who is obese, but that weight limit needs to be checked and followed. Vacuum lifts may even be too weak to accommodate the weight of an individual and a wheelchair at once. If you're choosing an elevator for someone with mobility devices, be sure you've weighed them together and choose an elevator that is strong enough to accommodate.

Installation

Vacuum elevators may be lightweight, but they require the least amount of demolition for their installation. They work on a vacuum force in the tube or shaft of the elevator. A hydraulic elevator may offer more power, but a pit must be dug in your home to accommodate the pistons that create the hydraulic force to move the elevator. If you want a heavy-duty commercial elevator, you would need space on your roof for the small machinery that operates the gears and chains. Not only do these things add to the cost of an elevator installation, but it may mean more work to bring your home back to its original condition should you ever have the elevator taken out.

Maintenance

A vacuum elevator requires very little maintenance; it may need to be checked for cracks or leaks in the shaft, but there are few moving parts that might fail. A hydraulic elevator may need to have the pistons changed periodically if they should start to develop leaks over time. A mechanical elevator means having to keep it oiled and replace worn gears, chains, and the like. Be sure you understand long-term maintenance needs and costs between these models when making your choice.