Residential properties whether apartment complexes or individual homes that consist of more than a single floor, require elevator machines to transport the residents and goods between the various levels. This is not a mere luxury element any more. With the evolution of residential apartments into complexes with multiple stages and even home offices, residential elevators have become a necessity.

Naturally, engineering and design joined forces and after a number of trials and errors, and the elimination of several models of residential lifts, four primary kinds of elevator designs emerged as the winners. These are the most commonly used home elevators, and each of them have their own unique features, as we will learn further.

Pneumatic Vacuum Elevators 

Fondly given the acronym PVE, these elevators are the best of the designs that the human brain has come up with thus far. Considered to be perhaps the most radical elevator design for residential properties, these lifts eliminate the need for chains, counterweights, pistons and cables. Instead, the tank is built in such a manner that the parts all fit perfectly together, and consequently, the precise atmospheric pressure is maintained above and below the car. In an ingeniously simple move, when the pressure above the cab is reduced, the elevator moves up to fill the vacuum. Similarly, when the same thing is executed below the car the elevator moves downward.

Roped Hydraulic Residential Lifts

The best elements of ripe systems and hydraulic science have been blended together to create roped hydraulic lifts. The basic design involves a hydraulic pump that is connected to a pulley and a piston. The usage of steel cables which are secured to the shaft, wrapped around the pulley and finally attached to the sling that supports the cab makes the roped hydraulic lift function in a much smoother manner than most other elevator systems.

These elevators do not require any additional room for machinery. Only the primary space for the body of the elevator is needed.

Winding Drum and Counterweight Systems

This is based on an older school of thought. An electric motor winds a cable through the drum. This has the effect of lifting up and lowering the elevator car and the counterweight as required. This model of elevating system has two primary advantages. For one thing, they are priced at a more affordable range when compared to roped hydraulic elevators and PVE models. And for another, the motor and the drum components do not require a separate closet. On the downside, the elevator ride is noisier. Also, if the design is improperly executed, the termination point of the lift after each ride may vary, thus creating an elevation or a shortfall in the exit point.

Gearless Traction Elevators

Until recently, these elevators were more commonly used in commercial establishments as opposed to residential complexes. However, with homes becoming increasingly sophisticated, the gearless traction elevator is slowly but steadily marking its territory on the home front as well.

In a gearless traction elevator, the wheel is connected to the motor directly. These elevators have one important advantage over their peers – they are capable of rising up to a couple of thousand feet. As a result, they are the only viable options for high rise apartment complexes. They are also faster than their hydraulic counterparts.