It's an ongoing debate in Australia, how safe or how secure are elevators in the home?
Commercial lifts and residential lifts are both equally safe. However, it’s important to get your home elevators installed by a reliable home elevator company.
If you still have your concerns, don’t worry. In this article we are going to address some of the most common safety issues people have with home compact lifts, as well as features that help improve their safety.
Australian standards every elevator must adhere to
The University of Melbourne summarised the major compliance points for home elevators as:
- The elevator must have a minimum 600mm handrail adjacent to the COP
- The floor dimensions must not be less than 1,100mm by 1,400mm
- There has to be a compliant lift entrance protection system
- There has to be a minimum clear door opening space of 900mm
- There has to be appropriate lighting
- There must be an emergency hands-free self-dialling push button system installed on the elevator with audible feedback
- There has to be an alarm button that illuminates when emergency communication has been made
- There must be designed car operating panels
- Levelling accuracy of 6mm
- There has to be visible, tactile, and audible information when the car lands at a floor
- There has to be call buttons per the requirements
The main safety concerns people have with a home elevator
Most people’s safety concerns include:
Getting stuck in the elevator
Few people fear falling in the elevator, but more fear getting stuck. So, can you get stuck in a home elevator? I can confidently tell you now that this fear is now quite outdated, and is very rare thanks to advancements in elevator technology.
Most elevators come with a backup battery system that makes sure you are lowered to safety and can exit the elevator.
In the absolute worst case, your elevator will have an in-cabin calling system or phone number so you can call an elevator support service.
Free falling
Although very few people fear a lift free falling, there are still some that are cautious. Home lifts have been equipped with a number of safety features that prevent the cabin from free falling.
One of these features is the spring loaded brake, which makes sure the lift always has a fail-safe way to stop safely and quickly.
Small children
In the early days of home elevators sometimes small children could get stuck between the shaft door and the cabin door. This problem has been removed in new elevators by making that space too small for a child to fit, as well as safety locks so children won’t be able to access the area and get stuck in the first place.
Are home elevators safer than stairs?
The short answer, YES.
Why?
Well, the reason is that the chance of anything going wrong within an elevator is extremely low if you use a reliable elevator company for your installation. So low in fact that it's probably more likely that you trip and fall on the stairs than get stuck in an elevator.
Elevators are especially safer than stairs if you’re older or suffer from mobility concerns. If this is the case, stairs pose a significant safety risk while an elevator can take you safely to whichever level of the house you choose.
iNVER-iQ safety measurement system
iNVER-iQ, (or innovative virtual elevator reporting system) will make sure your elevator has little downtime and is as safe as possible.
iNVER-iQ has:
- Real-time fault logging to prevent unexpected breakdowns
- Simple troubleshooting and system resets
- Completely managed services by a reputable elevator company
- Less breakdowns which will save you money in the long run
Why should you get a compact home lift?
Chances are if you’ve landed on this article, you’re either wondering why you should get a domestic lift or you’re considering what type of lift to get. If you’re on the fence about the first question, let me tell you some of the reasons why lifts for houses are a good idea:
- An elevator will greatly improve the accessibility of your home
- An elevator is safer to travel on than a flight of stairs
- Small residential lifts use less space than a flight of stairs
- A home lift will increase the value of your property
- A residential elevator can work in with the design of your home
- A residential lift will future-proof your home
Things you should consider before installing a home elevator
The first thing to remember when installing an elevator is to take out any guess work and instead make an educated assessment/plan. There’s a couple things you should first consider:
- How much will installing an elevator cost?
- What is your budget?
- What will it look like?
- What type of lift do you need?
- Who is the right professional to install it?
Where is the best place to get an elevator for a forever home?
If you want to future-proof your home with an affordable and highly customisable residential lift, look no further than Platinum Elevators. With Platinum Elevators, you can restore your independence to live comfortably and move about your home freely. Platinum Elevators has:
- Compact home lifts
- Small house lifts/small residential lifts
- Lifts which are able to be customised to your needs
- Affordable options
- Lifts to meet accessibility requirements
- Retrofit solutions
If you are considering a home elevator, all you need to do is get in touch with one of our friendly elevator experts. Do this and you can be sure your home is the perfect forever destination you’ve always dreamed of!