If you are considering the addition of a home elevator, you may wonder how the installation process works. Whether new construction or renovation, your construction team will focus on these four main parts during the installation of a residential elevator: the hoistway, the machine room, the structure and the elevator car.
1. Elevator Hoistway
The pit, which is the space below the lowest landing that allows the elevator floor to become flush with the lowest landing floor.
The travel, which is the distance from the lowest floor to the uppermost floor.
The overhead, which is the amount of space required for the elevator to level up to the uppermost floor, and maintain adequate clearance above the car to the ceiling of the shaft.
2. The Machine Room
The machine room is where the functional components of the elevator will be installed. This room will normally contain the control box, hydraulic tank, or drum motor and cables. A machine room typically requires a 30” wide x 36” deep working space in front of the controller.
Certain elevator drives do not require a machine room; these elevators are often referred to as machine-room-less (MRL) elevators. If you have the desire and ability to use an MRL elevator, the motor and controller will be mounted inside the elevator shaft, typically at the top of the hoistway.
3. The Structure
The elevator structure anchors to a wall in the shaft. It consists of the guide rails, rail brackets, counterweight system, and some mechanical devices that will vary depending on the drive system. The elevator car will travel up and down on the structure. The structure is the part of the home elevator that transmits power.
4. The Car
The elevator car is the final part of the elevator. This is the part that the user gets to see, and can be customized to obtain the look you want for your home. Read more on home elevator customization here.
