Thread: Residential lifts - anyone have one

Hi Arron

Can't help you with the experience of living with a lift, though a strata management company might be able to provide anecdotes.

Another thought, based on a discussion had in a thread on phase converters some time ago -- installing a lift might require that you run 3 ph power to the house. This may or may not be a bad idea. It is possible that a typical rural single phase earth return supply is not up to running a lift.

Since posting this I’ve encountered 3 lifts, and actually ridden in 2 of them. All run on regular 240 volt sockets.

This came about from going for evening walks in Patonga and just chatting to people we encountered doing their gardens etc. it seems every new house these days is getting one.

Lifts have changed a lot in the last few years.

Cost range 25 to 50k for these three.

I’d still like to hear from those who have one.

I've seen stairway lifts installed on normal staircases here in Japan, possibly a cheaper alternative.

Don't have one but am putting one in to a project at the moment. Domestic lifts have very small cars and travel slowly. We are using a small commercial lift from Schindler, circa 60K for 3 levels.

Tools

You will almost certainly need a maintenance contract so if the lift breaks down there is a company to call particularly if someone is stuck inside. They will probably need some arrangement so they can access the property without assistance.

Originally Posted by Tools

Don't have one but am putting one in to a project at the moment. Domestic lifts have very small cars and travel slowly. We are using a small commercial lift from Schindler, circa 60K for 3 levels.

Tools

Actually, I thought the speeds were quite acceptable - but I can see that it wouldn't do in a commercial environment. One I travelled in was small circular thing limited to 200kg. Enough room for me, the owner and not much else. We would be quite happy with that model. The other was a square one which was bigger - the owner described it as the rolls Royce. German make. He said it was $38k to buy, but cost $50k installed. There was me and the owner in it, and quite a bit of spare space, although running off 240 volt I expect it wouldn't have been able to carry much more payload then us two. It is designed with wheelchairs in mind, apparently.

In any case, speed is something to watch out for so thanks for putting it on the table.

I expect the Schindler lift is 3 phase. Is that right ?

All this is coming about because the demographic is changing - more old people, more double storey houses, more independent-minded people wanting to stay in their homes.

Stairlifts are indeed an alternative. Our neighbours two doors up built their house with a very wide staircase to accommodate a stairlift. Ill have to see what happened there.

Still keen to hear from people who have a lift. Pitfalls etc.

cheers
Arron

Originally Posted by Handyjack

You will almost certainly need a maintenance contract so if the lift breaks down there is a company to call particularly if someone is stuck inside. They will probably need some arrangement so they can access the property without assistance.

Yes, good point.
One of the owners I spoke to said it also needed to be inspected yearly, by WorkCover, at $500 per time. And he had to install an independent phone inside the lift, in case of breakdowns. He said it needed to be 'on the copper wire' - though I didn't really get what he meant as all this district's landlines are on the old copper network as fibre to node.

Should have said also that the 60K was only the lift and installation but not the lift shaft. residential lifts can often just be a stud walled shaft.

Our lift is 3-phase.

Tools

Have seen a couple of homes with residential lifts. One was fully hydraulic at the end of the hallway near the master bedroom. Entry was via a doorway the same as the rest of the upstairs doors so hidded from general view. The other was electrical using cables. It was was a free standing unit fitted later after build attached to the residence.

This may give you some clues (don't know the company). https://www.compactlifts.com.au/wp-c...20Brochure.pdf

Originally Posted by Nifty Nev

Have seen a couple of homes with residential lifts. One was fully hydraulic at the end of the hallway near the master bedroom. Entry was via a doorway the same as the rest of the upstairs doors so hidded from general view. The other was electrical using cables. It was was a free standing unit fitted later after build attached to the residence.

This may give you some clues (don't know the company). https://www.compactlifts.com.au/wp-c...20Brochure.pdf

Yep, that’s the sort of thing we were thinking of. No lift shaft, no well, just a hole in the floor, a couple of posts, and an acrylic capsule.

There are dozens of makers of these now. One of the lifts in Patonga was like that, a retrofit to an older house. As the elderly lady owner remembers it, it arrived in the morning on a truck with three guys who fitted it and were done by midday.

You can buy complete units like these from China for $10k landed - not that I’m interested in going that route - prefer reputable local vendor etc.

Originally Posted by Arron

One of the owners I spoke to said it also needed to be inspected yearly, by WorkCover, at $500 per time. And he had to install an independent phone inside the lift, in case of breakdowns. He said it needed to be 'on the copper wire' - though I didn't really get what he meant as all this district's landlines are on the old copper network as fibre to node.

VOIP, what you get with the NBN, needs a power source at both ends. So I think he means that the phone in the lift needs to work during any power outage. Should the power fail, the "copper network" is powered by a generator or UPS in the local exchange. Not sure what happens with a copper wire hooked up to a fibre-to-the-node junction.

Originally Posted by Arron

Actually, I thought the speeds were quite acceptable - but I can see that it wouldn't do in a commercial environment. One I travelled in was small circular thing limited to 200kg. Enough room for me, the owner and not much else. We would be quite happy with that model. The other was a square one which was bigger - the owner described it as the rolls Royce. German make. He said it was $38k to buy, but cost $50k installed. There was me and the owner in it, and quite a bit of spare space, although running off 240 volt I expect it wouldn't have been able to carry much more payload then us two. It is designed with wheelchairs in mind, apparently.

In any case, speed is something to watch out for so thanks for putting it on the table.

I expect the Schindler lift is 3 phase. Is that right ?

All this is coming about because the demographic is changing - more old people, more double storey houses, more independent-minded people wanting to stay in their homes.

Still keen to hear from people who have a lift. Pitfalls etc.

one pitfall I can think of is how lifts are rated. In terms of lifts, a "standard person" weighs in at just under 67 kg -- or did the last few times I did the maths in my head. So a "3 person lift" might struggle with a 100kg person, wheel chair and attendant.

I've done work for an older couple who have a stair lift. It appears to be reasonably reliable, runs on regular household power but it does cost them a bit in maintenance. It apparently needs adjusting and lubrication of the track a couple of times per year. Batteries last a couple of years. In the two year's I've been doing work for them they've had the lift company out a half dozen times with bills ranging from about $300 to near $1000. A person who's handy with tools and capable of working on it could cut that toll down quite a bit.

Originally Posted by Tools

Should have said also that the 60K was only the lift and installation but not the lift shaft. residential lifts can often just be a stud walled shaft.

Our lift is 3-phase.

Tools

Ok. A couple of years ago I would have insisted 3 phase was mandatory in our new house build - so I could run woodwork and metalwork machines. Now I’m not so sure - with three very well equipped men’s sheds nearby I’m thinking why have all the mess and dust and noise at home. Maybe just have a small workspace at home for clean, quiet things, and do the grunt work at the Men’s shed. I can’t compete with the equipment they have anyway.

I never realised how dirty our place was till after we moved. Even though there was no obvious connection between my workshop and the house it got through everything. My wife used to tell me but I dismissed it. Now I’m thinking don’t go back.