Guide for Choosing What Types of Elevator You Need
It takes a huge amount of details and times to complete a construction project and you must choose the right structure and design for this building so that you can build a strong foundation. However, if you are way to build a multi stored construction project, then you have to think about how people can reach one floor to another floor. It is very natural that stair is the must taken choice. But if it’s a high class multi stored building, installing an elevator will be more convenient, faster and reduce the mobility limitations. That’s the important role of elevator that it eases the task of placing the people of one place to another and maintaining the class.
What is an Elevator?
Elevator is an important platform which lifts and lowering the people and goods. Usually, an elevator can be closed or open. In the past, most of the multi story buildings don’t have elevator due to less knowledge and benefits of elevator. Moreover, elevator is costly and it has to take a lot of maintenance.
But there is a time when elevator had been evolves in three story buildings. Because there are so many physically disable people and needs to lift the good in upper story building. So, it will be tough through stair. That’s when elevator becomes mandatory in multistory building.
How Elevators Work?
Well, elevator is invents for the purpose of transporting people and goods and still unchanged from the very beginning. The most common Otis safety system is still use in every types of elevator from the starting of 1850s.
At first, the control system is very stable of elevators. But nowadays, elevator use more modern, fast, and secure control system to ensure the peoples security.
The main purpose of counterweight is to reduce the weight of the load which is lifted by the motor and keep control with the cables intact. One of the most important things is the elevator car should made of steel in order to ensure durability and strength. The pulley is place in held by an elevator shaft which is made of hoist cables.
Moreover, in modern elevator, there are more secure and additional technology is added. Some of elevator has phone so that you can call in occupant in emergency. And others have a trap door so that you can escape in critical situations.
According to uses, elevators are installing in a building by its population capacity and how much it should works. Like if you have a product wise building, you need large elevator that can place cargo one to another floor. But if you want to install elevator in hospital, the elevator car door should be open in both way.
Types of Elevator
There are basically four types of elevator which is hydraulic, traction, machine room less (MRL) and vacuum. In the past, most of elevators are controlled by a machine room. But now there is no more elevator machine room needed. Because this modern elevator has inbuilt safety mechanism.
Traction Elevator
Traction elevator is separated in two categories which is geared traction and gearless traction elevator.
Traction elevator is base on ropes which is passing over the wheel attached to the motor that are located above the shaft. Traction elevators are running by the ropes which are always lifting and lower the elevator car. Traction elevator has some beneficial site like it is much faster than hydraulic elevator and can be use for both medium and high rise applications.
Gear Traction Elevator
Gear traction elevator has a gearbox attach to the motor. The main function of the gear is to power the motor to move the ropes. The speed of this gear traction elevator is 500 feet per minute and maximum distance is 250 feet at a time.
Gearless Traction Elevator
Gearless traction elevator doesn’t need any gear for speed and travel. Gearless traction elevator can move faster than fear traction elevator as it can move at 2000 feet per minute and maximum distance is 2000 feet. So, it can provide excellent services through its cracking features. The best uses of gearless traction elevator are in skyscrapers.
Hydraulic Elevator
Hydraulic elevator is powered and base on bottom place piston which provides power and support. When the elevator car should be going up, the electric motor forces hydraulic fluid down the piston. But when the elevator should go down, from the piston, the valve releases hydraulic fluid. Usually hydraulic elevator are use in 8 story buildings and the similarity between hydraulic elevator and gear traction elevator is, both of this elevator can travel maximum 200 feet per minute.
We will discuss a lot about hydraulic elevator in below:
Roped Hydraulic Elevator
Roped hydraulic elevator is not the only medium that increase the motion of the elevator but piston are also use in this type of hydraulic elevator to that job. However, this elevator can travel up to 60 feet per minute.
Hole less Hydraulic Elevator
The hole less hydraulic elevator doesn’t have any hole to fix pit rather it has telescoping piston at the base of the pits. This telescoping piston will allow this hydraulic elevator travel up to 50 feet per minute. But there is also non-telescoping piston that can go 20 feet per minute.
Hydraulic elevators are the most famous elevator due to its less price and low maintenance cost than other elevator. Moreover, hydraulic elevator utilizes its energy totally as it uses electric motor which works against gravity. But you have to aware about hydraulic fluids. Because a small leak of fluid can cause creating a dangerous situation.
MRL Elevator
Sometimes elevator has machine room attach above the elevator shaft and it fitted with the override space so that it can be use whenever it needs to maintain. Machine Room Less elevator can travel up to 250 feet and the speed of this elevator is 500 feet per minute.
This type of elevator is famous for its conserving energy and consuming less space while constructing in mid raise construction.
Vacuum Elevator
One of the most ultramodern elevator types of this era is vacuum elevator. This type of elevator is not operated by pulley or cables rather it is an air-driven elevator which is 100% based on natural laws of physics. Vacuum elevator is usually a tube elevator which is constructing with polycarbonate and aluminum that ensures the quality. When you push the up buttons, the system lowers the pressure to forcing the air down so that it can go up towards the pressure. The opposite happens when you press down button. This tube vacuum elevator is mostly used in residential and in home for convenient and comfortable.
What type of elevator you should choose for your needs?
You have to consider every important factor while choosing an elevator. Because investing in elevator is always costly. So, you cannot choose a big MRL elevator for your residency. First you have to determine the construction that what type of elevator you need, then check out the best elevator.
Passenger Lift
There are so much model and variation of elevator in market. Passenger elevators are one of them. A high profile passenger lift can hold maximum 10000 pounds whereas an average passenger elevator can hold 2500 to 5000 pounds. But there are many considering factors while choosing passenger lift like a passenger elevator must have space to hold a stretcher in a hospital building.
Freight Elevator
Freight elevator can hold more than passenger elevator and it can weighs a ton and also it needs a special elevator to transport. However, it can hold up to 20000 pounds which far more than passenger lift.
Service Elevator
Though service elevator and freight elevators has similarities, yet there are a lot of difference in between them. Service elevator is like kind of regular passenger elevator which can be use in home, office, or any residency. Mostly it is use for traveling in a convenient way for the employees without disrupting the guests or customer.
Commercial / Residential / Home
This type of elevator is use in residential place, home or commercial buildings. The only difference is to hold how many people it can make travel one place to another. Usually home elevator and residential elevator place less people than commercial place.
Dumbwaiters
Dumbwaiter is a simple as well as small elevator which is mostly use in restaurants. In restaurants, a waiter can easily serve meals through this dumbwaiter in between the floors. It is usually installed in low story building.
Hospital elevator:
The elevator which is use in hospital has special design. Because this elevator needs extra space so that it can hold and place stretcher from one floor to another. The speed of hospital elevator is 5 m/s in order to feel comfortable of carrying the patient.
Cargo Lift:
Carbon elevator has the most impressive weight capacity of 2500 to 4000 kg which means that it is too much safe. The goods which are carrying through this elevator are safe as it use inbuilt safety mechanism. Although, installing a cargo lift is easier than other elevator and maintenance cost is low compared to the other elevator.
Maintenance Tips:
- Keep a log of your elevator’s operational problems.
- Conduct daily inspections.
- Don’t keep malfunctioning equipment hanging around.
· Avoid industrial cleaners.
- Stick to the recommended weight guidelines.
Final Thoughts
We talk all about the elevator, elevator types, how it works, and maintenance tips that are described through this article. You must think twice while you choosing an elevator as it are always a pricy investment. So, you should determine every considering factor of your constructing site and the choosing elevator.
