It looks like something from the future: a glass-clear cylinder with a cab floating between floors. The pneumatic home elevator is real, well proven and increasingly common in Michigan homes. Here is what you need to know.
The principle in one paragraph
A cab sits inside a sealed tube. Fans at the top pull air out from above the cab. The air pressure underneath is now greater, and it pushes the cab up. To descend, air is released back in at a controlled rate. Brakes lock the cab at each floor.
What that means for your house
- No pit, because nothing sits below floor level
- No machine room, because the fans are in the top of the tube
- No hoistway, because the tube holds itself up
For a finished home, that removes most of the construction an elevator normally requires.
Where owners put them
- In a foyer
- Next to the staircase
- In the corner of a family room, rising to a bedroom hall
Sizes
Three broad sizes: one passenger, two passengers, and wheelchair accessible.
How many floors
Two or more, including a basement, where the tube has a clear path.
Strong points
- Short installation
- Small footprint
- Lets light through
- Returns to the lowest floor if the power fails
Weak points
- Smaller cab than a traditional elevator
- Fan noise on the way up
- Always visible
Who should choose a traditional elevator instead
Anyone who wants the largest cab, an elevator hidden behind a door, or who is building new and can frame a shaft easily.
See the models
The Vision range is on our home elevators page. Call Nationwide Lifts of Michigan on (810) 346-1037 or request a free in-home evaluation.