3 Top Tips When Buying And Installing Car Elevators

3 Top Tips When Buying And Installing Car Elevators

21 April 2020
 Categories: , Blog


When you install a car lift in a multiple storey building, you enable the vertical movement of such cargo to the upper floors. Therefore, car lifts are necessary equipment in high-rise buildings. Most importantly, car lifts make transportation of vehicles easier just like passenger lifts. When you want to buy a car lift for your building, you should bear specific considerations in mind, including the size of the lift, power requirements, speed, and travel height. Here are a few practical tips when buying and installing car lifts.

Lift Emergency Automatic Rescue Device

Just like a standard lift, a car lift should be equipped with an emergency power system that automatically comes on in the event of a blackout or power failure in a building. An emergency automatic rescue device (ARD) does just that by preventing cars from getting trapped in a lift. In the event of a power outage, an ARD enables a car lift to move to the nearest floor with the help of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or rechargeable battery. When a lift reaches the most adjacent level, it opens and allows you to move a vehicle accordingly. An ARD is useful since it aids in preventing inconveniences such as delays in a parking lot.

Load Capacity

Car lifts come in various load-capacity ratings depending on use. However, always go for a car lift that makes transportation of small to medium size vehicles effortless. In this regard, a car lift should be equipped with a load-bearing capacity to handle a wide range of vehicle weight. Notably, when you load a car in a lift, and the lift indicates "full load," then additional passengers should not enter. Besides, most car lifts have mechanisms to show when you exceed the rated load to prevent accidents. For example, when overloaded, most car lift doors will not close, and thus, the lift will not move. Car lift load capacities range from 2500 to 4000 kgs, which is the average weight of most small to medium-sized vehicles.

Speed and Maximum Travel Height

Another critical consideration before buying a car lift is the speed of travel. A car lift should travel at a constant speed that is neither too fast nor too slow. Also, the rate should be moderate to ensure the safety of cargo and the building. Speeds range from 0.25 to 1 meter per second based on the make, model and power requirements, among other factors. Another critical factor to consider is travel height. If you have several floors in a building, buy a car lift with the highest travel height since some models are limited in this regard. 

For more information, contact a car lift service.