home lift type
Vacuum Home Lifts
A vacuum home lift moves a round cabin up and down inside a clear tube using air pressure.
The lifts sold in the UK are made by PVE (Pneumatic Vacuum Elevators) in three sizes, the PVE30, PVE37 and PVE52, from 750 mm to about 1,316 mm across.
They serve two to five stops and need no pit or machine room.
What are Vacuum Home Lifts?
A vacuum lift, also called a pneumatic lift, raises its cabin by lowering the air pressure above it.
The tube is self-supporting and passes through a round hole in each floor, so no shaft is built. It does need the tallest upstairs ceiling of any home lift type: 2,700 mm, or 2,470 mm with PVE’s split head unit.
How do Pneumatic Vacuum Elevators Work?
A pump at the top of the tube draws air out above the cabin. The cabin seals against the tube like a piston, so the higher pressure underneath pushes it up. To go down, air is let back in above the cabin and it descends under control. PVE says that in a power cut the cabin descends to the lowest level and the door can be opened.
Choosing the Right Vacuum Home Lift for Your Home
Check three things first:
- Space Requirements: The tube needs a round hole in each floor, about 813 mm across for the PVE30 and about 1,389 mm for the PVE52, and a tall ceiling on the top floor.
- Load Capacity: PVE rates the PVE30 at 159 kg for one person, the PVE37 at 204 kg for two and the PVE52 at 238 kg for three.
- Wheelchairs: Only the PVE52 is sold for wheelchairs, and PVE says not every wheelchair fits.
Benefits of Vacuum Home Lifts
Why people choose a vacuum lift:
What it offers:
- Space Savings: No machine room and no pit. The PVE30 has the smallest footprint of any home lift we have measured, a 750 mm tube.
- Easy Installation: Morgan Ellis, which sells PVE lifts in the UK, says installation can take one to two days.
- More floors: Up to five stops and 15 m of travel, more than any through-floor lift.
- Price: It has the highest published starting price of any type: from £29,500 at Morgan Ellis.
How do Vacuum Home Lifts Work?
In short: less air pressure above the cabin lifts it, and letting air back in lowers it. PVE publishes speeds of 0.18 to 0.20 m/s.
Vacuum lifts are the one type where cost guides and sellers agree on price, from about £28,000. Our home lift type comparison sets them against traction, hydraulic and screw-drive lifts on floors, ceiling height, power and price.
Other types of Home Lifts
Traction Home Lifts
Traction lifts are driven by a rope or drum. In UK homes most are through-floor lifts serving two floors.
Vacuum Home Lifts
Through-floor lifts travel through a hole cut in the ceiling on their own rails.
Electric Home Lifts
Every home lift runs on electricity, so “electric” is a loose label. They can go in new or existing homes.
Top Homelifts
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Vacuum Home Lifts
Answers to the questions we are asked most about vacuum lifts.
What are vacuum home lifts?
A lift that moves a cabin inside a clear tube using air pressure.
It needs no pit or machine room, but it does need a tall upstairs ceiling.
How do vacuum home lifts work?
A pump lowers the air pressure above the cabin.
The cabin seals against the tube like a piston.
The higher pressure below pushes it up.
Letting air back in above the cabin lowers it under control.
What are the benefits of vacuum home lifts?
The smallest has a 750 mm footprint, it serves up to five stops, and it needs no pit.
It still needs regular servicing, like any lift.
Are vacuum home lifts reliable?
Ask the installer for the service schedule, the service price and which parts are replaced routinely before you buy.
How much does a vacuum home lift cost?
Morgan Ellis, the UK dealer for PVE, publishes a starting price of £29,500, without saying whether VAT is included.
Cost guides quote up to £60,000 for larger installations.
Do vacuum home lifts require a machine room?
No. The pump sits in the head unit at the top of the tube.
A split head unit lowers the height needed upstairs to 2,470 mm.
How much space do vacuum home lifts require?
It depends on the model.
The PVE30 tube is 750 mm across, the PVE37 933 mm and the PVE52 about 1,316 mm.
Upstairs you need 2,700 mm of ceiling height, or 2,470 mm with the split head unit.
Are vacuum home lifts safe?
PVE says the cabin descends to the lowest level in a power cut and the door can then be opened.
Can people with mobility issues use vacuum home lifts?
Yes. The PVE37 has an optional seat, and only the PVE52 takes a wheelchair.
How long does it take to install a vacuum home lift?
Morgan Ellis says installation can take one to two days.
It quotes 12 to 14 weeks to manufacture the lift first.