When planning a residential elevator, homeowners usually start by thinking about where the elevator itself will go. But the elevator cab and hoistway are only part of the equation.
A home elevator also requires machinery, controls, electrical components, and other equipment to make the system operate safely and reliably. That leads to an important planning question: Where does all of that equipment go?
Depending on the residential elevator system you choose, some equipment may be located inside the hoistway, some may be placed in a small machine room or machinery space, and other components may be located remotely.
Fox Valley Elevator offers several drive system configurations specifically designed to provide flexibility for different home layouts, including machine-roomless, reduced machine room, winding drum, chain drive, and roped hydraulic residential elevators.
Can All Home Elevator Equipment Fit Inside the Hoistway?
In some residential elevator configurations, the drive equipment can be located within the hoistway. However, that does not mean every elevator component will be located inside the hoistway, or eliminate the need for a control space.
For example, Fox Valley Elevator’s Paca-Glide is a machine-roomless winding drum elevator. Its drive system is located on top of the rail inside the hoistway, while the elevator controls are located nearby outside the hoistway in a designated control space or room. While this configuration must still comply with applicable elevator code, it may reduce the amount of additional space required for the elevator system.
Exactly where the components can be placed depends on the elevator model, home layout, available space, applicable building codes, and job-specific drawings.
What Is a Home Elevator Machine Room?
A machine room is a dedicated space that houses some of the equipment required to operate an elevator, such as the drive system and electrical controls.
Applicable elevator code defines a machine room as an enclosed space that contains the electric or hydraulic driving machine and electrical controls. Depending on the elevator configuration, this may be located next to the hoistway or in another approved location.
The amount of dedicated machinery space required can range from a shared space to a separate machine room, or a small control room in cases where the machinery is located within the hoistway. An authorized elevator installer is a great resource to learn the best possible layout for your home.
Option 1: Machine-Roomless Home Elevators
For homeowners who want to minimize the amount of floor space dedicated to elevator equipment, a machine-roomless elevator, commonly called an MRL elevator, can be an attractive option.
With a machine-roomless design, the drive equipment is incorporated into or around the elevator hoistway instead of occupying a traditional adjacent machine room.
Fox Valley Elevator offers multiple machine-roomless options, including:
- Paca-Glide, Series 115, a machine-roomless winding drum system
- Excelevator MRL, Series 021, a machine-roomless winding drum system
- Excelevator Chain, Series 033, a chain-driven system
Both systems have capacities of up to 1,000 pounds and are part of Fox Valley Elevator’s residential product lineup.
Where Does the Equipment Go?
With these systems, Fox Valley Elevator places the drive system on top of the rail inside the hoistway. The control box is located nearby, preferably “line of sight” to the hoistway to make maintenance and troubleshooting by authorized Technicians as easy as possible..
It is important, however, not to interpret “machine-roomless” as “no equipment outside the hoistway.” Controls, electrical disconnects, or other components still need accessible locations as specified by the elevator design and clear space as defined by applicable codes. Additionally, it is important that an access panel into the hoistway is provided at the location of the machinery to ensure that Authorized Technicians can reach the equipment for maintenance or emergencies.
Option 2: A Reduced Machine Room
Sometimes an MRL option is not ideal, but keeping the machinery space as small as possible is still a priority.
Fox Valley Elevator’s Excelevator-RMR Series 022 is a winding drum residential elevator designed around a reduced machine room configuration. Located directly behind the hoistway on any level of the home, this system allows for a compact footprint that still complies with code. This system is designed for ease of installation and routine maintenance.
This can be helpful when designing:
- New custom homes
- Homes with limited utility space
- Finished basements
- Renovation projects
- Floor plans where maximizing usable living space is important
Fox Valley Elevator provides machine room layouts and job-specific planning information so the builder, architect, elevator dealer, and homeowner can coordinate these spaces before construction.
Option 3: Remote Machinery With a Hydraulic Elevator
One of the advantages of a roped hydraulic residential elevator is that the machinery does not necessarily need to sit directly beside the elevator shaft.
Fox Valley Elevator states that its Excelevator hydraulic system allows the machinery to be remotely located away from the shaft, providing additional flexibility when designing the home.
Fox Valley Elevator offers roped hydraulic systems including:
- Excelevator Series 114
- Paca-Ryde Series 116
A hydraulic drive uses a hydraulic jack and wire rope system to raise and lower the elevator car. The ability to locate machinery farther from the hoistway can be useful when there is no convenient place for equipment immediately adjacent to the elevator.
For example, depending on the specific project and code requirements, an elevator professional may be able to identify another appropriate location within the home’s mechanical or utility layout.
This flexibility can be especially valuable during new construction because architects and builders can incorporate the machinery location into the broader mechanical plan for the home.
Option 4: Chain Drive Systems for Limited Overhead
Equipment location is not only about floor space around the hoistway. The amount of room available above the elevator can also influence which drive system makes sense.
Fox Valley Elevator’s Excelevator Series includes a chain drive option. The company specifically identifies chain drive as a useful choice for hoistways with limited overhead space.
That can become important in homes where the elevator reaches the uppermost floor, and there is limited room between the top landing and the roof structure.
Rather than choosing an elevator based solely on where a machine room could fit, an Authorized Dealer can evaluate the entire installation envelope, including:
- Hoistway width and depth
- Pit depth
- Overhead clearance
- Equipment location
- Number of floors
- Travel distance
- Door configuration
- Structural conditions
- Electrical requirements
The combination of these factors helps determine which drive system is best suited to the home.
Option 5: Flexible Machinery Layouts for Tight Spaces
Existing homes sometimes present a more complicated challenge.
A homeowner may want an elevator, but there may not be an obvious place for a standard-size hoistway and machinery layout. Remodeling around existing walls, mechanical systems, finished spaces, or structural components can require a more flexible approach.
Fox Valley Elevator’s Custom-Lift Series is designed for applications where hoistway space is limited. The system can accommodate a variety of sheave and machine room layouts, making it particularly useful for remodeling projects or replacements where space is at a premium.
The Custom-Lift has a 500-pound capacity and a maximum cab size of 12 square feet, compared with up to 1,000 pounds and 15 square feet for many of Fox Valley Elevator’s larger residential systems, so it is important to work with an Authorized Elevator Dealer to ensure this is the right fit
That illustrates an important point when planning a residential elevator: space, capacity, equipment location, and drive system all influence one another.
There may be more than one way to make an elevator work within a particular home.
Where Can the Elevator Controller Be Located?
The controller is another important piece of the elevator system.
The controller manages the elevator’s operation, including movement between floors and communication between different components of the system.
It does not always have to occupy the same space as the primary drive machinery; however, in systems where this can be achieved, it can greatly improve efficiency for the servicing technician and may also be easier to install. Equipment must remain appropriately accessible for installation, inspection, maintenance, and service, and the final configuration must comply with applicable electrical and elevator codes.
What Requirements Apply to Elevator Machinery Spaces?
Wherever elevator machinery or controls are located, the space has to meet specific requirements.
Machinery spaces, machine rooms, control spaces, and control rooms must comply with applicable National Electrical Code and local code requirements. Machinery spaces require appropriate electrical provisions and must be protected from environmental conditions that could interfere with the equipment.
For example, machinery spaces must be maintained within appropriate temperature and humidity ranges and not be exposed to the elements.
This is why an elevator’s operating equipment should not simply be placed wherever unused space happens to exist.
The location needs to be intentionally designed as part of the elevator installation.
Should the Elevator Equipment Be Planned During New Construction?
Yes. If you are building a new home, planning the elevator and machinery location as early as possible gives you the most flexibility.
Fox Valley Elevator recommends pre-planning residential elevator installations because elevators can require structural modifications, electrical coordination, hoistway construction, and machinery space. Early planning can simplify installation and help control costs.
Ideally, the elevator professional should be involved while the architect and builder are still developing the plans.
At that stage, the team can determine:
- Where the hoistway will be located
- Which drive system will be used
- Whether a machine room is necessary
- Where controls will be mounted
- What pit depth is required
- How much overhead is needed
- Where electrical service will be provided
- How technicians will access the equipment for future maintenance
Making those decisions on paper is usually easier than trying to create additional machinery space after the home has been framed or finished.
What About Adding an Elevator to an Existing Home?
Equipment location becomes even more important when retrofitting an elevator into an existing home.
Unlike new construction, the elevator must work around the home’s current structure and mechanical systems.
There may be limited space next to the proposed hoistway. Ceiling heights may restrict overhead clearance. Finished rooms may make a traditional machine room undesirable.
This is where Fox Valley Elevator’s range of drive systems can become particularly useful. Machine-roomless configurations, remotely located hydraulic machinery, reduced machine rooms, and flexible Custom-Lift layouts provide several potential approaches to fitting a residential elevator into an existing home.
The best configuration should be determined after an experienced elevator professional evaluates the property.
Your Home Has Options
To sum it all up, depending on the system and home, machinery may be located within the hoistway, in a reduced machine room, in a nearby machinery space, or remotely from the shaft. Controls may also be located separately from the drive system.
Fox Valley Elevator offers a variety of winding drum, chain drive, and roped hydraulic systems so homeowners are not limited to one equipment layout.
The most important step is to involve a Fox Valley Elevator Authorized Dealer early in the process. Your dealer can review your available space, desired elevator location, home design, budget, and applicable codes, then help determine which equipment configuration makes the most sense.
Whether you are designing a new home or finding a way to add accessibility to an existing one, planning the machinery location alongside the elevator itself can help you create a system that fits comfortably and efficiently into your home.
