Introduction
If you are considering purchasing a home elevator to your residence but are still hesitant about its safety, please rest assured that home elevators that meet safety standards are among the safest vertical transportation options in the world.
But what are the safety standards for home elevators? What safety regulations apply to a home elevator? Let’s discuss this together! We believe you will soon have a very safe and dedicated home elevator.
What Are Home Elevator Safety Codes?
First, we need to understand what the safety regulations for home elevators are. Home elevator safety standards are formulated by professional industry organizations or regulatory authorities to ensure that home elevators maintain a high level of safety throughout the design, installation, and use of the elevators. This safety standard strictly regulates how home elevators should be manufactured and operated, covering all key aspects, including electrical control, door systems, and safety protection systems. Understanding these safety standards can help you make the wisest decisions and avoid purchasing products that fail to meet safety standards, ensuring you have a safe and worry-free elevator experience for a long time.
Main Home Elevator Safety Code
ASME A17.1
ASME A18.1 is a national mandatory safety standard established in 1921 by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, applicable to the United States and Canada(In Canada, it is known as CSA B44). To keep up with the times, it has undergone several revisions so far, with the latest version being the 2025 version. ASME A18.1 applies to all lifting systems, but only Section 5-3 specifically specifies the relevant safety regulations for elevators in private residences. This chapter specifies the concrete accordance for the design, manufacture, installation, inspection, maintenance, and renovation of home elevators.
The 3/4 x 4 Rule
3/4 means that the distance between the landing door and the landing sill of a home elevator must be ≤3/4 inches to prevent children from falling into the shaft. 4. The distance between the landing door and the car door of a home elevator must be ≤4 inches to prevent children from entering between the two doors and getting pinched.
Runtime Parameter Limitations
ASME A18.1 sets strict requirements for the main parameters of home elevators. As follows:
Running speed: The maximum speed of a home elevator must not exceed 0.15 m/s.
Rated load:The rated load capacity of a home elevator is positively correlated with the car area. However, the maximum load capacity of a family sedan must not exceed 450 kg. The rated load capacity of small home elevators is between 227-340 kg.
Startup and operation control methods: Home elevators require continuous pressing of the button to operate; releasing the button will immediately stop the elevator.
Travel: The regulation does not mandate a travel height for home elevators.
Precision of stopping layers: The accuracy of home elevators in achieving floor leveling is allowed to be within ±13 mm (±1/2 inch).
Mandatory Requirements for Safety Devices
ASME A18.1 requires elevators to be equipped with speed governors, buffers, safety brakes, and emergency call devices.
Door System Requirements
ASME A18.1 requires that elevators be equipped with interlocking devices. The elevator doors cannot open if the elevator has not reached the floor level, and the elevator will not operate if the elevator doors are completely closed.
Shaft and Machine Room Specifications
The shaft of a home elevator must be fully enclosed and the inner walls must be smooth to ensure that the elevator does not jerk during operation.
If an elevator with a machine room is installed, the machine room must be locked and kept well-ventilated with adequate lighting.
EN 81-41
EN 81-41 is a safety standard for home elevators published by the European Committee for Standardization. It is also known as the benchmark standard in the global home elevator industry and is adopted by most countries. The latest version is currently the 2024 version.
Runtime Parameter Limitations
Running speed: It is consistent with ASME A18.1, the maximum speed must not exceed 0.15 m/s.
Capacity:EN 81-41 stipulates that the load capacity of home elevators is 300 kg, and in some areas it can be 400 kg.
Travel height:The lifting height is usually less than 6m, but in some areas it can be less than 12m.
Error of stopping layer: The error in reaching the floor level with a home elevator is within ±10~20 mm.
Startup and running methods:Home elevators must be started and operated by inching/continuous pressing.
Mandatory Requirements for Safety Devices
Home elevators must be equipped with fall protection devices, overspeed protection devices, emergency stop devices, and obstacle detection devices.
Shaft Requirements
EN 81-41 indicates that home elevators can use semi-enclosed shafts or load-bearing frames instead of traditional shafts.
ISO
ISO is a globally recognized elevator safety standard published by the International Organization for Standardization. The current global standard is ISO 8100, which specifies the safety structure and basic safety requirements for elevators and is highly consistent with the European Union’s EN 81-41. Although it does not have a separate chapter on safety standards for home elevators, it still conveys a lot of information about what requirements to focus on when purchasing a home elevator.
Mandatory Requirements for Safety Devices
ISO standards stipulate that home elevators must be equipped with an emergency system, anti-pinch device, electrical safety protection devices, door system, and fall protection and braking devices. And it is essential to ensure that every security system has a backup.
Stopping Eror：ISO specifies that the standard error for stopping at floors in home elevators should be within ±10–20 mm.
Maintainance：ISO mandates that home elevators undergo regular maintenance, inspections, and parts replacement.
Key Safety Features Required by Codes
Automatic Leveling Device
The automatic leveling device automatically activates the backup power supply when the elevator experiences a sudden power outage, so as to keep the elevator, which is running in mid-air, back to the nearest floor and open the elevator doors, thus preventing users from being trapped inside.
Speed Limiter + Safety Brake
The speed limiter constantly monitors the operation of the home elevator. When the elevator exceeds its rated speed, the speed governor will immediately cut off the electrical safety circuit, and the elevator will stop running. The safety brake is a second line of protection when the speed limiter fails to function. When the elevator begins to fall rapidly, the safety clamps installed at the bottom of the guide rails will immediately secure the elevator to the guide rails.
Limit Switch
Limit switches are divided into upper limit switches and lower limit switches. Its main function is to prevent the elevator car from derailing during operation and to force the elevator to slow down when it is near the top or bottom. If the elevator malfunctions, it will be forced to stop.
Electromechanical Interlocking Device
Electromechanical interlocking devices are mainly installed at the elevator doors; the elevator doors will only open when the elevator reaches the ground floor. Furthermore, the electromechanical interlocking device will keep the elevator stationary if the elevator doors are not fully closed.
Door Closing Anti-pinch Device
The door-closing anti-pinch device mainly uses a safety touch panel and infrared light to detect whether there are obstacles when the elevator is closing. If an obstacle is present, the device will immediately stop the elevator doors from closing and reopen them. The door can only be closed again after the obstacle has been removed.
Emergency Alarm and Communication System
If a user is unfortunately trapped in an elevator, they can press the emergency button inside the elevator to contact local rescue personnel. Meanwhile, the two-way communication device allows trapped individuals to report their internal situation in real time during rescue operations.
How to Ensure Your Home Elevator Meets Safety Codes
Choose a Powerful Manufacturer
When you want to buy a home elevator and want it to meet the relevant safety standards for home elevators, choosing a powerful home elevator company is very important. You need to pay attention to its past cooperation cases and whether it has its own factory.
Check compliance certificates
Ensure that the home elevators manufactured by the company you choose meet CE and ISO 9001 standards. These are currently the two most common and basic certifications. They can also provide you with certificates of conformity for safety accessories and factory inspection reports for the final product.
Ensure professional installation
Ensure the professionalism of the installation team. The level of standardization in elevator installation directly affects elevator safety. In recent decades, the failure rate of home elevators has been extremely low. However, in the few accidents that have occurred, improper installation of home elevators is the cause of most of them. Therefore, when choosing an installation team, it is essential to check their qualifications and level of professionalism.
Regular Maintenance
All of the above safety regulations require that home elevators undergo regular maintenance. Prolonged use of home elevators may lead to wear and tear on components and malfunction of safety devices. Regular maintenance can not only extend the lifespan of elevators but also protect the safety of users. ASME.A18.1, EN 81-41 and ISO stipulate that private elevators must be maintained every six months and fully tested every year. However, ISO also stipulates that equipment in humid areas or that is used frequently should be maintained every three months.
Conclusion
Anter is a trustworthy home elevator manufacturer with CE and ISO9001 certifications, and can provide you with various other documents and certificates. In addition, our home elevators are equipped with a variety of safety devices from well-known imported brands, which meet safety standards. Our products have stood the test of time; there have been no safety incidents in sixteen years, so you can completely trust us.
Whether you are interested in our products or want to learn more about home elevators, please fill out the form on the right. We will respond to you immediately.
Faq
Are home elevators safe for elderly people?
The home elevators currently on the market are the result of continuous updates and iterations. After more than a hundred years of development, the technology has become very mature. Furthermore, the home elevator is equipped with a variety of safety devices, has handrails inside, and is very easy to operate, making it safe for the elderly to use.
What happens if the power goes out?
If there is a sudden power outage, you don’t need to worry at all. Home elevators are equipped with emergency power supplies that will automatically start after a power outage to keep the elevator on the ground and ensure your safety.
Are all home elevators built to the same safety standards?
No, different manufacturers have different design philosophies, manufacturing processes, and safety features. Some businesses lower elevator safety standards in order to reduce costs. Therefore, when choosing a home elevator, you should be cautious and select an experienced and qualified home elevator manufacturer.
What is the safest type of home elevator?
Hydraulic elevator: Hydraulic elevators have always been known for their high safety. It is driven by hydraulic oil. When the elevator descends, the weight of the car creates a pressure difference, causing the hydraulic oil to flow back to the oil tank, thus enabling the elevator to descend. Even during a power outage, you can safely return to the lower floors.
Traction elevator：Traction elevators are currently a very mature type of home elevator technology, offering excellent safety and usually connected to the car by 4-8 high-strength steel wire ropes, making it virtually impossible for the car to fall.
Screw elevator: Screw elevators are also considered to have extremely high safety. It has a simple structure, slow operating speed, and a natural self-locking mechanism.
In general, there is no absolutely safest type of home elevator. Home elevators that meet safety standards and have complete safety systems can ensure the safety of you and your family.
