A brief comparison between Pneumatic vs hydraulic elevators Home Improvement by Allwin Malson - February 17, 2016February 17, 2016 A brief comparison between Pneumatic vs hydraulic elevators Elevator has become a very popular accessory thanks to its numerous benefits. It gives freedom for the disabled, confidence to the aged and safety to the children. When we talk about elevators for houses there are two broad categories like pneumatic and hydraulic. Both are good in their own ways and the home owners must understand the pros and cons of each of these types before picking one. Hydraulic Elevators A much more traditional and conservative in its designs and mechanisms, this type of elevators are still in vogue. They work with an arm pulling up the elevator cab and bringing it down very smoothly. This model tends to be very quiet and so preferred for residential elevators. Image- www.voltoslifts.com Benefits They have a big cab and so wheelchair can be easily run onto it without any difficulty. They have higher weight bearing capacity and suitable for residential apartments where the traffic is more. It is less noisy for the simple reason being its separate machine room. They have models that cover higher floors which may not be available for pneumatic. Up to five floorsthese can easily move smoothly. They can easily lift heavy loads and offers greater durability despite its rough and tough use. Image – http://st.hzcdn.com Disadvantages The fluid in the hydraulic system is its main lifeline. The have to frequently checked and changed. If the fluid gets dried up then the system will not work smoothly and you may experience frequent shut downs and slow down too. Anotherproblem could be the space. If you are planning to install the Hydraulic Elevator, there should be ample space as it requires a dedicated machine room. So in case of old home space may be a major constraint. Energy consumption can be on the higher side as compared to the pneumatic as both the ascend and descend require power supply. Pneumatic Elevators The major difference between pneumatic and hydraulic is the way it is operated. Unlike the arm pulling and bringing down in hydraulic, the pneumatic works completely on air pressure. It is regarded as a much more safe option and does not contain fluid etc which needs regular changing. It is very easy to install and does not take much time as well. Image – www.vacuumelevator.in Benefits It gives a much more contemporary look and comes with elegant looking designs. As a result they are more preferred by the modern homeowners as it can enhance the interiors of their home. They require very little maintenance as they run on air pressure.Compared to the hydraulic they are more affordable. As they occupy little space so they are preferred even for older homes. They can snugly fit into the given space without causing any constructional changes. Even in case of power failure, the cab will descend to its lowest floor and the door opens out due to the loss of air pressure. This can be very interesting safety feature for the aged and disabled. Energy efficient as the descend is usually on the mechanism of gravity and so no power consumption. Problems The cab of the pneumatic elevators generally tends to be rather smaller than the hydraulic. If you intend to make it wheelchair friendly then there may issues of space.They may not be able to carry heavy load and so they have a restricted use. Usually pneumatic elevators are installed in small homes and apartments where the traffic is low. Author Bio The author is a renowned interior designer who has the perfect blend of creative vision and aesthetics to enhance the home interiors. His large clientele is a proof of his creative intelligence.