If you’re in the market for a private home elevator, it’s natural to wonder what happens during unexpected situations. After all, no one wants to be ill-prepared for any of these circumstances, including power outages. Fortunately, most modern home elevators are designed with comprehensive safety features and reliable backup options in place. These systems ensure that riders are well-protected in the event of an unexpected incident or power loss.
That said, what does the mean during an outage? What happens, and what options are available during installation to provide peace of mind for you and your family?
In this short blog with RAM Elevators + Lifts, we’ll explore more about what actually happens when power goes out, and how our modern systems respond. Let’s dive in.
Why Backup Power Matters
A consistent power source is essential for nearly any major home appliance, and private home elevators are no exception. Unfortunately, power outages don’t follow a schedule. It’s for this reason that having built-in safeguards and safety nets is so essential for you and your loved ones.
At RAM, we offer multiple backup power options for all our private home elevators:
- Emergency manual crank and battery backup for controls + lighting (Standard)
- Emergency lowering to lower level on backup battery (Upgrade)
- Full-capacity operation up to 40 cycles on backup battery (Upgrade)
Let’s take a deeper look at the importance of these options and what they provide.
Will I Get Stuck?
During your search, you may have stumbled across private home elevator features such as ‘backup power’ and ‘emergency levers’. While it’s best practice to avoid using a private home elevator during power outages, outages can still occur unexpectedly while you’re inside the elevator. No one can help being on one when one strikes.
That being said, RAM elevators are equipped with fail-safe mechanisms designed to protect riders and ensure they can exit safely in the event of power disruption. You won’t be left in unsafe conditions. Our systems are built to allow for manual lowering to exit the elevator safely.
What To Do During an Outage
If you happen to be inside one of our elevators during a power outage, there’s no need to panic. Simply reach out to your dealer who installed your elevated system, and they’ll promptly coordinate and send over a technician if needed. Once the technician arrives, they’ll safety open the control panel. Once in the panel, they’ll also be able to lower the elevator to a landing, allowing it to open.
If you have a backup battery upgrade, the elevator will be able to lower automatically to the nearest level on its own.
Are Backup Upgrades Worth It?
While the emergency manual crank allows for safe operation by a technician in the event of a power outage, some homeowners prefer additional peace of mind. These homeowners may prefer to add further add-ons to bolster functionality when needed most. That’s where optional battery upgrades come in, with further emergency capabilities.
While all private home elevator homeowners can benefit from backup battery options, these upgrades can be especially valuable to homeowners who:
- Live in areas prone to outages
- Have limited mobility
- Rarely use stairs
Homeowners who rely heavily on their elevator for daily mobility should strongly consider upgrading to a backup power system.
Well-Powered Accessibility Solutions with RAM
When power goes out, the last thing you want to worry about is being stuck in an elevator. At RAM Elevators + Lifts, reliable safety is never an option; it’s standard with all of our private home elevators and lifts. Contact us today to learn more about our home mobility solutions, engineered with the highest standards of RAM excellence.