Myths vs facts
Home lift myths debunked
Quick answer
Most home lift worries come from older lift designs. Modern home lifts need a shallow pit or none, often no machine room, run on standard household power and install in days or weeks, not months.
Common misconceptions
Space and installation
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Myth A home lift needs a deep pit.
Fact Most modern home lifts need only a shallow pit. The Vector Pro needs just 120 mm, the Atlus 50 to 150 mm and the Zenith Ultra 150 to 300 mm, and the Levare Compact and Levare Plus need no pit or shaft at all.
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Myth Every lift needs a machine room.
Fact Many modern lifts are machine-room-less, with the drive inside the shaft or lift tower. Every Lift Ease lift is machine-room-less. The Atlus is a fully contained screw system, and even our hydraulic Vector Pro needs only a small cupboard for its pump, with no machine room.
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Myth You can’t add a lift to an existing house.
Fact A large share of home lifts are retrofitted. Shallow-pit and shaft-less designs such as the Atlus and the Levare range are made for existing homes.
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Myth Installing a lift takes months.
Fact Once the site is ready, a Lift Ease home lift typically installs in 1 to 2 weeks, a Levare in about 2 days, an RB150 platform lift within a week, and a commercial passenger elevator in 2 to 4 weeks. Design, approvals and building works come first and vary by project.
Common misconceptions
Running, noise and safety
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Myth Lifts are too expensive to run.
Fact Every Lift Ease home lift runs on standard single phase 230VAC household power, and a lift only draws significant power while it is moving. Trips are short, and the motor sits idle the rest of the day. The hydraulic Vector Pro draws around 14 A depending on configuration, less than the standard 32 A typical of electric traction. Your actual cost depends on how often you use it and your tariff.
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Myth Hydraulic lifts are noisy and smell of oil.
Fact Not a modern design like the Vector Pro, one of the quietest hydraulic lifts in the Australian market: our showroom unit measured 42 dB. Its submerged worm screw hydraulic motor runs with no loud noise, and its leak-proof ram design means zero leaks, spills or odours, so there is no oil smell.
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Myth If the power goes out, you are stuck.
Fact Home lifts have a battery backup that brings the car to the nearest landing and opens the door. The Atlus also has a backup battery drive.
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Myth A lift only needs attention when something goes wrong.
Fact We recommend at least one service a year, or twice a year for heavily used lifts, to check safety systems, lubricate moving parts and catch wear early.
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Myth Home lifts don’t last.
Fact With proper maintenance, a lift should last decades. Our full elevators come with a Factory backed 5 Year Parts Warranty.
Common misconceptions
Drive types
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Myth Hydraulic lifts always leak oil.
Fact A hydraulic lift is a sealed system. Leaks come from worn seals or fittings, which is what regular servicing checks for. The Vector Pro adds a leak-proof ram design built for zero leaks, spills or odours.
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Myth All lifts use oil.
Fact Only hydraulic lifts use hydraulic oil to move the car. Traction, belt and screw drives are moved directly by an electric motor. The Atlus, for example, uses no oil.
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Myth Only the company that installed your lift can service it.
Fact Not so. Our technicians service and repair lifts from all major manufacturers, including pneumatic (vacuum) lifts, which we don’t sell but have extensive technical experience with.
Common misconceptions
Funding and who lifts are for
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Myth Home lifts are only for people with a disability.
Fact Many homeowners add a lift for convenience, to carry things between floors, or to plan ahead so they can stay in their home as needs change.
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Myth Funding never covers a home lift.
Fact NDIS home modification funding can cover a lift for eligible participants where it is assessed as reasonable and necessary, and Support at Home (AT-HM) can contribute up to $15,390 for approved people. An OT has to prescribe the work.
Common misconceptions
Commercial lifts
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Myth A commercial lift always needs three phase power.
Fact Not always. The Zenith DDA commercial passenger elevator and the RB150 platform lift run on single phase 230VAC. The E1, built for higher speeds and loads, uses three phase power.
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Myth Any drive type works for a busy commercial building.
Fact Duty cycle matters. Every Lift Ease commercial passenger elevator is electric traction, because of its superior duty cycle and long-lasting reliability in high-use settings.
Keep comparing
Lift comparison guides
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