Motor to raise/lower candle holder in church

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stevebrown

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I am completing a design for a new church. There is a suspended candle holder in a chapel that needs to be accessible so that the candle can be renewed once a week. Our thought was to suspend this using a cable or something flexible enough that it can be spooled on a small drum.

The owner does not want to cart in a ladder each week to do this, but would like a motorized device where they can operate a switch and the candle will lower to a point where it can be changed. Pushing another button will raise the candle back to normal height.

Anybody ever come across something that would work in this application? The Architect and I are having trouble coming up with a solution. Thanks!
 
Such systems are specifically manufactured and sold for large chandelier. While probably overdesigned and overbuilt for a single candle, using one would avoid all of the effort of re-inventing the wheel.

Search google for "chandelier lift"; you can also search this forum for experience with such lifts.

-Jon
 
www.lightinguniverse.com/products/view.aspx?family=3119&linkLoc=access

I've used these for lifting heavy chandeliers in high foyers. I don't see why you couldn't utilize it into a candle holder.
 
Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks for the help! I was looking at something that raises/lowers window shades, and trying to find some way to adapt it for what I wanted to do. I never thought about chandelier lifts.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Steve
 
winnie said:
Such systems are specifically manufactured and sold for large chandelier. While probably overdesigned and overbuilt for a single candle, using one would avoid all of the effort of re-inventing the wheel.
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Although the light lift is what I thought of as soon as I read the OP, and I think it is probably the way to go, I want to point out that these need a certain amount of weight to operate properly. They will not run correctly with "no load", the cable will backlash.

If you go this route, you may need to build some xtra weight into the candle holder.
 
The ones we've installed have a weight supplied from the factory that you leave in place until you replace it with the light fixture. You could just leave that in place, I would think.

Remember that if the church has "healing services" you'll need to follow article 517. ;)
 
jerm said:
The ones we've installed have a weight supplied from the factory that you leave in place until you replace it with the light fixture. You could just leave that in place, I would think.
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Perhaps use the weight as part of the candleholder somehow... Just wanted to point out that a candle, even one of those big church candles, probably wouldn't be enough.
 
I have a customer that is an Episcopal Church. Being totally unfamiliar with the practice of burning candles in a church 24/7, I was quite fascinated to see this. While in that attic of the church replacing roof fan motors, I noticed a rope running across the attic floor. I played with it a bit with the toe of my boot, and went about my work. It was later, when I came down out of the attic, that I realized this rope went to the candle holder rig. I'm glad that I didn't knock the candle out onto the floor. They had the rope running across the attic, and it came down inside a closet, and was wrapped around a piece of hardware that put me in mind of how you'd lash up a boat. I suppose they went for the manual method. I suppose it works out for them, since the church is about 150 years old, and the pulleys for the candle lift look that old too.
 
You know Marc, you may just have hit it on the head.

Steve, is there any reason they couldn't just use a rope and pulleys? How big are the candles?

I mean any reason besides the chance to sell/markup/install a motorized lift, of course... :D :cool:
 
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