Deferred elevator maintenance

The elevator maintenance world is constantly involving from external pressures i.e. rules, laws, mandates, code changes and internal pressures i.e. do more with less.  What we have been seeing is that many buildings have an elevator maintenance company not coming on a regular basis because while “as needed” maintenance used to mean once a month, it now means once a quarter or twice a year.  Or if the elevator maintenance company is coming out they are not checking the items that need to be checked.  At a minimum an elevator maintenance professional should be checking your emergency phone, emergency lights, making sure the testing is up to date, riding the car checking for leveling and door operation, checking light bulbs[he or she may not have time to change them all, however, make a note to have it completed for next visit or later in the month], checking the car top and elevator pit [dumping the put bucket[if required] and checking the safety stop switch]. 

I went to a building where we installed a cylinder where another elevator company completes maintenance 9 months ago.  The building maintenance manager was visited by the elevator inspector and found 10” of what they thought was oil, it turned out to be all water with a coating of oil on top and the pit bucket over flowing, they have a quarterly contract with the elevator maintenance company.  We checked to see if the hydraulic packing was leaking, it was not.  It was apparent that the maintenance person had not checked in the pit or dumped the pit bucket in the 3 visits he had been to the building. 

I was also at another building and found the car top to include the usual elevator items and one used battery, 2 quarts of lubricant, a container of anti-freeze[what is in it, I do not know], rail oilers that where never put back on after a cylinder replacement was completed, a cover off a electrical box and a tube of grease.  These are not out of the ordinary items for a car top, however, we as elevator professionals should be disposing of the non-essential items and keep a clear car top.

If you have the time ask your elevator professional to show you the elevator system and explain what the parts do.  If it is your building you should know what your elevator looks like, what the equipment does, how often the company is coming, what we are doing, etc.  Elevator maintenance and repair is extremely difficult and expensive.  As elevator professionals we should taking reasonable time to complete the various maintenance tasks required.  It is not unusual to have deferred maintenance[due to emergency calls interrupting the maintenance person or having an overloaded month] the difference between a good company and a company who can improve or a good maintenance mechanic and a maintenance mechanic who can improve is if we correct the deferred maintenance in a timely manner.  

If you have an questions or would like information from Colley Elevator you can go to www.colleyelevator.com, email Craigz@colleyelevator.com or call 630-766-7230.