Elevator hydraulic fluid/oil water contamination – Arlington Heights, IL

We have always had a challenge when we have water contaminate the hydraulic fluid in elevator systems.  It could be from a water pipe breaking in the machine room or the pit flooding or a rec pump, pumping water back into the reservoir.  What do you do?

We had 2 issues in the last 2 months of massive water contamination of hydraulic fluid in oil reservoirs. We will discuss one that occurred in Arlington Heights, IL which we just completed the process of replacing the valve and hydraulic fluid.

What happened – We got a call that pipes where breaking in the building and one of them was in the elevator machine room.  This had occurred before so there was a pan above the drop ceiling to catch the water. However the pipe break overwhelmed the pan and it sent 50+ gallons of water onto and into the hydraulic power unit.  The entire power unit should have been replaced but the building opted to do the valve and the hydraulic fluid.

 

 [This is the pan that was above drop ceiling below pipe]

 [Aftermath of pipe breaking/leaking]

What did we do? The elevator valve was replaced, oil was replaced but there was still a lot of water in the system within the hydraulic piping and cylinder. This was caused by the elevator running during the water leak.

What happens if there is still water in the system after you replace the hydraulic fluid – If there is still water in the system eventually the valve will start to build up rust/corrosion and create leveling problems. That new valve you installed will be rusty inside and you will have trip and fall potentials. You may also experience other general shut downs from the small ports in the valves getting clogged and the pistons not moving as freely as they need to for proper operation.  If not taken care of, you can have a major safety issue on your hands.

 [Take a look at the valve blow out and notice all the small ports and moving parts that are sensitive to any foreign material including rust/corrosion]

How do you get the rest of the water out of the system? There is a wonderful device from Gorman that filters and removes water from the hydraulic fluid.  Typically when we have water contamination, we remove as much hydraulic fluid as we can, replace it and run this machine for 30-60 days until the contamination is gone. No problem we move on to the next building.

Final result – The final result was clean and clear oil ahead of schedule in less than 30 days.

 [Before oil/water device was installed - milky coffee w/cream colored contaminated oil]

 [After oil/water device was installed - Clear hydraulic fluid]

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If you have any questions or would like additional information feel free to contact me at CraigZ@colleyelevator.com or 630-766-7230 ext. 107 or on our web page at www.colleyelevator.com

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