Clean elevator pits and car tops – Chicago, IL

As a person who works in the office I get to see many elevators each week that other companies take care of.  Some are in good condition and some are not in good condition.  Some impress me and some do not.  When I see a clean elevator hoist way it impresses me that the elevator mechanic took the time to clean everything up.   Typically the clean elevators are an indication that elevator has an elevator maintenance program and a proactive elevator maintenance person.

On the flip side of this I used to work with a brilliant elevator person and cleaning was not on the top of his priority list.  But! If you had a broken elevator, he most likely could fix it and/or bail you out.  I think there is a good balance somewhere here.

With the industry wide work load increase, more stops, more tests, more this, more that.  We still try to stress cleaning our elevators up.  I get a frown face from our mechanics when we get a new accounts that are left in a disasters due to lack of care and they will have to bring it up to snuff.  On a Saturday night when a mechanic goes on a overtime call I wouldn’t want to be working on the moon and have to worry about tracking dirt, grease and grim all over the customers lobbies. I've had to take my boots off, go to my car get something to clean my boots off, it has been raining, now my socks are wet, you get the point.

Elevator car tops - This is a car top that the evil empire used to maintain. Before and after. 

[The fan is actually black and not gray - who would have known]

Elevator pits - The first picture is from a building I was at on Tuesday from a library.  The elevator professional told the building he didn't clean pits, it wasn't his job.  The mechanic having a sparkling personality, refusing to clean the pit and the increasing cost of the maintenance agreement is leading the building to change contractors.

[Then you get some buildings who use the pit as a garbage can - This is not the elevator persons job to clean up every month - If this is the case the contractor should be having a conversation with the building owner to curtail the behavior]

[This is a great looking pit - this was not from a building we maintained at the time so whomever did this it looks great!]

Elevator cleaning is always a work in progress.  By the time a mechanic gets a route clean, routes change, new elevators are added, buildings decide to get in the elevator shaft and drill holes in the wall and leave the cars and pits a mess, etc.

Building owners should pay a reasonable price for elevator maintenance to be performed and elevators cleaned.  Companies should give mechanics/apprentices enough time to complete reasonable cleaning.  And if given the time mechanics/apprentices should keep elevators reasonably clean.

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