Sunday, December 29, 2019

Year in Reflection – Colley Elevator blog – 2019 Elevator Blog


What a year!  2019 winds down and we begin reflecting on the year and the decade. As Colley Elevator enters our 112 year as an independent elevator contractor we reflect on a few things to tie up the end of the year.

Annual reflection – This year we saw our maintenance portfolio grow from 1500 to 1650 elevators under contract.  This year we have ordered/installed 55 Smartrise controllers, a handful of MCE product and a ton of cylinders, power units and a few machines.  In 2019 Colley won Elevator World’s Ellie for Best Contractor in the North. We have a great team over at Colley from the person who answers the phone to the elevator technician who executes and everyone in-between.  I’m proud to work side by side with everyone here and that we have a culture of openness at Colley that helps get everyone done at a high level! Thank you to our coworkers, customers & suppliers for being great!

Decade reflection – Think about what was going on in 2010, as an elevator industry we started to feel the recession in the Elevator Industry.  Those days may be behind us but should not be forgotten.  A lot of people lost their jobs, and 401ks, plans for the future changed.  Right now the economies fire is burning hot, which is great, but what goes up will come down.  

Blog reflection – 47 posts in 2019[that is a lot of words, pictures and time], over 30,000 views, over 104,000 views in the blog’s history.  We did a really cool feature on non proprietary controllers feature some of the top brands.  This year I hope to do a few more mini features with freight doors and some other niche items.  With Tom Syberts retirement from Elevator Radio Show it makes us the longest running weekly social media source.  I loved the Elevator Radio show!  Thank you Tom for all the years of hard work!

[Bloggers reflection]

1/6/19 – Nonproprietary elevator control systems
1/13/19 – Colley Elevator year end party
1/19/19 – Vertitron Midwest – Non Proprietary elevator control systems – 2019 series
1/27/19 – Motion Control Engineering - Non Proprietary elevator control systems – 2019 series
2/16/19 – Virginia Controls - Non Proprietary elevator control systems – 2019 series
2/23/19 – Smartrise Engineering - Non Proprietary elevator control systems – 2019 series
3/3/19 – Elevator accidents & Injuries/CPWR Deaths and Injuries involving elevators or escalators in construction and general populations
3/10/19 – Chicago Elevator Firefighters’s Emergency Operation mandate – FEO – Fireman’s Service
3/16/19 - Hydraulic Elevator Control Modernization – Montgomery Elevator
3/23/19 – I have an old elevator system, what do I do? – Oak Park, IL
3/30/19 – ACTHA – Oak Brook, IL – Condominium Show
4/6/19 – Hydraulic elevator service work – Oak Park, IL
4/14/19 – Traction Elevator Control Modernizatoin – Chicago, IL – Historic building
4/21/19 – Importance of elevator data tags
4/27/19 – Elevator shunt trip disconnecting means
5/4/19 – Chicago elevators in the news
5/12/19 – State of Illinois Elevators – Elevator Braille mandate
5/19/19 – A17.1 2016 Elevator Code – Hoistway Access
5/26/19 – Elevator Job Site Hall of Fame – Class of 2019[1st ½ of the year]
6/8/19 – Associa Cares 2019 Casino night
6/14/19 – Schindler 330A elevator replacement/elevator modernization – Chicago, IL
6/22/19 – Guide for elevator new construction for general contractors and building owners
6/30/19 – ADA Elevator Braille requirements State of Illinois
7/7/19 – Hydraulic elevator modernization – Chicago, IL
7/14/19 – Chicago Elevator Association – EESF Boat Cruise 2019
7/20/19 – Residential lift safety – Washington Post
7/28/19 – Hydraulic elevator modernization – Chicago, IL – elevator #1 & #2
8/4/19 - Elevator World – Colley Elevator – 2019 Ellies
8/17/19 – CEI/QEI continuing education – Colley Elevator
8/25/19 – Elevator safety – New York City Accident
9/2/19 – Massive elevator hydraulic fluid contamination water
9/8/19 – Hydraulic elevator modernization – Homewood, IL – Dover Elevator
9/15/19 – 2019 Ellies Winner – Best contractor of the North – Elevator World Magazine
9/21/19 – Elevator cylinder replacement – cylinder hole clause – water
9/29/19 – Colley Elevators 7th annual QEI continuing education training
10/5/19 – Smoke detectors, sprinklers, heat detectors and shunt trip in elevator environment
10/13/19 – When is it time to change your elevator’s dry hydraulic power unit
10/19/19 – What should not be in an elevator machine room
10/26/19 – Hydraulic elevator control modernization – Mt. Prospect, IL
11/2/19 – 1929 Haughton traction elevator slated for 3rd or 4th modernization – Chicago, IL
11/10/19 – The elevator maintenance trilogy – maintenance required
11/16/19 – Elevator new construction – Elk Grove Village VFW – Elk Grove Village, IL
11/24/19 – State of Illinois Elevator Braille ADA requirements Inspectors enforcing NOW!
12/1/19 – Hydraulic elevator modernization – Morton Grove, IL
12/13/19 – Maxton valve no longer to repair or service vales over 20 years old
12/22/19 – Elevator electrical problems – elevator motor damage

Thank you for everyone who took the time to read the blog.  It is really cool to bump into people who say “hey! I read your blog!”  My 2019 to 2020 words of wisdom; learn something every day and be proud of the work you do and choices you make!  Lets make 2020 a wonderful and memorable year!

Hey! Sign up for our mailing list!  We should be getting a monthly email going out sometime in Q1 of next year.

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.

Also check us out on Instagram @Colleyelevator see what we have been up to.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Elevator electrical problems - Elevator motor damage


The motor is one of the most vulnerable parts of your elevator system to power issues.  From time to time we have premature motor issues which is difficult to explain and we attribute it to prolonged wear due to power issues.  We did some quick research for reference.

Here are some issues that will prematurely wear your motor

1.    Under/over voltage
a.    Under voltage - Can come from heavy use from your electrical grid/building
b.    Over voltage – When power grid doesn’t respond fast enough to shifting loads or lightening strike.
2.    Phase Loss/reversal  
a.    Can occur from lighting strike, power line issue, blown fuse, wiring error or contactor failure
3.    Voltage imbalance
a.    Contactor fails
b.    Tin can transformer fails and is replaced with a new one
c.    New load is added to one phase of facilities power system

2% imbalance = 8% temperature rise in motor windings
3% imbalance = 18% temperature rise in motor windings
As imbalance grows worse the temperature sky rockets
The higher the temperature the sooner the insulation on the motor windings will fail
NEMA[National Electrical Manufacturers Association] recommends less than 1% imbalance

When I am engineering elevator modernization projects we have started measuring each leg along with leg to leg.  It is rare that we are within the 1% NEMA recommendation on most of the buildings I go to.

What happens to your motor?  All these zips, zaps and drains will take a toll on the motor and lead to premature motor failure.  

What is the solution?

Add a phase monitor – A phase monitor can be installed for less than $1,000.00 and will protect your motor from many of the electrical issues listed above.  There are very simple phase monitors that will turn the elevator off when a power issue is detected. There are also phase monitors that will trap information so you have it and you can use it to pin point electrical issues and you can develop potential solutions.

[This device of a similar device is what we find on most older elevator systems with phase protection - it works great but you get limited information when it detects power problems]

[This device not only tracks phases but it traps a lot of information with time stamps - for a few more dollars you will get a lot more information]

Add a soft start motor starter – This is a device that will not only smooth out your electrical curve but also has phase protection built in.  The soft start will also increase your ride quality when replacing a mechanical motor starter. This device can be installed for $2,500.00 to $5,000.00 dependent on your VAC, HP and where it will fit in the elevator control system. 


Take away – Electrical issues are a buzz word in our industry because most of our issues are attributed to what the power the building supplies the elevator system.  Take a peek at a picture of a very old mercury switch from 50+ years ago that was installed to protect phase reversal, this is an age old problem.  If you are having issues, identify them and address them with your elevator contractor.  There are many tools out there that can help you quickly resolve power issues.  While we are talking about motors in this post, your elevator’s control system will also have significant issues if we do not supply it with the correct power.

[Left is newer phase protection - Right is very old phase protection]

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.


Also check us out on Instagram @Colleyelevator see what we have been up to.

Friday, December 13, 2019

Maxton valve no longer to repair or service valves over 20 years old



Starting January 1, 2020 Maxton will no longer maintain repair or VEP services for their elevator control valves beyond the age of 20 years rolling forward.  

The details are as follows:
·         Effective 1/1/2020
·         All Maxton valves manufactured prior to 2000, requiring replacement, will be "New only"
·         All parts used exclusively on said valves above will no longer be available.  
·         Rolling forward each calendar year maintaining 20-year range
·         2-year warranty period still applies for rebuilt & VEP valves prior to this announcement

This decision comes from a continuous decrease in market demand for older valves versus buying new.  Additionally, this progression gave way to slower inventory turns and increasing costs to maintain these programs.  After looking at the data further Maxton determined that valves over 20 years of age saw the sharpest decline and the line was drawn.


What is the VEP? The VEP or Valve Exchange Program is when you send a valve in and you get a repaired valve sent back to you.  Maxton then repairs your valve and will exchange that with someone else who sends theirs in, in the future.

What does this mean? Maxton valve is no longer going to do valve exchanges for 20+ year old valves or repair valves that are 20+ years old. 
           
i.e. The valve pictured was manufactured in 1985 and was sent back for repair in 1997.  If this valve was sent back for repair it would be retired and wouldn’t be a candidate for the VEP.


Can I still get technical support? Yes we can still get technical support for your 20+ year old valve but the reality is that there may be a strong recommendation to replace the valve if it is over 15-20 years old which has listed as the useful life of their valves.

How long should a valve last? A valve can last a very long time.  Maxton recommends replacing them every 15-20 years.  Depending on your environment, usage, oil contaminants and other variables it could require replacement sooner.

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.

Also check us out on Instagram @Colleyelevator see what we have been up to.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Hydraulic elevator modernization – Morton Grove, IL

In 2001 we did a modernization at a building on Dempster in Morton Grove.  I was about a year into working in the office and I still remember watching the guys pull cable to hatch center when I dropped something off.  For the last 16+ years we have been trying to pursue the sister building on the block with no contact, no luck.   A day 2 years ago the building called and we fixed the elevator when their current service provider would not return their call and started a dialog for modernization.  The modernization contract was signed, completed and elevator put back into service.

Existing elevator & project scope – The existing elevator was a ESCO Elevator installed by Gallaher and Speck in 1976. This elevator had no major modifications since the original installation.  The previous service provider had significant issues performing regular maintenance at the visits for what appears to been years.

New equipment providers

Controllers – Smartrise Engineering
Power units – MEI
Door operators – GAL
Fixtures – Innovation Industries

Machine room – The old machine room had some layout issues to say the least.  We were able to successfully get all of our electrical clearances with a new arrangement.

[Old elevator machine room with ESCO equipment]

[New elevator machine room with required electrical clearances]

Hydraulic elevator controller – The original ESCO relay logic control system would be replaced with a non-proprietary Smartrise Engineering elevator controller.

[ESCO relay based elevator controller]

[New Smartrise elevator controller with Siemens Soft Start]

Hydraulic elevator power unit – I couldn’t get a good picture of the old power unit as the machine room was so small, it was a typical ESCO Elevator power unit.  We replace it with a new MEI power unit with Maxton UC4 valve.

[Old ESCO 5 coil hydraulic elevator valve]

[New Maxton UC4 valve with air muffler]

Door operators – The elevator had old MOD operators and GAL car and hatch equipment, we replaced the operators and all of the hatch and car equipment.  We did retain the door tracks as they were in good condition.

[Car top when we stopped by for the engineering visit]


[New car top looks great with GAL equipment and painted car top]

Elevator fixtures – The old ESCO fixtures went away and new Innovation surface mount fixtures to meet ADA and elevator code requirements were installed.

[Old ESCO elevator car station]

[New Innovation Industries elevator car station]

[Old 1st floor elevator hall station]

[New 1st floor hall station with phone monitoring by Innovation Industries]


Elevator Pit - Before and after MOD - No work done to pit equipment just a thorough cleaning and pit ladder installation




Take away – This elevator had a lot of deferred maintenance; the ride was rough, everything was dirty and full of dust, the power unit was leaking, etc.  When I went back to the building to see how everything fell into place when we were completed and the ride was wonderful and the elevator looked great.  It is the final 5%-10% that we can do or not do when we are doing a modernization that really makes a world of difference.  The project team did great from start to finish.  10 people from Colley Elevator where involved in this project from start to finish, from initial phone call, to selling project, project engineering, delivery and the field team who completed the modernization.  I am proud to put the Colley Elevator stamp on this modernization.

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.

Also check us out on Instagram @Colleyelevator see what we have been up to.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

State of Illinois Elevator Braille ADA requirements Inspectors enforcing NOW!

A newer mandate is being enforced in the State of Illinois requiring all elevators to have Braille on elevator car stations and hoistway entrances.  This requirement has been on the books for some time but never enforced until a clarification from the State of Illinois Fire Marshall. 

Rule - State of Illinois ADA mandate 410 ILCS 30/1 from Ch. 111 ½, par. 3901 & 3902 - See below. 

What are elevator inspectors doing?  Some are failing elevators now, some are giving buildings until next inspection to comply.

What is Colley Elevator doing about it?  We are going to each building and collecting information on each elevator and will be sending out proposals for the installation of Braille.

Car stations – Each usable[to general public] car station device will require ADA compliant Braille.




Hoistway entrances – Each hoistway entrances will require to have Braille on each side of the door frame.


Advice to building owners & property managers – Get your information from your elevator contractor now and have it installed as soon as possible.

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.

Also check us out on Instagram @Colleyelevator see what we have been up to.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Elevator New Construction – Elk Grove Village VFW – Elk Grove Village, IL



We got a call from our Local Union office asking if we would be interested in helping the Elk Grove Village, IL VFW get an elevator installed.  I had so happened to have been to this building before so I knew there was accessibility challenges.  We of course said yes and began the long process of planning and installing an elevator for the Vets. I have a deep respect for all who choose to serve our country and wanted to give something back.  The reason I'm in the elevator business is because my father fell into the elevator business after going to school on the GI bill.  Colley Elevator donated over $40,000.00 to the elevator installation.

We had a few general contractors, a few electricians, a lot of cooks in the kitchen but at the end of the day and 2 years after our initial engagement with the VFW we turned over the elevator for usage.  All of the Veterans that run the building where wonderful to work with and I am very happy we finally delivered an elevator to them.

Package provider – Canton Elevator
Controller – Motion Control Engineering
Fixtures - GAL
Power unit – Canton Elevator w/Maxton UC4 Valve
Door operators – GAL MOFVR

Outside of building – It is always amazing to see existing buildings before and after construction.

[Pre construction meeting]

[Building in process]


[Building in process]

[Completion]

Elevator machine room – This elevator started out as a hydraulic MRL and was changed to a typical machine room hydraulic elevator.  We got a chance to use the bullet proof MCE Motion 2000 control system.

[Machine room GC gave us to work with]

[New MCE 2000 and Canton Power unit]

[Bullet proof MCE Motion 2000 controller]

[Maxton UC4 valve in power unit]


Hall and car fixtures – Nothing fancy here, front and rear openings with GAL fixtures.

[Elevator lobby]


[Return & GAL Fixtures]

[GAL elevator car station]

Car top – This is a holeless hydraulic with GAL MOVFR door operators.

[Front and rear openings with the MOVFR]

Package provider – Canton Elevator was great to work with on this project with the bumps, changes and whatever we needed. They made it easy.

Thank you to all the veterans who have served our country!  We need to support you when you come home!

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.

Also check us out on Instagram @Colleyelevator see what we have been up to.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

The Elevator Maintenance Trinity – Maintenance required


Back in 2016 I wrote a piece on something I call the Elevator Maintenance Trinity; Companies, Mechanics and Building owners are responsible for making sure their elevators are maintained properly.  This last week I was at a few buildings doing engineering on modernization projects we are doing which reminded me that we all need a reminder from time to time that pride and responsibility are still a job requirement for all three; contractors, mechanics and building owners. 

[How many items on this car top can you find that are wrong?]

Contractors – We are the most important part of the equation.  Elevator contractors need to give elevator mechanics time to do elevator maintenance. Elevator contracts need to educate building owners why elevator maintenance is important.  We live in a faster time where short term goals are more important than long term relationships.  Monthly maintenance is being replaced with quarterly maintenance.  Reasonable route sizes are being replaced with super routes.  6 to 15 minutes stops are being assigned to some OEM companies.  Contractors need to look at each elevators environment, age and traffic pattern to encourage building owners to have the correct amount of maintenance visits/time needed.

[It took a few years to get this build up on the ropes]

Mechanics – The elevator mechanic is key to this equation as well, you are the execution.  An elevator mechanic needs to have the motivation to oil, grease, clean, replace parts as needed.  We need to take pride in our jobs.  At times some of us get hung up on “just another elevator”, “this is good enough for this visit”, “I’m too smart or have too much experience to clean” or “I have too much to do” and forget that these elevators we maintain are for people who cannot use stairs, who need to get to doctors’ appointments, have handicap visitors who look forward to seeing their friends/families in buildings, etc.  Our work is very personal to a lot of elevator users who lose their independence and dignity when we are not doing our jobs.  If you get the time we need to execute so the contractor can sell the frequency/hours that is required to properly keep the elevator in good condition.

[Come on man[or woman]!]

Building owners – The building owners/managers are the ones who are paying the contractors for doing the work.  They should pay a fair price for a service that will allow their elevator to service the building in a safe and reliable manner.  The cheapest price is not always the answer, you do get what you pay for.  A building owner should find an elevator contractor who can explain to them why the specific maintenance plan is a good fit for their elevator system and explain what they are getting for the price.  If the building's elevator equipment is past its life expectancy, it needs to be replaced.  It is your responsibility to engage your contractor on modernization proposals and educate yourself so you can budget appropriately.  Getting proposals for 10+ years for the same scope of work and saying "the building doesn't have it in their budget this year" is not acceptable.

All three entities need to be working in unison to achieve the ultimate goal of safe, reliable elevator service that allows existing equipment to last a long time.  In our industry we have great contractors, great mechanics and great building owners.  We also have not so great contractors, not so great mechanics and very price sensitive building owners.  I am proud to be in the elevator industry and when I see some of this behavior going on it is disappointing.  We can do better!  Contractors need to give mechanics the time and resources, mechanics need to execute and building owners need to pay for a reasonable maintenance plan and modernize their equipment within a reasonable time line.

This is the same story I was beating the drum on in 2016. If you want to take a look at the 2016 Elevator World Article a link is below.  The photos are from a great building owner who is getting poor service from the company they have been with for many many years and are hiring a new company to do their modernization.


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.

Also check us out on Instagram @Colleyelevator see what we have been up to.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

1929 Haughton Traction Elevator slated for 3rd or 4th modernization – Chicago, IL


Since I have been working at Colley Elevator we have taken care of a Mansion on the near Northside of Chicago.  One of our old partners in the business said he modernized the elevator before he came over to Colley in the 1979.  After hearing more stories it appears this elevator has been modernized 2 or 3 times prior to the scheduled modernization this next year.   I was told the elevator started as a dumbwaiter back when the building was built in 1929.  This is just some neat Chicago elevator history when you start digging around during engineering. 

Controller – The most recently controller is a CJ Anderson which was installed in 1979 by Gallaher & Speck.


Door equipment – GAL MOD with double clutches with center opening 2 speed doors



Machine – I’m not sure when this machine was installed, looks like 1950’s.



Car top – Old crusty elevator car top ready for a deep clean during modernization



Under car - Nice old wind up safeties 



Outstanding questions – When doing modernization on elevators this age we have a lot of questions that need to get ironed out before ordering equipment.


Capacity – Data tag says 1500lbs, car station says 1000lbs
Car speed – Data tag says 200fpm, the elevator doesn’t even go 100fpm
Car weight – 3100lbs?  Still from 1929?

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.

Also check us out on Instagram @Colleyelevator see what we have been up to.