What should not be in an elevator machine room

We get the opportunity to see all sorts of buildings with all sorts of great things and not so great things.   This is  a quick one about what should not be in an elevator machine room.  As a building owner, manager, condo board or someone else who can help us, please do!  The better our machine room environment, the better we can maintain and service your elevator.

Water – We don’t really care for water in the elevator machine room, mainly because we could get electrocuted with the high voltage that is connected to the elevator system.  This machine room is recessed under the building and has a tendency to get water in it every now and then when the water table rises.  The building was building in the mid 1960’s.

Sewage – Water is one thing but sewage, no thank you.  This sewage was in a machine room we are modernizing the elevators and their pipes backed up, yes, that is soiled toilet paper. That 2 x 4 was for a person  to stand on during a OT call right after this happened.

Oil buckets/drums – Yes, elevator hydraulic oil buckets are elevator supplies, when we start seeing more then 1 or 2 empty oil buckets in a machine room we start asking a lot of questions.  This machine room has 14 empty buckets and a 55 gallon drum..

Video monitoring equipment – Buildings are always in a space crunch and one common element that is being added to more and more buildings is video monitoring.  It often ends up in the elevator room.  It is within the elevator inspectors rights to tell you to move the video equipment.

Stuff – The elevator machine room is a great place to put “stuff”.  Please find a new spot to put your “stuff” we need to get to the elevator equipment.

What should be in an elevator machine room?  Only elevator equipment and elevator supplies.

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.

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