End of Life/Obsolete elevator equipment – ERM Elevator Research Manufacturing & Oliver Williams

This is the 2^nd in our series of end of life/obsolete elevator control systems.  This one is a big one for Colley Elevator, we installed hundreds of these elevator controllers in the mid to late 1960’s and early to mid 1970’s.  Colley and ERM had a close relationship for many years and we still take care of many ERM/Oliver Williams elevator controllers.  For many years we have been letting the building owners know that they should consider replacement of these elevator controllers.

Who this impacts – This end of life/obsolete correspondence is for ERM/Oliver Williams controller owners that have controllers from the mid 1970’s and before.

ERM – 18300

ERM – 18400

ERM – 18500

+more

Mention of SSD1 Drives – We have had this letter since 2010 but we didn’t pay much attention to the mention of the World Electronics SSD1 drive that is found on Virginia Controls, US Elevators and other traction elevator controllers of this era.  Our interpretation is that the SSD1 Drive also called the GFC IIA drives are also at end of life and should be considered obsolete. We have had more than a few run ins with these drives and once they go, we have had a hard time resurrecting them to be safe and reliable service with a repair.  World Electronics does indicate on their website they repair the devices and supply new ones.

Take away – If you have any of these elevator controllers or drives you should be planning for a elevator modernization.  Talk to your elevator contractor about reliability, safety and repair concerns you have.   If you have a 1975 ERM controller, that controller is now 45 years old and you now have the end of life letter from the manufacturer.  Get prices and get the equipment replacement on the books.

Hey! Sign up for our mailing list!  Next newsletter will be out in about 3 weeks and you will get one about once a month.

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.

End of Life/Obsolete elevator equipment – Vertitron VH 40 & VH 80

From time to time we have elevator control systems that we used for a period of time in our geographic area that reach their end of life.  Colley Elevator in the 1980’s/90’s used Vertitron VH series controllers for some of our new installations and modernizations.  We have always kept a pretty solid stock of replacement parts and kept the main components when we modernize other elevators. We had an OT call on a VH 80 controller and ended up replacing the blue box and we started talking about “how long will these be able to be repaired”.  We contacted Vertitron and they sent over an end of life letter indicating 2005 was the finish line for these particular controllers.  We probably have 5 or 6 of these left in our portfolio but it is good to know that the end of the road was 15 years ago so we can let our customers know.

What does end of life mean? – This letter means if you have one of these controllers you need to start planing on replacing the elevator equipment.  If you cannot afford to replace or do not want to replace, make sure your elevator contractor has spare parts and can service your elevator so you don't have an elevator out of service for weeks or months waiting on a new controller.

Technology for the time – The technology for the time was pretty cool.  It was a controller that had earlier solid state technology and a 3 board system that was fairly versatile.   To my knowledge it was one of the first nonproprietary controllers that used a hand held device called “PET”.

Chicago FEO implications – If you have a Chicago FEO phase II violation and have a Vertitron VH series controller you should replace it as anyone saying they can make it work either are elevator wizards or do not know what they are doing.

Ongoing technical support – Minnesota Elevator has owned Vertitron for a number of years and they still sell new controllers.  The folks at Vertitron have always been wonderful about repairs and technical support.

Hey! Sign up for our mailing list!  Next newsletter will be out in about 3 weeks and you will get one about once a month.

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.

History of Elevator Firefighters Emergency Operation

I have wanted to share this information for some time.  This is the history of Elevator Firefighters Emergency Operation.  It is interesting on how the elevator code requirements have changed over the years in reactions to different events.   The big event that escalated adoption and alternate floor recall was a fire at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Nevada in 1980. 

Significance of MGM fire - The burning material created toxic fumes and smoke, which ascended throughout the hotel tower via vertical shafts (elevators and stairwells) and seismic joints and caused the majority of the deaths.  Firefighters reported having to crawl through the dark and over "mounds of stuff" trying to extinguish the fire, it was later determined that the "mounds" were deceased guests and staff near an elevator bank.  Proper evacuation of the hotel guests was hindered as there was no automatic means of returning elevators to the main floor during a fire, causing 10 deceased victims to be found in an elevator. Survivors recounted how some in the hotel had tied bedsheets together and hung them on balconies in an attempt to escape upper floor rooms and alert first responders.

*wikipedia.org

Definitions

Phase I – Phase I is the key switch that is in the main lobby/egress floor that can be operated by competent persons[elevator personnel, fire fighters trained in FEO and/or other people that have had the proper training as outlined in the elevator code.  This key switch will recall the elevators to the main egress.

Phase II – Phase II is the key switch that is in the elevator that allows competent persons to take control the elevator, typically fire fighters.

Automatic recall – Automatic recall is a trigger that will send the elevator down to a specified floor when a device is set off[smoke, flow switch or approved device].

Alternate landing – Alternate landing is the feature that allows the elevator to land at a non-fire floor; I.e. if the fire is at the main landing the elevator will go to the alternate landing[basement or 2^nd floor, whichever is better for building evacuation].  The elevator is hooked up to fire recall devices at each landing, machine room and at times inside the hoistway.

History

ASME 17.1-1973

Automatic Recall introduced in the Supplement.

Phase I – all elevators with 25 feet or more of travel.

Phase II – all elevators with 75 feet or more of travel.

ASME 17.1-1981

Phase II  - all elevators with 25 feet or more of travel.

Audible signals  -   Visible signals

Inspection audible

Machine Room and Main Floor Smokes Required

Alternate Floor Recall

Means of Car Call Cancel

ASME 17.1-1984

Phase II  -  Hold position added to switch.

Car Call Cancel pushbutton added.

ASME 17.1-1987

Firefighters’ Emergency Operation  required of all elevators with 25 feet or more of travel from the Designated landing.

ASME 17.1-1990

In-Car Firefighters’ Hat jewel.

Phase I instructions are specific at hallway key switch.

Phase II instructions are specific in-car.

 Phase I instructions

 Phase II instructions

ASME 17.1-1992

All elevators shall have Firefighters’ Emergency Operation no travel exceptions.

ASME 17.1-1996

“Power Operated” added to in-car instructions.

All elevators with 80 or more inches of travel shall have Firefighters’ Emergency Operation.

ASME 17.1-1998

Flashing Firefighters’ Indicator (FFI) with in-car instructions.

ASME 17.1-2000

Reset added to Phase I key switch.

ASME 17.1-2004

In-Car Firefighters’ Operating Panel added.

Power Monitor (Shunt Trip Monitor) added.

ASME 17.1-2005

“Power Operated” deleted from in-car instructions.

ASME 17.1-2007

Standardized key (FEO-K1) for all Firefighters’ Emergency Operation key switches.

Take away– As we review the evolution of FEO we see changes that are made to make the elevator system safer in the event of a fire.  There is a story and typically a fatality connected to each change in the elevator code.  While the chances of fatality/injury at a building you own, manage, work on, sell to, etc is very small we should all be educating our selves to make our buildings safer.  If you ever question the cost of safety, look in the mirror or think of your family and ask “how much is this life worth?”.

Credit – The MGM information is from wikipedia.org and the FEO history was taken from a document from Joseph Donnelly PE.

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.

Elevator cylinder hole collapse – Undermining building

Colley Elevator does a lot of cylinder work, probably the most in the City of Chicago/State of Illinois.  We have experienced a lot of different underground conditions that could create challenges.  Last week we ran into a non-cased hole that was drilled in the late 1960’s that was all clay.  When we pulled the cylinder it didn’t seem promising but we gave it a shot with the vacuum truck and the hole started to collapse.  It is very important to know when to turn of the vacuum truck or you could start to undermine the building.  In this event the project team called it correctly and stopped the undermining before it became substantial and was isolated to the elevator pit.

[Cylinder prior to replacement]

[Hole in ground after cylinder was removed]

[After debris was removed and pit began to be undermined]

Definition of Undermine - erode the base or foundation of (a rock formation).

Potential danger – The potential danger we encounter is to create a foundation issue for the building if we continue to remove material from underneath the building.  Our hole doesn’t get deeper, it gets wider.

 #1 - Shows the elevator cylinder in the ground, in this case it goes down 27'

#2 - Shows the underground undermine potential

Moving forward – A well driller will need to be hired to put down casing to get a clear hole and when they are completed we will back fill the pit to replace any material that was removed during the vacuum truck visit.

Take away – When considering your cylinder replacement project, make sure that the company you are working with has experience with cylinder replacements and has a project team that has the domain knowledge to navigate your project in a safe manner.  Hiring a big name doesn’t necessarily mean that the team managing or completing your project has the correct domain knowledge.

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.

Traction Elevator modernization – Indian Head Park, IL

A number of years ago we got invited to bid the door equipment replacement at a building in Indian Head Park, IL.  We visited the building and submitted pricing for doors but recommended modernization of the elevator control system.  2 or 3 years later they called us back and we were fortunate enough to get the opportunity to work with the building.

Existing elevator & project scope – The elevator door equipment was replaced a few years ago and the elevator machines are in decent condition so we recommend retaining the machines for now and plan on replacement in the future.  The elevators were installed by US Elevator and any day you get the chance to replace US Elevator equipment is a good day.  Once upon a time US Elevator equipment ran well and there were plenty of people who were familiar with them.  As the years go by there are fewer and fewer people who have the domain knowledge to effectively maintain US Elevator equipment.  This was the first time I saw a duplex elevator with one running on 208VAC and one running on 480VAC.  I had a few calls and emails from the controller manufacturer asking me if I made a typo on the data sheets.

New equipment providers

Controllers – Smartrise Engineering

Motors – Imperial

Fixtures – Innovation Industries

Roller guides – SEES

Traction safety equipment – Hollister Whitney

Elevator interior – Cab Works

Traction elevator controller – You can look at the old controller and the new controller and see how simple the new controller looks compared to the 1970’s control system.

 [Old]

[New]

[New layout]

Elevator machines– Original Hollister Whitney Machines with new motors and a new paint job.  Machines run great!

[Old]

\

[New]

Elevator fixtures – We installed new ADA compliant Innovation fixtures.

[Old]

[New]

Roller guides – SEES manufacturers replacement roller guides for US Elevators, they worked great! Always important to pay attention to roller guides on Mods!

[Old]

[New]

Traction safety equipment – We installed new governors and rope grippers

[Old]

[New]

Elevator interiors – The elevator interiors were spruced up by Cab Works.

[New]

Kick off & Close out meetings – During any project this size there are bumps in the road.  We had a meeting with the full association prior to starting the project were we outlined the burn in period and potential issues after turn over.  We had some issues after turn over but quickly resolved them.  We had issues with the elevator interior company’s installation, cab looks great but we had to adjust the doors.  We all worked through it and now the cars look great and run great! 

Take away – Since we had free and open communication with the building before, during and after the project small headaches never became large headaches.  We had a great close out meeting and look forward to working with the building for many years to come.  The field team who did the installation did a great job on this one! This was a total team effort on Colley’s part, we had 16 people from the company who worked on the project from the first phone call to the final inspection.  

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.