Hydraulic Elevator Modernization – Norridge, IL

 

We had the opportunity to work with a great group of condominium owners who are self-managed in Norridge, IL. The building wanted a bullet proof elevator system to replace their existing outdated Dover IBM relay-based elevator controller. TKE was the incumbent and the building gave us a shot at modernization. We knocked it out of the park!

Existing elevator & project scope – We replaced the elevator controller, fixtures, door operator and hydraulic power unit.

New equipment providers 

• Controllers – Motion Control Engineering 
• Door operators – GAL MOVFR w/Dover hatch equipment
• Fixtures – Innovation Industries
• Power unit – MEI w/Maxton valves

Machine room & pit – This was a big machine room but the existing elevator equipment wasn't laid out the best. I think we did a bit better with their new set up.

[Old machine room layout]

[New machine room layout]

[Elevator pit when we started]

[Cleaned and painted when we where done]

Elevator controller – The existing elevator had a Dover IBM relay controller which worked great for many years. The building had a capital plan to replace their elevator system so they where prepared!

 

[Old Dover elevator controller]

[New MCE hydraulic elevator controller]

Elevator fixtures – We installed Innovation Industries hall and car fixtures to replace the original Dover Impulse buttons. There where two elevators across the hall from the other and one button stack. We added an additional set of buttons to help us with transition as well as allow the building a more convenient solution.

[Old Dover car station]

[New Innovation Industries car station]

[Old Dover hall push buttons]

[New Innovation Industries main floor hall station]

Hydraulic power unit – We removed the Dover dry power unit with an older I2 valve and replaced it with an  MEI submersible power unit with a Maxton UC4 valve. It is accessible standing up instead of near the ground.

Door operator & door equipment – We replaced the Dover door operators with GAL MOVFR 2s and the hatch equipment was replaced with new Dover equipment.

[Old car top & dover door operator]

[New car top & GAL MOVFR II door operator]

Turnkey – The building wanted a turnkey project and we had great partners to complete our fire alarm, air conditioner and electrical components.

 

[Clean electrical lay out w/always appreciated air conditioner for new equipment]

Visual communication - VAM – The building gave us an internet line to the elevator machine room and we used Towne Answering service. They do a great job for us answering our elevator emergency phone and visual calls. We passed the inspection and passed our secondary inspection during our project follow up.

[Visual communications by Rath and answered by Towne]

Take away – We encourage building owners to take a proactive approach to equipment replacement. When equipment gets 20-30 years old, and a building’s expectations are that the elevators are to run reliably, it is a good idea to start planning when it should be replaced.

Team work– The sales person and the project team who finishes, typically get the glory on a project. In between the initial contract sale and the final acceptance are many other people who work on the project to make it successful. From the truck driver to the engineer to the billing department to the assist when needed, 11 Colley Elevator employees where involved in the project and we had tremendous team work on it. Thank you everyone. Without you we would not have had such a successful delivery! Let’s not forget our great material supplier participation!

Finishing touches – The project team did a great job on the finishing touches. Machine room painted, car tops cleaned and elevator pits painted. Love seeing this!

[The last 2%(cleaning and painting) of a project makes the job look pro gear!]

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.

State of Illinois Fire Marshall Elevator Division Extends FAID[Fire Alarm Initiating Device] Requirement

We got great news from the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshall's Elevator Division this week. They have put on paper the extension of the FAID[Fire Alarm Initiating Device] requirement.  The new extension now allows hydraulic elevators until 12/31/24 to have their system tested and pass.  The previous rule required them to be compliant by 12/31/23.  While rule was passed on 12/28/23, we received a formal written correspondence on 2/13/24 which was published on the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshall's website.

What is FAID? FAID is Fire Alarm Initiating Device testing.  We will be testing the fire alarms that are hooked up to your elevator control system to make sure they recall the elevator to the proper floor.  We also have some buildings with fire recall detectors in the hoist way that will need to be checked.  Heat detectors and shunt trips do not need to be tested as part of this requirement. 

Who needs to be compliant? Any elevator that has automatic recall.  Any elevator that has fire alarms hooked up to its controller, which sends the elevator to a floor when the fire alarm is tripped, is required to be tested. 

City of Chicago - City of Chicago is exempt from this requirement.

Additional fees - Expect additional fees from your elevator contractor, inspector and fire alarm company to perform this mandated testing battery. 

Our experience from 2021-2024 – We have seen a lot of tests go well and pass. We have seen a lot of tests fail because of fire alarm programming issues, fire alarm hardware issues and in a very few cases, our elevator controller not responding correctly. Even though buildings are having their fire alarms checked every year, it appears that some of the items connected to the elevator system are not working properly and ignored.

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.

Elevator Picture Hall of Fame 2024 – Superbowl of Elevators

 

The Hall of Fame posts are typically some of the more popular blogs in the Colley blog history. We get to see a lot of elevators during the year on our initial visits for pricing or while engineering projects.  Of the hundreds of elevators, and thousands of pictures we look at, these are some of the gems we've seen this past year.

Handle with care – I don’t know if I would be excited to work on this one.  The sign says it all.  This Madison controller forgot to get on the bus from visiting the dungeon of doomed elevators.  Not too many of these left.

 

Creative electrical cover up – This one was kind of surprising; not sure how it passes any inspection but it is there and it keeps passing.  The elevator man needs to check his hair before he turns the disconnect off per NEC article 4 section 17.1.

 

Anyone see my ladder? – I would have to think there was a better place to stick the ladder.  Was the building’s electrical vault room filled up with shopping carts?

 

You can’t see me – Dear shop/warehouse – I need 12 rolls of electrical tape

 

American Dream Dusty Rhodes – I was always surprised by how Dusty Rhodes got called the American Dream.  This was his maintenance stop.  I would rather visit his son's route, his son wrestled under the name GOLD DUST.

 

Zip ties and electrical tape – Send one more roll of electrical tape and a bag of zip ties.  Do I want any hardware?  No, I got it.

 

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.