Elevator independent service – Movers using the elevator

As an elevator contractor we receive many service calls indicating

“elevator broken, need service right away, someone is moving”

The elevator mechanic gets to the building and finds the door was knocked off, something stuck under the door or we find large items jammed in the elevator[see above].  There is a feature on some elevators called “independent service” which will allow people moving things to hold the doors and control the elevator.  This feature is controlled by a key switch and is typically underutilized.   Our recommendation is to first find out if you have independent service on your elevator system.  If the elevator system does have independent service, do you have keys?  If the building has keys make sure that everyone in the buildings knows that they need to use the independent service function when moving large items.  Many buildings attached a moving cost and a key deposit to use the elevator to move.

How to use independent service - To use the independent service feature is very simple.  you put the key in the key switch, turn to the on position.  When the key is in the on position the doors will remain open and the elevator will not take any hall calls.  The person in the elevator has complete control of the elevator system.

If a building is better educated on how to use the independent service feature on the elevator system you most probably will get fewer calls that the elevator is broken during moves.   It is understood that building occupants will not always pay attention to the request that you must use the independent service feature but, if it saves a few service calls a year, the building will have fewer bills to pay the elevator contractor.  As a contractor we are always more than happy to come out and show you how this feature on the elevator system works

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

Introduction of sprinklers into existing elevator machine rooms or hoist ways

During the last State of Illinois Elevator Safety Board meeting we received clarification on what buildings need to do if they introduce sprinklers into elevator machine areas or hoistways.  If a building has install sprinklers in existing elevator machine area or hoistway they must install a shunt trip as well as have Fireman’s Phase I & II with alternate landing recall.  Recently the IDPH required all nursing homes, extended care facilities, etc to be sprinkled as this is the best way to add fire safety to buildings.  The issue came about with some older buildings that have older elevator equipment that where not capable of fireman’s recall.  

ASME 17.3 includes a note that indicates[17.3 is the code for existing elevator systems]

“The installation of sprinklers in an existing machine room or hoistway is an alteration.  See SME A17.1, requirements 8.7.2.8 and 8.7.3.8”

The intention behind this note is if you have a building that is on fire and the shunt trip removes power from the elevator system after a heat detector goes off[the heat detector should go off before the sprinklers], the elevator will stop, the elevator could get stuck between floors and if there are people in the elevator they may be stuck and exposed to smoke inhalation.  Now that all elevators in the State of Illinois have door restrictors on the elevators you are trapped in the elevator. If fire recall was installed on the elevator, fire recall would bring the elevator down before the heat would go off, a smoke detector would typically go off before a heat detector, the elevator would go to the designated landing and the doors would open and the elevator would be out of service until reset by emergency services or the elevator company.

We have a lot of older buildings in Illinois with older elevator equipment.   If the building is installing sprinklers they can either choose not to sprinkle the elevator machine area and hoist way or the elevator needs to be equipped with Fireman’s recall.  For some older buildings it may require replacement of the elevator control system.

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

Permits required for 2015 State of Illinois elevator mandated safety upgrades

There have been several questions about if there need to be permits pulled for the 2015 State of Illinois mandates.  The answer to the question is yes you will need to pull permits for the following items.

ii. Car illumination – emergency lighting

iii. Car emergency signaling – emergency phones – hand sets are acceptable if they are existing.  If there is no phone existing it needs to be an ADA phone with voice recording giving the buildings location.

iv. Phase reversal protection – required for traction elevators and recommended for hydraulic elevators

v. Door reopening devices – safe edge/electric eyes/door scans – there are some questions if safe edges will be accepted, which should be clarified shortly.  The safe edge is the device that is on the leading edge of the elevator car door and will hit something and retract. 

vi. Stop switch in pits – almost all elevator have these, some very old elevators do not

vii. Pit ladders – pit ladders need to conform with certain requirements.  This may be difficult for some buildings that have nontraditional elevator lay outs or piping put in the place where the pit ladder should be placed. 

Note: Existing pit ladders that need to be modified do not need permits

I have added an inspection firms informational hand out for review as they do a good amount of the Chicago area suburbs. 

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

Deferred elevator maintenance

The elevator maintenance world is constantly involving from external pressures i.e. rules, laws, mandates, code changes and internal pressures i.e. do more with less.  What we have been seeing is that many buildings have an elevator maintenance company not coming on a regular basis because while “as needed” maintenance used to mean once a month, it now means once a quarter or twice a year.  Or if the elevator maintenance company is coming out they are not checking the items that need to be checked.  At a minimum an elevator maintenance professional should be checking your emergency phone, emergency lights, making sure the testing is up to date, riding the car checking for leveling and door operation, checking light bulbs[he or she may not have time to change them all, however, make a note to have it completed for next visit or later in the month], checking the car top and elevator pit [dumping the put bucket[if required] and checking the safety stop switch]. 

I went to a building where we installed a cylinder where another elevator company completes maintenance 9 months ago.  The building maintenance manager was visited by the elevator inspector and found 10” of what they thought was oil, it turned out to be all water with a coating of oil on top and the pit bucket over flowing, they have a quarterly contract with the elevator maintenance company.  We checked to see if the hydraulic packing was leaking, it was not.  It was apparent that the maintenance person had not checked in the pit or dumped the pit bucket in the 3 visits he had been to the building. 

I was also at another building and found the car top to include the usual elevator items and one used battery, 2 quarts of lubricant, a container of anti-freeze[what is in it, I do not know], rail oilers that where never put back on after a cylinder replacement was completed, a cover off a electrical box and a tube of grease.  These are not out of the ordinary items for a car top, however, we as elevator professionals should be disposing of the non-essential items and keep a clear car top.

If you have the time ask your elevator professional to show you the elevator system and explain what the parts do.  If it is your building you should know what your elevator looks like, what the equipment does, how often the company is coming, what we are doing, etc.  Elevator maintenance and repair is extremely difficult and expensive.  As elevator professionals we should taking reasonable time to complete the various maintenance tasks required.  It is not unusual to have deferred maintenance[due to emergency calls interrupting the maintenance person or having an overloaded month] the difference between a good company and a company who can improve or a good maintenance mechanic and a maintenance mechanic who can improve is if we correct the deferred maintenance in a timely manner.  

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

City of Chicago high rise emergency service elevators

For City of Chicago high rise residence, owners, managers, etc you should be aware of some items that are being required of your building.  Most notably the elevator system will need to have a speaker on the car top so when the fire department arrives at your building they can communicate with the entire building including anyone who may be in an elevator.  Many elevators will need to install a additional traveling cable on their elevator system to allow for communication from a car top mounted speaker.  I have posted a link below for the ordinance if you are interested in reading more about the overall high rise ordinance.   In the elevator universe we have been installing many traveling cables in order to achieve the communication the Chicago Fire Department is looking for.

 

http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/bldgs/provdrs/inspect/svcs/life_safety_high-riseordinance.html

 

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

Elevator Inspection expenses

We have been receiving quite a few calls lately asking about elevator inspections and the requirement.   This will be about the AHJ[Authority having jurisdiction] which would be your town or city’s elevator inspection firm.  In the State of Illiniois for the most part a town hires an elevator inspection firm to complete the elevator inspections for that city or village. Over the last few years the elevator inspections have changed dramatically.  What was a one or twice a year visit with a reasonable bill of $50 to $150 each visit has gone to a requirement to have the following inspections

 

1. Periodic inspections[typically once or twice  a year]
2. Witnessing Category 1 and Category 5 testing[annual and 5 year testing]
3. And permit work inspections – this year the popular one is door restrictor inspections
    
   What this means is that the $100 to $300 a year bill for elevator inspections with the Village or City elevator inspector has risen significantly.  Are these legitimate inspections, yes they are, how much should a building pay? Well that is up to the AHJ, inspection firm and building owners.  As an elevator maintenance company we get in the middle of these conversations at times because we get billed for the CAT 1 and CAT 5 test witnessing fees and these are typically billed higher than the agreed upon periodic inspection
    
   While money is always a concern for everyone from the building owner, AHJ and inspection firm, it does take a qualified person to complete these inspections and qualified people are in high demand because there are not enough elevator inspectors out there working as elevator inspectors.  Many elevator personnel may be qualified to do elevator inspections, however, we choose to work on a different side of the business in the field or working in an office of an Elevator Company who does maintenance, service, new construction, etc.  The most important item is to make sure the elevator system is in a safe condition for the public.  It is getting more expensive but I can guaranty it is much less expensive than a legal issue, a longevity of equipment issue due to poor maintenance or being the person who tripped out of an elevator or got hit by a door because the elevator inspector is not going to the building and make sure the elevator maintenance company is not completing their job properly.
    
   If you have an questions or would like information from Colley Elevator you can go to www.colleyelevator.com, email Craigz@colleyelevator.com or call 630-766-7230.

Elevator wiring diagrams

Wiring diagrams are the elevator technician’s roadmap to how to repair your elevator system.  The State of Illinois current elevator code requires elevator wiring diagrams for the buildings specific elevator to be in the elevator machine room.  This is very difficult for older elevator systems where a few different elevator companies may have completed maintenance or modernization work at the building.  At times the wiring diagrams walk off intentionally or unintentionally[elevator mechanic has a similar elevator at a different building and may have good intentions on returning them].  The important part for building owners to know is that they should make copies of the existing wire diagrams and keep a copy in the building files so they always have a set.  The reason I suggest making copies is when there is a call on Saturday at 2pm, the responding elevator technician may not be your typical route person, if there are no wiring diagrams, they may be at a loss with our the wiring diagrams.  If the building has a set in their files it will get the elevator system back up and running quicker, reducing down time and expense.  If you know as a building owner you do not have wiring diagrams, contact your elevator maintenance company, typically we can find what you are looking for or something similar that will work.   If the building is going to make copies of the wiring diagrams, make sure the originals get put back in the elevator room, sometimes this is forgotten.  With that said, I need to order wiring diagrams for a building whose wiring diagrams where recently “lost”.

Here is a video of elevator wiring diagrams.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwJ6LV-3HYc

 

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