Aluminum wiring - Elevators

I was at a few buildings this week where I saw aluminum wiring.  For those who are not familiar with why we in the elevator business [or any electrical related field] cringe when we see aluminum wiring is because it causes a lot of problems.   Many times we address the symptom of the "electrical issues", not the cause[which can be the aluminum wire].

Case - We had a building where the elevator kept setting the motor starter overloads, typically this is from over current on the motor which identifies a malfunction somewhere or a low voltage issue from the building power.  We worked on this problem for over a week on and off and building was very frustrated.  We looked further into the electrical and found there was a loose connection/melted connection on the vault that was causing more issues then just the elevator problems.  The elevator mechanic's trouble shooting typically stops at the disconnect, in this particular situation the mechanic went further and discovered the root problem which was a bad connection on a lug in the electrical room.  It was an expensive resolution for the building but it saved the building from a fire and future electrical issues due to the bad connection points from the aluminum wiring.

Aluminum wiring got to be popular in the mid 1960’s when the price for copper increased.   This is also the time where there was a building explosion in the Chicago land area.  How does this affect your elevators?  It can lead to motor burn out, starter malfunction and general reliability issues.  And it is difficult to find because the aluminum wiring issue may be in the elevator disconnect, electrical breaker where the elevator disconnect gets power, vault termination or anywhere in between there is a connection point.

[This is a picture of the main line disconnect the aluminum wire is coming in from the top which is feeding power from the building feed to the disconnect and copper wire is on the bottom feeding the elevator motor starter]

[This is a closer picture of the connection points on the disconnect - you can see the color difference between the wires, top wires are aluminum and the bottom right connection shows the copper wire]

  

Aluminum oxidation

Most metals (with a few exceptions, such as gold) oxidize freely when exposed to air. Aluminum oxide is not an electrical conductor, but rather an electrical insulator. Consequently, the flow of electrons through the oxide layer can be greatly impeded. However, since the oxide layer is only a few nanometers thick, the added resistance is not noticeable under most conditions. When aluminum wire is terminated properly, the mechanical connection breaks the thin, brittle layer of oxide to form an excellent electrical connection. Unless this connection is loosened, there is no way for oxygen to penetrate the connection point to form further oxide.

[oxidation]

Coefficient of expansion and creep

Aluminum wire used before the mid-1970s has a coefficient of expansion that varies significantly from the metals common in devices, outlets, switches, and screws. Many terminations of aluminum wire installed in the 1960s and 1970s continue to operate with no problems. However, problems can develop in the future and some connections were not made properly when installed, including not wrapping wires around terminal screws and inadequate torque on the connection screws. There can also be problems with connections made with too much torque as it causes damage to the wire.

Aluminum and steel both expand and contract at different rates under thermal load, so a connection can become loose, and loose connections get progressively worse over time. This cycle results in the connection loosening slightly, overheating, and allowing intermetallic steel/aluminum alloying to occur between the conductor and the screw terminal. This results in a high-resistance junction, leading to additional overheating. Although many believe that oxidation was the issue, studies have shown that oxidation was not significant in these cases. The problems related to aluminum wire are typically associated with older pre-1970s solid wire smaller than No. 8 AWG, as the properties of that wire result in significantly more expansion and contraction than modern day AA-8000 series aluminum wire. Older solid aluminum wire also had problems with a property called creep, which made the wire permanently deform or relax over time under load.

[What can happen with creep]

Joining aluminum and copper wires

Another issue is the joining of aluminum wire to copper wire. As aluminum and copper are dissimilar metals, galvanic corrosion can occur in the presence of an electrolyte and these connections can become unstable over time.

Tin coated copper wire 

There is also tin coated copper wire which can be confused with aluminum wire which is similar in color to aluminum wire.  I was recently corrected by an electrician when we where reviewing the electrical wiring at a school.

The point is that if you have aluminum wire, you should remove it.  If you choose to keep it you will need an electrician to tighten connections and maintain the wiring to prevent shorts, fires and unreliable electrical connectivity on regular intervals.  

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.

Weather changing, elevator lubrication & elevator maintenance

In the Spring and Fall we get more than our ordinary amount of calls for the elevator making “strange noise”.  When the weather changes it effects the composition of the lubricants we use on the elevator system, which we need to address by adding more or removing the existing lubricant and adding a different type. 

There are a few areas on elevators that may need more attention when the warmer weather turns to dryer colder weather two of them are the rails and the hydraulic gland packing.

Hydraulic elevator rails – The rails should be lubricated and as an elevator maintenance provider we need to pay attention that the rails are lubricated with the correct lubrication especially during the fall and winter months.   The lubrication also protects the rails from corrosion caused by humidity and environmental pollutants.  The lubricant should remove some of the resistance or “chatter” that causes noise and lets the elevator have increased ride quality.   The proper process is to provide a very light coating with a cloth that is nearly invisible.   The rails should be cleaned before you apply a new type of lubricant.

Traction elevator rails – Same lubrication information as the hydraulic elevator except we need to be sure that the lubrication does not interfere with the function of the safeties.  Lubricant that does not break down under pressure may inhibit the elevator safeties ability to work properly.  A lubricant that does break down under extreme pressure will allow direct unlubricated contact between safeties and rails and allow the safeties to operate within the set stopping distance required by code.

[This is a random elevator I visited last week we do not maintain this elevator - the picture  is to show the different application of elevator traction versus hydraulic]

[The elevator safety is on the left which engages with the rail to stop the elevator in the event of an over speed in the down direction emergency - we do not maintain this elevator]

Hydraulic cylinder packing – During the transition between Summer and Fall or Fall to Winter we may feel hard starts and stops on the elevator system. We can add a product called Max Glide, made by Maxton Manufacturing[www.maxtonvalve.com] that will reduce or stop harsh stops and starts.  This product can be put on the elevator piston as well as put in the hydraulic  power unit reservoir.   This may be effective for a few days, a few months or years depending on the composition of the hydraulic cylinder gland packing.  If the Max Glide does not work, you most probably will need to repack the elevator cylinder gland.

[The cylinder packing is in-between they cylinder and the piston, the shinny long object]

www.maxtonvalve.com

As an elevator maintenance provider we should be monitoring the lubrication of the elevator and have it on a lubrication schedule.

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.

Associa Cares – Proposal Palooza – 10/10/14

Yesterday Colley went to Associa’s “Proposal Palooza” which is an expo where vendors get to meet and interact with property managers and building decision makers[board members].  For those who are not familiar with Associa they are a company that has brought together two great companies; Vanguard Community Management[they are the great property managers at my town home association] and Legum & Norman, Midwest. This was the first expo we had gone to in a long time and I’m glad we went. 

The previous years we had donated items to the auction which I had no idea where the money went to.  This year during lunch we got to know about Associa Cares which is the philanthropic arm of Associa.   We were also entertained by Elliot from Art Beat Live, whom put on a great show. 

http://www.associacares.com/

We got to learn about the great things that Associa Cares does which include assisting in natural and man-made disasters.  We did not donate to the auction this year as we had a booth, after learning about the great things Associa Cares does we just donated to the cause[today].  Not only is Associa a great property management firm they do something great with their outreach and influence.

Here is a picture of our table we had.  I believe our booth was a bit under dressed compared some of the other exhibitors, however, next year we will be back and have some great display pieces and have exciting take aways which I still owe some of the community managers.  Our goal will be to have a donation to the auction that everyone will talk about during the expo!

Proposal Palooza was a great event and a great experience. I got to see people who I have only talked to on the phone or haven’t seen in years.  I have been working in the elevator business for 17 years and it is always nice to finally meet or reconnect with people that you have been sending letters to or calling for a very long time.  Nothing can replace a face to face hello.

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.

00 Elevator electrical requirements /arc flash

There are National Electrical Code[NEC] requirements that are being enforced by some in some facilities.   I was in a facility last week and was requested to use OO electrical gloves if I were to work on any live elevator circuits.   I was at the building to assist the fire protection company resetting the elevator system so there was no need for the OO electrical gloves.  If I needed to touch the live elevator controller, I would need the gloves.  You can turn the power off and work without the gloves. Please see what the gloves look like below.  The gloves are an item that the elevator company should provide.

For elevator personnel work it is very difficult to work with these gloves on but it is a requirement in some facilities.  The new requirements are for the safety of the elevator mechanic or apprentice.  Some facilities in the future may require electrical protection matting.  The matting is an item that the building owner should provide.

Please keep your eyes out for tags like these and make sure that you have the proper protection equipment if the building is requesting it.  The tag will indicate what class of gloves you will need. 

  

If the building would like you to wear a rubber suit and they are willing to work with the elevator company to pay for the suit and the time it takes to work with the suit on and wearing the suit does not compromise your safety, you must wear it.  The electrical code is changing to increase electrical safety, while it does inhibit our ability to perform efficiently and effectively at times we must respect the building owner’s request.

The likely hood of a request for elevator personal to wear a arc flash suit is very low.  All electrical safety requirements should be discussed at the office level before the elevator personnel arrives on site so the person going to the facility can be prepared.  

Also when working on electrical equipment you must wear cotton long sleeves so if you are a person who wears short sleeves on a regular basis, make sure you have a cotton long sleeve shirt in your car in the event you visit a facility with strict safety requirements.

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 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.