How is your Elevator performing?
This article discussing maintenance of elevators and how that effects performance has been supplied by Andrew Batynski, ABN Lift Consultants.
In any type of building vertical transportation services represents an important financial investment but also it is the part of the building responsible for seamless operation and movement of patrons. With an asset this valuable, it is good practice to have a well-defined program to ensure appropriate elevator maintenance and regular service. While this article focuses on maintenance of elevators, much of the general information applies to escalators as well.
Any lift is an extremely complex system with hundreds of mechanical and electrical parts that must be maintained on a regular basis. One function of maintenance is ensuring continued operation by preventing excessive wear and tear and breakdowns. In systems as complex as modern elevators, a more important aspect of maintenance is to ensure that the equipment continues to perform as it was originally designed. Only qualified and adequately trained lift technicians, using the correct equipment and latest tools of trade, can accomplish this. A well-established service provider will also have qualified and experienced engineering staff, easy access to spare parts but also fast communication channels with lift manufacturers to solve any complex problems and fast delivery solutions.
The components of a typical lift system which require regular maintenance can be categorized by their location: in the lift machine room, in the lift shaft, or the lift car itself. We will not go into the details of each area, but rather focus on how an average user can spot any maintenance troubles.
The following simple checklist outlines areas that should be checked during a property manager’s elevator system review, but can be also spotted by any day user of the elevator in your building:
Elevator callbacks: Are there excessive breakdowns above the industry standard of six per elevator per year?
Safety features: Are the emergency alarm or telephone operating?
Fixtures: Are hall and elevator indicator lights and floor indicators working correctly? Are lift car lights and ventilation fans operating?
Doors: At stops, do the doors operate noisily? Do they scrap? Do the doors bump passengers?
Starting and stopping: Do elevators hesitate at floors too long after buttons are pressed? Do they start and stop abruptly or uncomfortably?
Leveling: Does the car level with the floor at each stop so passengers will not trip?
Ride: Do you hear squeaks and scrapes or feel vibrations when the elevators are running? Do they feel unbalanced?
Run times: Do elevators grouped in the same bank appear to operate at different speeds during comparable runs?
If any of the listed items are noted as dissatisfactory it simply means that your lift is not being looked after and maintained properly.
Elevator performance and maintenance go hand in hand so don’t let you asset deteriorate by poor maintenance. Spending money on good service makes more sense than premature costly upgrades and modernisations.
If performance of elevator is poor perhaps independent Lift Consultant can assist? A custom design service contract can include KPI’s, penalty clauses and specific detailed maintenance scope for piece of mind to the end users.
ABN Lift Consultants can assist with any issues related to lift service audits, custom drafted service contracts, end of DLP inspection and advice related to upgrades and modernizations. Contact us on info@abnlift.com or Ph: 02 8004 6832.
Andrew Batynski
Vertical Transportation Principal Consultant
ABN Lift Consultants
Ph: 02 8004 6832
E: info@abnlift.com
Are you interested in more information about maintenance of elevators or more general information about maintenance of your building? Visit our FactSheet: Maintenance and Common Property page.
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