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Answers to common questions are below, but every circumstance is different — for personalized assistance please contact us directly.
What is normal wear and tear by contract definition?
Any repairs needed resulting from normal day-to-day use of your elevator are covered in your maintenance agreement. Things that would not be covered would be; acts of God – for example, flooded pits and damage due to storms etc., vandalism, broken parts due to delivery men/move ins, floods and damage caused by other building systems, and issues resulting from overloading. If you have any questions about what may or may not be covered in your maintenance contract, it is best to ask your elevator company.
How often are elevators inspected?
Elevators are inspected annually to assure that they comply with the national safety code. There are also semiannual and 5 year testing. In Maryland, a third party inspection company handles inspections.
My elevator is shutdown, can I get it running again by cycling/resetting the disconnect switch?
The answer is yes, however, it may not be advisable for several reasons. An elevator machine room can be a dangerous place to be, due to wiring (sometimes exposed), moving cables, and equipment. Many times resetting the machine will get your elevator moving again. However, in most cases it will clear out the problem and leave your technician in the dark as to what the problem is. This will leave both you and the technician frustrated with the same problem repeating itself, and make it difficult to diagnose the actual reason for the recurring shutdowns.
Do I need to have the machine room air-conditioned?
It is advisable to have your machine room air-conditioned, especially if it is on the roof. Summers in our area can get very hot and machine room temperatures can climb well over 100 degrees. Hot machine rooms will eventually cause shutdowns when your electrical equipment gets too hot and unfortunately, the shutdowns will continue with the high temperatures.
When should I modernize my elevator?
It depends on the age of the equipment, overall performance, and reliability. If you are experiencing repetitive shut downs that is a good indication that you may need a modernization.
I am planning a modernization; do I need to hire an Elevator Consultant?
If you are comfortable with your elevator company and they have a modernization department, they would be able to handle it. However, if that is not the case, an elevator consultant may be the way to go. Many elevator consultants gained their experience while working at elevator companies, so they have technical knowledge of all types of equipment. Another reason to hire a consultant would be if you are required to receive multiple bids and you are not comfortable handling that yourself, or if you need assistance with writing the scope of work needed to publish an RFP.
