Regardless of age or type, elevators are an essential component to multistorey buildings and represent a substantial investment. Like any machine, the better you take care of it, the longer it will last.
Steven Douglas is general manager at Otis Bermuda and Patrick Chapman is lead mechanic. They explained what maintenance is required to keep elevators in good, safe working order, gave advice for taking care of them in between inspections, and warned what can go wrong when they are not serviced regularly.
How much maintenance an elevator requires depends on how often it is used, and Otis Bermuda offers a variety of maintenance contract options.
“We tailor it to the demand,” Mr Douglas said. “We can either give you monthly, quarterly or semi-annual maintenance plans.”
Regular services include checking the elevator’s mechanical, electrical and safety components along with preventative measures such as lubrication, cleaning and component replacements, and emergency repair services.
They also have a 24-hour call back service. “We can’t turn the phone off,” he laughed.
Conserving energy
Otis Bermuda installs and maintains small residential elevators and chairlifts, wheelchairlifts, escalators, dumbwaiters, conveyor belts and commercial elevators for both small and large buildings.
The oldest elevators they maintain have been in use for more than 60 years. The most modern system they have installed, and manage, is a machine roomless, belted, ReGen elevator in a Class A City of Hamilton building, complete with security system that tracks users via swipe cards.
The Otis ReGen drive conserves energy that would be wasted as heat during braking. It captures this energy and feeds it back into the building’s electric grid. It can then be used for another building system such as lighting.
“If you do a good install from the beginning, the first five years is what is known as your ‘free time’,” continued Mr Douglas.
“You’re just doing maintenance and cleaning. After that, you start to see more wear and tear in components. The first things to start changing are door rollers. Those are the ones working the most.”
Replace old components
In between inspections, building managers and owners should also ensure debris doesn’t get stuck in the door tracks, conduct regular visual checks, and report issues immediately so they can be fixed before requiring major repairs. The machine room should also be kept clean and dust free.
While some elevators in older buildings might be decades old, he explained: “Back then, they were built to last. Nowadays, they build most components to replace.”
So, even though modern elevators look good, incorporate sophisticated technology and have customisable interiors, he recommended modernising them after 15 to 20 years. This is because some of the components start to become obsolete.
“Modernisation doesn’t entail ripping everything out,” assured Mr Chapman. “You look at changing all the electricals, the ropes and the door operators.” You’re not reinstalling a whole new elevator, just replacing the major functioning items.
Inspect regularly
To illustrate the cost of not keeping up elevator maintenance, they shared an example of an elevator that was shut down when a building tenant moved out.
“They cut the maintenance contract, then 2½ years later, they got a tenant,” they said. “The elevator started back up, but every month there were major issues because components hadn’t been used or maintained.
“Without regular inspections and maintenance, elevators are prone to breakdowns that could lead to costly repairs or even accidents.
“Common issues that arise from neglect include malfunctioning doors, failure of safety mechanisms, electrical failures, and worn-out components. In the worst cases, poorly maintained elevators can become a safety hazard, putting passengers at risk.”
