Elevators – States Make It Clear Its Your Fault

Because installing traditional elevators take so long and there are a limited amount of elevator contractors, with only so many hours in a day, elevators in many jurisdictions are falling out of compliance regarding inspections. That is the impression that some are trying to infer as officials in a recent story say that inspections of elevators have often taken place and they are waiting on the required repairs before they give their stamp of approval or re-inspection.

There is some truth to the assertion. An unfortunate reality is the mechanic’s time is over taxed on doing new installs because they take months and months to complete. This drain on hours results in them often being the scapegoat and shouldering much of the blame for out of compliance elevators in some people’s minds. This inevitably  leads to the blame game of who is ultimately responsible. Constant pointing of the finger seems to come second nature in the elevator industry as they bicker,  “It is the state’s fault”, “No its the elevator company’s fault”. Its enough to make your head spin.

Now let me be clear, this is not a defense of the big elevator companies. The companies are choosing to do new installations, not necessarily for the profitability of the installation itself, but for the juicy long-term maintenance contract. That is the most lucrative segment of the industry. So they are prioritizing their efforts towards long-term sustained profits not the one time install. Of course elevator companies and their technicians are responsible for their own time management and although there are only so many hours in the day they could use those hours more effectively to free up time for maintenance and repairs. One way to save time would be to use a modular elevator (the startup takes a week not months). This would free up more time for maintenance and keeping up with the punch list produced by state inspectors.

But is it really the elevator contractor or the state inspector that is responsible for the elevator? Especially if the elevator is broken?

That was the question posed in a recent news story done by the NBC affiliate in the San Diego area. The set up to the story was text book. Start with the premise (the state has too many elevators lacking inspections leading to unsafe elevators), then find a person that is dependent on the elevator to get to their apartment, show how their life is turned upside down due to lack of a fully functioning elevator and then have a representative from the state video taped in a gotcha moment. Very formulaic indeed.

We are even given a grainy video that looked like a hostage confession reel from an unfeeling bureaucrat. It was even shot at an odd camera angle to accentuate her in all the wrong ways while responding to the charges, but the “gotcha” kind of fell flat because Erika Monterroza from the Department of Industrial Relations makes clear at the 2:52 mark of the story that the blame ultimately resides in one place...with the building owner.

Yes it would be nice to blame the state or the elevator company, but ultimately the responsibility is always the building owner’s. It is after all their elevator. And although the news story is from 2018, the overall point is still valid. If you own a building with an elevator, the responsibility for the safety, maintenance and licensing falls to the the one that owns the building. 

So what can you do if you are a manager or building owner? Here are some things to consider: 

1. Start shopping immediately. It can be real hard to find a responsive elevator contractor. 
2. Immediately cancel your contract. Usually buried in the fine print it gives you a window to cancel and if you don’t you have an automatic renewal often times at a higher rate.
3. With all the calendar apps available, use one to note your certificate expiration date and give yourself at least 60 days to make all the phone calls.
4. Be the squeaky wheel. If it is your responsibility, take it seriously and be a pest if you must. The elevator company and even the state may find you annoying but better that than to be out of compliance.
5. Climb the ladder. Do this by talking to the boss or finding a different company to work with. With the state go over everyone’s head if needed. Contact legislators, representatives or the governor’s office if needed.
6. See #2. Immediately cancel your elevator contract (even if the renewal is five years away).

It is a shame to have to go to such lengths to get your elevator properly inspected and licensed, but because everyone in the industry is so busy, and elevator contractors are interested in new installations that take forever, it is a reality you will have to deal with. The bottom-line is as a business owner you need to keep tabs and keep your elevator in compliance.

It is time for a new elevator when…

We recently installed a brand new elevator at a middle school and the superintendent was kind enough to tell us why the project was such a success. If you are thinking about a new elevator instead of wrestling the old one, this video testimonial could be the most important video you see.  It is a fantastic and honest look at why they replaced an elevator and the problems they were having that led them to the decision to upgrade with a new Phoenix Modular Elevator.

So, video has gotten us all thinking, what are the signs that your elevator needs replacing or modernizing? Sometimes it is like you are walking in the dark and guessing, so here’s a short list of considerations:

1. You begin viewing yourself as Ahab and the old elevator as Moby Dick.  To refresh your memory, Ahab goes nutty in a search for a big white whale (Moby Dick). He starts seeing the whale as pure unadulterated evil and desires to overcome it by any means necessary. If you have ever thought about your elevator as your evil nemesis or a Moriarty to your Holmes, you need to step back and do a cost benefit analysis of a modernization or replacement. Make sure to include in your spreadsheet the cost of sleepless nights caused by lamenting over the many elevator failures. An elevator should never be your enemy.
2. The time between repairs is getting shorter and shorter. When you start to have a deeper relationship with the person on the other end of the line of your answering service for the elevator repair company than you do with members of your own family, you either need a new maintenance company or your elevator is just well past its prime. Believe it or not the average life for an elevator is around 30 years give or take. So, if your elevator is older than the Glenfiddich, single-malt Scotch whiskey, on your shelf, maybe it’s time for something new.
3. Parts have to be manufactured out of whole-cloth because they don’t exist any more. Strange but true, elevator parts are pretty easy to find. As a matter of fact there are companies that specialize in rare parts for all kinds of elevators. Even if the company is long out of business, you can usually get what you need. A warning, it can take some time to get them shipped and arrive in a reasonable time, but if your elevator technician is literally having your broken parts mended or fabricated because the elevator company has gone the way of the dodo, it might be time for an alternative especially if combined with point #2.
4. The current elevator is not ADA compatible and the shaft or hoistway is too small to accommodate a modernization to a compliant elevator. People, its 2019 and time to make your building accessible. A modernization is a great way to give your elevator a complete overhaul. You can have cosmetic improvements, but also full-blown replacements of jacks and sheaves and motors depending on the need. The problem is when the existing elevator shaft or hoistway is just too small to accommodate a larger elevator car. In that case a new elevator hoistway and car are needed.
5. You’re tired of talking to people through closed elevator doors. If you find yourself constantly shouting through a closed elevator door to people trapped inside, you may need a new elevator. But, if you like helping people through the anxiety and feeling of entrapment, then by all means keep your old one. After all it is sometimes difficult to meet new people or have a captive audience for your amateur stand-up routine. However, if your comedy act is flat you might want to look into a new elevator or modernization.

The above symptoms are just the tip of the iceberg. There can be even more reasons but, most often it is a lethal combination of all or several of the points above that spell the demise of the old white whale you have in your building. If you are not sure if you need a new elevator, feel free to contact us for a realistic discussion about when it is time to replace or modernize.

Let It Snow – 5 Ways to Get Your Elevator Ready

We are getting unseasonable and unreasonable snow in our neck of the woods–Southern Illinois–so we thought we would revisit precautions for cold weather when it comes to your elevator.

First, we begin with two words that are rarely used in terms of elevators anymore but are likely the most important…preventative maintenance. It is the easiest way to ensure that your elevator will give you great service throughout the entire year, but especially in winter. For the list of the five key items that your technician should cover click this link!

Elevator Flooded – What To Do

Photo by Drew Coffman on Unsplash

When dark clouds roll in, there is often concern for the elevator. This is because often the lowest part of any building is in an unlikely place; under the elevator. Almost every elevator sits atop an elevator pit and as the elevator often travels to all the levels of the building (including the basement or underground parking) the pit and all the elevator components are possible trouble spots when there is too much rain like we are seeing this hurricane season. Because flood waters can permanently damage the equipment, it maybe a good idea to know what you can do to keep the elevator safe in storms and in as good operating condition as possible depending on the circumstances. Click for important information and must-do steps.

 

Tips – Dealing with an Elevator Modernization

Recently modernized elevator car. New fixtures and interior are just part of a modernization.

The cost of a complete pit to roof-top machine room makeover can easily run in the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the total travel distance, type of elevator, and work to be done. But writing the check is just the tip of the hatred iceberg.

Why the hate? Because modernization comes with a myriad of problems. As the building owner or manager, you have to make all sorts of decisions and accommodations, coordinating the intricate dance of building tenants with elevator personnel. Some need to get in and out and others up and down. Schedules have to be merged, communications opened, storage areas coordinated, parking and unloading allowed, inconveniences avoided, and ruffled feelings assuaged. Patience is the watchword, as modernization work can drag on from a couple months to often over a year. In that time span, patience can wear as thin as crepe paper. Then the anger and hate sinks in as reasonable people become less so.

Specific steps you should take for building owners and elevator contractors. Click here.