9 Basic Maintenance of Elevator: Learn Elevator Maintencance

What is elevator maintenance?

In order to keep elevators operating at their best, service experts must do routine inspections. This is known as elevator maintenance. This procedure entails locating, evaluating, and fixing problems before they cause faults, shutdowns, or breakdowns of the system. Elevator maintenance is usually done at least once a month with the goal of extending asset life and avoiding costly repairs. To ensure appropriate functionality and safe operation, an elevator maintenance checklist is a useful tool for inspecting the mechanical, structural, electrical, and safety systems.

Why Do You Need an Elevator Maintenance Plan?

For multi-story buildings, elevators, also known as lifts, are major investments that play a vital role in the effective movement of people and products between levels. The National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII) reported that 18 billion trips are made in US elevators each year. Regular elevator maintenance is vital because of its high usage. Similar to regular auto maintenance, elevator maintenance becomes necessary when specific operational thresholds are reached. It is essential to create a proactive elevator maintenance checklist because elevators are mechanical transportation equipment.

For instance, in a 10-story residential building, an elevator typically operates around 300 times daily. Over time, parts and components inevitably experience wear and tear, underscoring the necessity for regular maintenance to ensure stable operation, extend service life, and prioritize passenger safety. Let’s delve into the essentials of the maintenance process.

As a building authority, you must maintain the log book. You can get sample by clicking on image.

Don’t seek a lower cost of maintenance.

Elevator maintenance encompasses multiple stages: checking operational status and safety features (operations, rescue mechanisms, voltage, sensors), maintaining the system outside the cabin and along the shaft’s travel path, involving 20-30 intensive technical steps (cabin structure, electrical system, machine room, pit, drive components), among others. Furthermore, sourcing low-cost materials such as oil, grease, spare parts, or labor can prove challenging, considering subsequent accounting. While many firms offer competitive maintenance services for elevators of any brand, professionals understand that each brand’s elevator comprises distinct components. Attempting to fit square pegs into round holes is futile, given the high device synchronization and the necessity for component replacements in arrays, not as discrete units. Customers may be unaware of these intricacies, leading to situations where the cure may be costlier than the ailment itself, as minor expenses for repairs could escalate into substantial expenditures on additional accessories.

Elevator Maintenance Checklist

Before an elevator is put into service, service workers utilize an elevator maintenance checklist as a tool to make sure it is safe. It is utilized to document the specifics of the inspection, such as the machine room, top of the car, and inside the car. It assists in evaluating possible hazards that can result in equipment faults and defects.

The requirements listed below should be on your elevator maintenance checklist:

1. Machine Room

• Fire Safety: Test smoke and fire detectors for proper operation.
• Electrical Safety: Inspect all wiring for damage and replace any frayed wires. Ensure proper lubrication and check oil levels for all machinery.
• Cleanliness: Maintain a clean and organized machine room, with only necessary tools for inspection and maintenance.
• Environment: Ensure proper ventilation and dryness in the machine room to prevent moisture or water intrusion.
• Electrical Components: Check electrical components for unusual noises, malfunctions, or signs of overheating.

2. Inside the Car

• Car Controls: Verify the proper functionality of all buttons within the elevator car.
• Doors: Ensure smooth operation of elevator doors, free from obstructions.
• Emergency Communication: Test the emergency phone to confirm a successful connection for emergencies.
• Interior Inspection: Check walls, ceilings, and handrails for any damage.
• Car Operation: Test the elevator in both upward and downward directions for smooth operation.
• Switches: Verify the proper functionality of key switches, light switches, and fan switches.
• Floor Display: Ensure the floor display in the car accurately reflects the elevator’s current position.
• Ride Quality: Check for any unusual swinging, vibrations, or noises during elevator movement.

3. Outside the Car

• Safety Systems: Verify the functionality of the elevator’s safety system and fire alarm system.
• Hallway Controls: Test the buttons outside the elevator cabin for proper operation.
• Hallway Lighting: Check the functionality of all hall lights.
• Door Panels: Inspect the door panels for any damage.
• Door Tracks: Clean the door guide rails to ensure smooth door movement.

4. Top of Car

• Rails and Ropes: Thoroughly inspect the rails, ropes, and their attachments for any damage and make necessary repairs.
• Exit Hatch: Ensure easy accessibility of the exit hatch.
• Damage Inspection: Check for any signs of destruction or damage.

5. Elevator Pit

• Moisture Control: Check the pit for standing water and ensure proper drainage.
• Lighting and Communication: Verify proper functionality of pit lighting, indicators, and electrical sockets.
• Cleanliness: Remove any debris from the pit.
• Ladder Access: Ensure the pit ladder is in proper working condition and allows for safe access.
• Tensioning Device: Verify proper operation of the tensioning device.
• Limit Switch: Check the position of the limit switch and adjust if necessary.
• Clearance Checks: Ensure proper clearance between the compensation chain and the ground.
• Buffer Distance: Verify the buffer distance of the counterweight and spring buffer meets specifications.
• Spring Buffer Inspection: Check for signs of rust and corrosion on the spring buffer.
• Wire Rope: Inspect the wire rope for signs of wear and tear.

6. Guide Rails and Guide Shoes

• Guide Shoe Tightness: Ensure proper tightness of the guide shoes.
• Shoe-Rail Interaction: Verify proper cooperation between guide shoes and guide rails.
• Oil Level: Check the oil level in the guide shoe oil box and maintain proper lubrication.
• Rail Lubrication: Lubricate the rails as needed and perform a control check.
• Gap Inspection: Check the gap between the guide shoe lining and guide rails for minimal vibration.
• Buffering Performance: Verify proper buffering performance on both sides of the rails.

7. Traction Machine Reducer

• Gear Inspection: Inspect the gears for any tears or gaps that could hinder smooth operation.
• Oil Maintenance: Check the oil tank for leaks, clean and refill with appropriate oil, and ensure even oil distribution.
• Bolt Tightening: Tighten all bolts on the base of the traction machine.
• Temperature Control: Maintain oil temperature below 60 degrees Celsius and a component temperature below 80 degrees Celsius.

8.Elevator Brake

• Cleaning: Remove dust and buildup from the brakes.
• Disc Inspection: Check the brake discs for breakage and repair if necessary.
• Bolt Tightening: Ensure proper tightness of the brake fastening bolts.
• Air Gap: Verify the appropriate air gap between the brake pad and discs.
• Brake Adjustment: Loosen the fixing screws to adjust the brake position if needed.
• Additional Checks: Consider checking brake response timings, the brake controlling system, and brake tension for optimal performance.

9.Traction Sheave

• Surface Inspection: Check the working surface of the sheave groove for smoothness.
• Wire Rope Alignment: Ensure the wire rope lies evenly within the groove of the traction sheave.
• Slippage Prevention: Verify the wire rope doesn’t fall to the bottom of the sheave groove and slip.

Conclusion

Elevators should be inspected on a periodic basis and preventive maintenance can be done monthly, depending on the usage of the elevator. But for other types, like commercial lifts, conducting maintenance at least quarterly is ideal. Scheduled elevator maintenance can help proactively catch issues before they lead to elevator breakdowns that can be costly to repair.

You also need to know some common factors for an elevator’s smooth operation, so read another related article here.