It is a common belief among elevator users in housing societies that the elevator needs major repairs after its use for around 10-12 years. The elevator service providers in that business always think of improving their bottom line in the balance sheet, whereas the users or society always think of getting better and more reliable services and long equipment life with minimum expenses.
The question is that who will assess the condition of the elevator equipment and its useful remaining life and how? Here, the role of an elevator consultant with in-depth knowledge of elevators, practical experience and credibility comes into play.
An elevator consultant can check, study and assess the equipment condition as well as advise you of the necessity or urgency of required repair/replacement/upgradation.
The main reason behind the need for major elevator repair/ replacement can be due to any of the reasons mentioned below.
Wearing out of particular equipment
Technological obsolesce
Life cycle of the equipment
Lack of professionalism in providing service
Let us study the reasons in detail:
Wearing out of moving parts is a normal phenomenon but one needs to see whether the part has reached its designed life cycle end. If it needs replacement much before its designed life cycle then you must check and try to understand the reason behind it. This may be because of excessive use/ misuse, incompetency of the service provider, or non-availability of parts. The consultant can study it and can point out the cause. This can help you to avoid such premature failure and unexpected expenses towards repair/ replacement.
Obsolescence of technology is very common in the present fast-developing age. Customer comfort, equipment reliability, safety, increased speed, and cost, all are leading to fast changes in elevator technology. With such changes the old technology used in the elevator becomes obsolete and compels users to switch over to the latest one.
While going for upgrading one needs to ensure the compatibility of parts also. There may be some parts which are in good condition but as they are not Compatible with the latest system, we are forced to get it changed. One needs to be prepared for such expenses to enjoy safe and reliable services of any equipment or system.
Be careful while buying. Study the technology used and its available service life. If possible, get maximum assurance of product and service guarantee. But be prepared for the obsolescence factor and make your financial planning accordingly.
Each elevator part has its design life cycle. One needs to ensure that the equipment is maintained and used as per the prescribed instructions. We know that the average life of wire ropes is ten years, whereas the life of gear and controller is around twenty years. The other non-moving parts like guide rails, counterweight, door frame, and door header can be used for a much longer period.
Lack of professionalism in service is a very common issue with the unorganised sector as they do not have proper technical competency, and no proper tools and training. Their approach is always to keep the elevator working by all means. This approach may lead to frequent breakdowns, frequent part replacements, or may lead to accidents. Forcing society to go through high risk, uncertainty, and incurring major expenses now and then.
The best way to ensure safe elevator operations throughout its prescribed life cycle is to get it maintained by the original supplier, follow his advice, and get it audited by any competent elevator auditor once a year.
(The writer is an elevator auditor, founder of the Elevator Safety Forum India, plus an active member of the National Safety Council and Society for Reliability and Safety)
