in the manufacturing sector with extreme success. There is no question that a computer can detect faults imperceptible to a human. Equally, it can employ predictive-modeling algorithms that design standard deviation curves from normal usage and flag items when they fall outside the first or second deviation.
However, problems arise when remote monitoring is implemented to eliminate all human interactions. For instance, a building which had a maintenance contract with a large company was recently surveyed. Upon arriving at the jobsite, construction dust from the elevator’s installation 15 years ago was still in the pit. It was also difficult to assess whether the packing was leaking, or if the oil pan had simply not been cleaned. If an elevator company had been consistently billing the customer for the last 15 years, but never took the time to clean the pit or hoist way, it speaks volumes about other potentially neglected items.
A SILVER BULLET?
Remote monitoring today could create the need for a more intensive modernization tomorrow. As code continues to evolve, elevator equipment will become more sophisticated to manage any added life safety devices. Remote monitoring will need to keep pace to ensure compatibility with these new features.
Remote monitoring also fails in achieving compliance with monthly code-required testing. At this point, it cannot perform the monthly FEO (Fireman’s Emergency Operation) checks mandated by code. The technology is also unable to perform the required monthly emergency phone tests. Though newer elevators have phone line monitoring which checks the line at established intervals, there are countless installations without it.
Remote monitoring also fails to alert the elevator company to the simple things not caught by regular visits. A technician familiar with the building’s equipment can replace nonfunctioning signaling equipment like bulbs or LEDs. Without regular visits, the elevator does not have its rails or door equipment lubricated, belts checked, floor stop accuracy verified, signals renewed and an overall check to ensure it is performing properly. Addressing these items, which are unique to each building and its set of circumstances, would ultimately prolong equipment life.
40 | COMMON INTEREST®
NON-QUANTIFIABLE RESULTS Any technology that makes elevator passengers safer and the equipment more efficient is a welcome addition. However, using technology as a substitute for regular maintenance degrades the overall quality of the equipment. Reviewing the number of monthly visits versus quarterly, and assuming 1 hr. per elevator, the time taken to inspect goes from 12 to 4 hours per year, a 75% reduction. When a mechanic can only dedicate 4 hours per year to an elevator, housekeeping, attention to detail and familiarity with the equipment will ultimately suffer. The mechanic is only as good as the tools he or she is given; a critical tool is time.
A technician has become the frontline and, often, de facto salesperson for a building. Removing the technician from the equation takes a piece of “hands- on” customer service away from the facility. It also leads to pits full of oil pads and trash, car tops coated with layers of dust, and door operators not lubricated, among other deferred maintenance items.
LEVELING UP
It is impossible to make broad statements about any elevator. Each is housed in a building that has unique requirements based on usage, age, traffic patterns, environment and several other factors. A six-story condominium with 60 units requires a different maintenance control plan than a three- story building with 12 units. There is no one program that fits all. Equally important, there is no piece of technology that completely does away with the need for regular visits by a skilled technician.
Big names, flashy products and a salesperson’s promises do not necessarily translate into better maintenance and a longer system lifecycle. If examinations aren’t performed in a building because the contract states “systematic” or “regular” visits that are electronically monitored, or routes are too large, an elevator company/technician will have a difficult time properly caring for the equipment. When that’s the case, Elevator Action can quickly move from Elevator Inaction to Game Over. Help your association avoid this tragic outcome by consulting with a knowledgeable elevator expert who can design a tailor-made maintenance program to earn your elevators a high score!
• Summer 2021 • A Publication of CAI-Illinois Chapter
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