Let’s start with a refresher on some of the risk factors of an elevator that is slowly creeping toward its end of life:
-Elevator is over 20 years old
-Elevator jerks or is excessively noisy
-Elevator reeks of hydraulic fluid
-Elevator takes a long time to arrive
-Elevator ride itself is slow
-Elevator is frequently out of service
If one or more of these symptoms are applicable to your elevator, then it may be a good idea to have it modernized. It is important to be on the lookout for these warning signs so that you have an idea of when you need to consider modernization. Old elevators tend to have parts that are hard to replace, but more importantly, operating an outdated elevator system hurts the productivity of building occupants, not to mention it puts their health and safety at risk.
You may now be wondering when it would be a good time to modernize. At one point, elevators had a lifespan of over 2 decades. Elevators these days have a slightly shorter life span largely because of the continuous technological advancements being made in this field. Add to that the increased difficulty in sourcing spare parts, and the fact that entire product lines get axed and/or the manufacturing company goes out of business.
Keep in mind that the age of the building could increase the complexity of this process. For buildings that are more than 20 years old, there will be further compliance checks to pass in many jurisdictions. Newer buildings were built with systems that were already in compliance with such codes. The costs associated with the modernization of an elevator ranges from $125,000 to $250,000. Costs vary depending on the size of the building, as well as its age, among other factors.
If you are split between deciding between elevator repair vs modernization, a good rule of thumb is that modernization is the more practical option if the elevator is already nearing the end of its lifespan (which is around 20 years). The expenses associated with replacing soon-to-be obsolete parts in addition to the prospects of further service outages make modernization the more practical option. The easy and obvious way to tell whether you need to modernize your elevator is by reviewing your service call history. If you notice that service calls have become more frequent, that may be the writing on the wall indicating that now is the time to get your elevator modernized.
Your best bet is to reach out to a qualified elevator service company such as BROOKLYN ELEVATOR SERVICE for a thorough assessment of your situation. Our qualified specialists will work closely with you to come up with the solution that best fits your long term needs. Our elevator service specialists are highly qualified in this field, and are ready to take on either project. We look forward to personally working with your team to come up with a personalized gameplan that enables your elevator to sport the latest and greatest features in elevator technology. These features will increase the safety and security of your building tenants and visitors, and will give your elevator a new lease on life. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment 347) 835 4009.
As previously mentioned, elevators that are not outfitted with modern equipment have an increased rate of unexpected service outages, nonfunctional emergency equipment, unresponsive doors, uneven floor landings, etc. If your elevators show any of these symptoms, your building’s occupants will never feel the building is a safe and harmonious place to work and/or play. More importantly, these are all major risk pain-points that must be addressed in order to prevent injury and help make sure that your elevator meets state-mandated safety codes. Today we’ll discuss the warning signs to look out for which will serve as signs that your elevator might be a good candidate for modernization.
1. Slow Downs
The first thing that people notice when riding in an elevator is the speed of the ride. Slow downs are often a tell tale sign that suggests elevator modernization is an immediate need. Elevator parts get worn out quickly when they are used in busy office settings, where they are subject to doing heavy loads on a daily basis. The slow downs are not expected to improve with time given the daily wear and tear. It may even be reasonable to take the elevator out of service, or ask your building occupants to take the stairs in order to prevent the elevator from deteriorating further, or risk an accident.
2. Mid Leveling
If you notice that whenever your elevator doors open, the elevator continuously stops just above or below the floor level, this indicates that either the brakes and/or cables are are worn out. This poses a major safety hazard to your occupants as they can easily trip when entering or exiting. Oftentimes, mid leveling occurs to such a small degree that it may not always be so easily noticeable, but as the brakes and cables get further degraded, mid leveling tends to get proportionally worse.
3. Noisy Ride
This can be unsettling for anyone riding the elevator, often just as much as mid leveling can be. Loud noises can resemble either screeching, squeaking, grinding or some other type of abnormal sound. Depending on the sound, it could be is indicative of damage to either the brakes or the motor.
4. Unexpected Service Outages
When you begin experiencing symptoms such as slow downs, strange sounds and mid leveling, you will invariably run into the elevator frequently breaking down. These unexpected breakdowns really are the greatest indicator that your elevator needs to undergo modernization.
If your elevator is exhibiting any or all of these symptoms, it is advised that you reach out to a qualified elevator service company such as BROOKLYN ELEVATOR SERVICE right away. We are the go-to modernization service provider for commercial buildings in the region. If you have an aging elevator, do not put off the inevitable by performing quick fixes. It is no longer an issue of replacing parts since these symptoms may be the death knell for your elevator. If your elevator does heavy usage and/or if it hasn’t been replaced in close to 20 years, that’s all the more reason to seriously consider modernization. Give us a call today (347 835 4009) for a consultation with our highly qualified elevator modernization specialists.
Modern elevator technology is not reserved just for gleaming skyscrapers. Every building deserves elevators with state of the art safety and efficiency, since they play a pivotal role in a building’s real estate ecosystem. Elevator modernization enhances the value of your building, and allows you to recoup your invest through substantial energy savings, as well as allowing you to charge higher leasing rates, as well as increasing tenant retention rates.
Modernization can enable your elevator system to run smoother and quieter, which by itself can improve tenant satisfaction and boost employee morale. Modernization also upgrades your elevator’s aesthetic touch, which gives even an older building to experience a newness which no other upgrade could provide. Moreover, modernization can be executed with a short lead time and minimal disruption to the daily activity of building tenants.
One particular technological advancement being made in mid-rise buildings specifically is Machine Room-less hoisting machinery. This allows the building to create quite a bit of extra space by getting rid of mechanical rooms typically found in basements that contain all the machinery used to hoist the elevator. This frees up space that could be used for other building operations.
Upgrading your elevator system to a Machine Room-less state also reduces your power bill, since it requires less energy to operate. This upgrade allows the motor to be installed directly into the elevator shaft, which takes away the need to have a dedicated machine room.
Although this setup will cost more than a traditional elevator, they are more economical since they allow construction costs to be reduced. Experts also believe that buildings without elevator system bulkheads are stronger.
Another key benefit of modernization is gear-less operation. Many low-rise and mid-rise buildings using a geared elevator system, once upgraded, can expect their elevators to have much greater energy efficiency as well as become much easier to maintain.
Geared traction elevators operate by the way of a gearbox that is attached to the motor, which drives the wheel that hoists the elevator using a rope. In a gear-less traction elevator, the wheel is directly attached to and moved by the motor. It offers space-savings, as well as energy-efficiency, not to mention it is faster (2,000 feet per minute compared to 500 for geared traction elevators) and travels a greater maximum distance (2,000 feet compared to 250 feet). This makes it the only feasible option for tall high-rise buildings.
We did mention energy efficiency, so let’s go deeper into this aspect. One of the most remarkable aspects of elevator modernization is the way in which it regenerates energy. Think of it like this:
Traditional elevators go up with a light or empty load and comes down with a heavy load, and lots of mechanical energy is created in this process, but this energy gets lost in the form of heat. Sadly, this is a large waste of energy when you account for the life of the elevator.
Modernized elevator systems, outfitted with regenerative drives, are able to harness this heat and transform it to reusable energy that can be used by the building. This is because the motors doubles as a generator while the elevator travels down, converting mechanical power into electricity, which then gets supplied back into the building’s energy reserves. The power savings add up quickly, and result in substantial energy savings over time.
The benefits are plenty for those clients who have modernized their elevators to take advantage of the newest advances in passenger safety, energy efficiency, and reliability. Customers also report that modernization improves elevator ride comfort, quicker travel that results in shorter wait periods, better aesthetics, quieter acoustics, greater dependability, new features such as car-call cancellation and you will rest easy knowing that you have a reliable elevator that can be depended upon if/when the other elevator goes out of service.
With all this in mind, it’s time to get your elevator modernized right away, without waiting until it reaches its end of life. Enlist the services of BROOKLYN ELEVATOR SERVICE and reap the rewards of having a modernized elevator that provides a safe experience for your valued tenants.
You can say good bye to elevator slow downs and unexpected outages, and look forward to providing your tenants with a comfortable elevator ride that provides safe operation at all times, with doors that open and close smoothly. Besides the comfortable ride, they will no longer be forced to take the stairs every time the elevator goes out of service. I would also like to inform you that modernization increases the value of your real estate, and ensures that your elevators are up to code, which helps you avoid heavy penalties and potential lawsuits.
Give us the chance to modernize your elevators. Call us today! (347) 835 4009
