If you own a building, then odds are you probably rely on a resident “elevator expert” – usually the elevator service company – for any information on the health and status of your elevators.
Have you ever taken your car to a new garage for the first time and had the sinking feeling that you are being taken for a ride due to your lack of knowledge? The same feeling can arise from lift checks. Sometimes it is not clear what is wrong, and it can feel as though the list of failures the engineer gives you seems way more extensive than you initially thought.
If a building reports a problem with one of their lifts, the lift service company will take a look at it and determine the problem. If the building owner then pays for the repairs only for the problem to continue to be present after the engineer has left, the mechanic can return, fix the problem, and bill the building owner or site manager again for a second job.
As building owners rarely have the skill and expertise to evaluate the lift systems properly, it can be difficult to know what’s going on without professional advice. Building owners and managers are vulnerable when it comes to elevators assets, but what can be done?
Ending The Cycle
The scenario has repeated itself for generations; the building owner doesn’t know what a drive pulley’s function is any more than the building property manager knows the mechanics behind the elevators and escalators.
Building owners sell buildings with pre-existing problems and property managers move on to new buildings leaving the problems unsolved.
Elevator consultants
Hiring an elevator consultant is an assured way to “not be taken for a ride” when it comes to elevator repairs. Consultants understand the status of elevators as well as other lift maintenance companies They also have the buildings best interests in mind.