1. The elevator doesn't stop accurately when at floor level.

A.	Poorly maintained or improperly adjusted motor control.
B.	Could be an older AC system.
C.	The hydraulic valve may need adjustment.
D.	The floor selector may be out of synch.

2. Elevator doesn't seem to go to the floor corresponding to the button pressed.

A.	The floor selector may not be counting floors correctly.
B.	The passenger may be registering a car call behind the direction that the car is traveling.

3. The elevator has a bumpy ride when approaching or leaving the floor.

A.	There may be hoist rope vibration caused by lack of lubrication, sheave groove wear or improper tensioning of hoist ropes.
B.	Worn or poorly adjusted roller guides.
C.	Poor guide rail alignment at initial installation or building settlement causing rails to be misaligned.
D.	Motor control may need adjustment.
E.	Hydraulic valve may need adjustment.
F.	Thrust bearing may be worn on geared machine.

4. Elevator makes excessive noise and shutters as it approaches the top floor.

A.	Hoist rope vibration caused by lack of lubrication, sheave groove wear or improper tensioning.
B.	Compensating chain may be hitting platform, counterweight or other  hoistway enclosure items.
C.	Counterweight may be striking buffer in pit.
D.	Hydraulic Elevator may be low on oil.

5. Elevator doors close before passengers can enter or exit the car.

A.	Door open time may need adjustment.
B.	Stuck call button may be canceling door time.

6. Passengers get bumped by closing doors and doors do not re-open.

A.	Door protective device may be inoperative or inadequate.
B.	Nudging timer may have expired.

7. Tenants are stacking up in the lobby waiting for an elevator to arrive.

A.	Group supervisory control system not adjusted to meet building requirements.
B.	Group supervisory peak clock not set.
C.	Car off. Cars not performing to standards.
D.	Too many people in building for the number of elevators provided.
E.	Building population has increased beyond original design of elevator capacity.
F.	Tenant improvements may have caused traffic patterns that differ from original design of elevator system.

8. The elevator takes a long time to go from one floor to the next and it feels 
like the elevator takes a long time to open doors after it arrives at the floor.

A.	Motor control may need adjustment.
B.	Leveling speed may be too slow or too long.
C.	Elevator not running at contract speed.

9. The elevator falls and stops abruptly between floors.

A.	Falling is perception when elevator suddenly stops. This can be in up or down direction. Many times, this perception is caused by elevator receiving a signal to stop from a safety device.
B.	Elevator may have clipped a hoistway door lock when passing the floor, which trips the interlock and then makes an emergency stop. Someone could have been leaning on the door or the lock/clutch may be out of alignment.

10. My maintenance contractor says I need to modernize the elevators.

A.	Contractor may not have trained technicians to properly maintain older equipment. It is estimated that approximately 20% of the experienced work force will retire in the next two years.
B.	Contractor may not want to spend his own money correcting problems that are covered under the full maintenance contract.
C.	Contractor may be correct if equipment is becoming obsolete and parts are no longer available.

11. The elevator doors are noisy when they open and close.

A.	Worn door hanger assembly rollers or worn door track.
B.	Poor door operator design.
C.	Lack of lubricate and service all mechanical devices on door operating system.

12. The elevator has a rough ride when traveling at full speed.

A.	There may be hoist rope vibration caused by lack of lubrication, sheave groove wear or improper tensioning of hoist ropes.
B.	Worn or poorly adjusted roller guides.
C.	Poor rail alignment due to initial installation method, building settlement, or earthquake causing rails to be misaligned.
D.	Motor control may need adjustment.
E.	Loose feedback tachometer or encoder drive unit.

13. The elevator car is stuffy and smelly.

A.	Inoperative car fan or non-existent fan.
B.	Wall panel may be covering up vent slots or there may not be any vents.
C.	Trash or liquid in pit.

14. I have a full preventative maintenance contract but I keep getting charged for additional repair work.

A.	Some work such as vandalism is outside of the contract.
B.	Contract may not cover after hours work if you called them in to fix a problem outside of normal working hours.
C.	Some of the extra work may be covered. You must know what is in your contract.

15. If my elevators keep breaking down, do I have to have a full modernization of the entire system?

A.

It depends if the problem is occurring in one area only such as the door system, dispatch control system, motor control or floor selector. Some components can be individually modernized without having to modernize everything. However, when doing a partial modernization, you want to be sure that the components being replaced will be compatible with new components when remainder of system is modernized down the road and that the components are not proprietary to a single source company. You always want to leave yourself in a position for competitive bidding.

16. I want to upgrade the cab interiors. Is there something I should be aware of with regard to this issue?

A.	Yes. The code limits the amount of weight that can be added to the elevator system. No more than 5% over the existing weight. This isn’t very much and you are relatively restricted to replace the existing finishes with very similar finishes with regard to thickness and weight.
B.	Flooring is an issue if you intend to install a stone floor where carpet was existing. You must be concerned with both the weight of the stone and the thickness of the stone. You will most likely be limited to approximately one-half inch of total thickness.

17. I have tenants that are afraid to ride the elevators.

A.	Have the service mechanic or sales representative explain the safety of the elevators to those that are concerned.
B.	If it is a claustrophobia situation, this is outside the scope of our expertise.

18. There is a smell of oil in the elevator car.

A.	There may be oil, water or debris in the elevator pit.
B.	The elevator may be operating at extreme temperatures.
C.	There may be a leak in the cylinder / plunger packing gland.

19. The call button lights are never working.

A.	Incandescent bulbs have a low life expectancy. You may want to change them out with neon or LED type lamps that have a longer life.

20. How do I know if my elevators comply with ADA?

A.	Click here for an easy to use form to conduct your own survey.

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